Campaign Guides

Not sure where to start? Follow some of these guides!

Our Stories

Read the stories of other students who brought plant-based foods to their schools

Sample Emails

Not sure where to start your campaign? Try sending emails similar to the ones linked below

Sample first email to food service director or school board member
- Here's another example

Helpful Tools

Sample menu planning student input survey (for gathering student input while menu planning)
Info sheet for parents (for younger kids)
Order free plant-based food serve guide (for food service administrators)
Sample slideshow presentation to give to stakeholders

Behind the Scenes of PAUSD Nutrition Services

A short documentary on the reality of serving food to an entire school district.

Produced by Morgan Greenlaw

Tips for drafting menus:

Positive Messaging

Research has shown that positive messaging is more effective when it comes to trying to convince people to take up new behaviors or products, including plant-based eating and plant-based products. That means, rather than informing students of the negative impacts of eating animal products, it's more effective to inform them of the positive impacts of eating plant-based foods. For example: rather than saying that eating meat wastes hundreds of gallons of water, say something along the lines of 'eating plants saves hundreds of gallons of water'.

Focus on Finances

Finances are extremally important to food service departments because schools tend to operate on very tight budgets. As a result, many food service directors and leadership are concerned with the cost of plant-based foods. In reality, plant-based foods can be much cheaper than animal-based foods if you plan it right. Plant-based staples like beans, rice, potatoes, pasta, bread, and seasonal fruit and vegetables are some of the cheapest foods in the world.

This case study tells the story of how the Oakland Unified School District saved $42,000 by serving less meat.

Expand Options, Don't Reduce

People tend to get upset when they have things taken away from them. As a result, campaigns are often more successful when they center around adding more plant-based options rather than taking away animal-based options. That's not to say we shouldn't be taking away animal-based options. It's to say that that is a longer process that starts by introducing plant-based food, and develops as the plant-based foods become normalized and popular, and replace the animal-based foods over the course of a couple of years.

Don't Call It Vegan

Research has shown that terms like "vegan", "vegetarian", and even "plant-based" can turn those who don't identify with those labels away from plant-based foods due to stigma. Instead, label foods as "climate-friendly" or simple a description of the food. For example, suggest that instead of "vegan & gluten free lasagna" your cafeteria use "spiced bean and tofu lasagna." Use ingredients as descriptors! Also, try labeling plant-based foods as "climate friendly", or don't differentiate them at all (besides allergens). Chances are if you don't make any effort to distinguish the plant-based options from the rest of the food, they'll be just as, if not more popular.

Know What You're Talking About

In order to be the most effective advocate that you can be, you need to know what you're talking about. You need to understand the complexities of your school's food-service-situation, and you need a basic understanding of federal child nutrition standards, as well as any other standards that may apply to your state or city (city-level regulations are uncommon).

Go into conversations prepared to make your pitch, and also be prepared to answer questions and rebut arguments.

Be Vulnerable

Food service staff are here to serve you: students. They want to hear about how school food impacts you.

They want to hear about the times you went through your school day hungry because you forgot to pack a lunch, so you ate iceberg lettuce with a few stale carrots from the salad bar for lunch because that was the only plant-based option.

They want to hear about how you spent the afternoon in the bathroom because you're lactose intolerant and the only hot options in the cafeteria had milk.

They want to hear about how you, and most students could eat plant-based foods, and feel good eating plant-based foods, if only they were served. These are powerful stories. Share them!

Pilot Programs and Trial Runs Can Be Helpful

Asking your school's food services department to commit to serving plant-based options every day indefinitely is a big ask and a big risk for them to take. They may be unsure about weather or not the program will be successful, or if it'll be financially viable in the long term.

Setting up a month long pilot program, however, is a much smaller ask. In the likely event that the pilot program is successful (we've never heard of one being unsuccessful), you then have proof that offering plant-based meals is possible, and they have no excuse to not offer them.

Make sure that you gather input and choose foods that a large population enjoy eating! Something not only plant-based students will buy, but an option appealing to everyone. School cafeterias work on a supply and demand principle: if people don't take a certain food, it won't be served again. If it's popular, it will be served more often.

If you can, try to set up a food tasting to see what students like. If that's not possible, consider creating a survey through Google Forms. Here's a link to a sample Google Form.

Be Persistent: Show Broad Support

If an authority figure tells you something's impossible, figure out what is preventing them from making the change, and determine how you can make it more accessible for them. Develop a strategic plan they can easily say "yes" to.

If your school's food services department doesn't reply to your initial outreach, reach out again. Persistency is important, they're extremely busy and may not have seen your email!

If you've sent multiple emails and phone calls, organize community members to email and call as many times as possible. Draft sample emails and phone scripts so that it's as easy as possible. The more people the better!

Speak during public comment periods at school board meetings. The more, the better. Draft scripts for speakers, if needed.

Adhere to USDA Standards, but be creative

If you find a recipe online that isn't USDA approved, or if you have an idea for a recipe you want to see at school, chances are you can find a way to adapt it so that it meets USDA standards. If you're not sure how to go about doing that, consult this summary of USDA child nutrition standards to ensure that you have all major required components of a school meal, then reach out to your food service director for help finalizing details. Note that USDA nutrition standards are standard across the country, but school food may be further regulated in individual states or cities.

As a rule of thumb, all five of USDA's food groups should be available to students at every meal: fruits, vegetables, grains, meat/meat alternate (protein), and dairy (milk). Although, there is more nuance in high schools, where students are only required to take from three of the food groups, one of which must be a fruit or vegetable. The same may be true for lower schools that choose to participate in "Offer Verse Serve" programs. Although, even if students are only required to take from three of the five food groups, all five must be made available. If you're unsure, ask your food services department or a mentor.

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