Day 112 -- A Vegan Meal In A High School Cafeteria?

Yesterday, I dined out on portobello mushroom fajitas at my favorite restaurant.  It's the only vegan alternative available on their menu unless you're in the mood for lackluster salad with most of the ingredients left out.  The meal was good, but it was probably a little higher in fat that I'd like.

Fast foward to today.  I was working at my local high school over the lunch hour and decided to see what was for lunch, not really expecting to find anything I could eat.  But I was surprised!  On the menu was Santa Fe Rice Bowl.  That sounded hopeful.

Let me back up and explain that several years ago some of the mothers got together to lobby for healthier meals in the cafeteria.  They outlawed chocolate milk, they got rid of the soda machines, and they insisted that the chef offer more fresh fruits and veggies and use whole grains whenever possible.  Their lobbying resulted in a total overhaul of the food service program.  Now, there are always several choices available to each student.  The alternative today was a hot dog on a whole grain bun with baked beans.  Or a turkey ranch wrap.   Every meal also includes an all-you-can-eat salad bar that usually offers raw veggies, fruits, and some type of veggie or grain salad.  And you'd be surprised how many fruits and veggies kids will eat when they're still hungry after eating their entree.

So, here was my healthy meal -- much healthier than the restaurant meal I ate the day before.  A scoop of white rice (brown would have been better) topped with black beans and corn and garnished with salsa, ripe olives, onions, pico di gallo and crushed tortilla chips.  From the salad bar, I got chilled peas, honeydew melon, sliced cucumbers and raw carrots.  You can't get a much more balanced vegan meal than that!  So, thanks to those moms responsible for making our local school cafeteria a great place to get a good meal.