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Plants on Plates IL

Illinois now offers students more lunchtime choices, including new plant-based meals. Opt your child in to receive plant-based lunches at school.

Plants on Plates Illinois

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There are benefits for parents too.&nbsp;You can feel confident your child is getting enough fruits and vegetables.

More Plants On Plates Illinois (MPPI) is raising awareness and supporting parents in requesting plant-based meals, which schools are required <a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=102-0761" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">by law</a> to provide with prior request. Each school is responsible for creating and serving plant-based meals, and options may vary.&nbsp; When you sign up, we reach out to your school’s Food Service Director (FSD) with resources and suggestions to help implement these meals.&nbsp; We encourage parents to connect with their schools to provide feedback. It’s important to let them know what’s not working for your child so they can incorporate that into their menu planning.&nbsp; For assistance or to connect with your school’s FSD, please reach out to Michelle Salatan, one of the MPPI coalition partners, at <a href="mailto:michelles@balanced.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">michelles@balanced.org</a>. We’re here to help and be a resource to your school to make plant-based options easy and available a success!

Interested in learning more about how you can incorporate more plant-based meals at home? Check out the recipe sites below:

Plant-Based Cooking

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Plant-based lunches will include food kids already know and love – like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.In addition, there are plant-based alternatives for almost everything your child already loves to eat – from chicken nuggets and mac and cheese to pizza and lasagna.&nbsp; Interested in seeing some of the menu items that your child could enjoy if you opt them into plant-based meals?

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Besides being packed with all the daily fiber, protein and nutrients students need to learn, grow and lead healthy lives, and fully aligning with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/national-school-lunch-program-meal-pattern-chart">USDA nutrition requirements</a>, plant-based lunches have additional health benefits for your student!Asking your public school to serve your child a plant-based meal comes at no extra cost.&nbsp; Teens can make this request on their own!

Dozens of local organizations and leaders are standing together!

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Absolutely. Plant-based school lunches meet the same standards as non-plant based lunch options, fully aligning with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/national-school-lunch-program-meal-pattern-chart">USDA nutrition requirements</a>.

Will my student be getting enough protein if they are eating plant-based lunches?

No. You can opt your student in at any time!

Is there a deadline for submitting the request to plant-based meals?

Parents/guardians can fill out the form for elementary and middle school students.High school students may fill out their own form, if desired.

Who can submit the request form?

It varies by school but it can take anywhere from a week to over a month. For more specifics, reach out to your school’s food program director.

How long will it take for my student to start receiving plant-based lunches after I submit my request?

If you have more than one student in the same school, you may put multiple students on the same form.&nbsp;If you have more than one student in the same school, but with different needs (ie, food allergies or day of week requests), please fill out separate forms.&nbsp;If you have students in separate schools, fill out a form for each separate school.

What if I have more than one student I want to opt in to plant based meals?

If your child has allergies or you have any other disability-related request, you will need to file this separate medical authority modified meal request form with your school. &nbsp;&nbsp;

What if my child has additional allergies?

No. Your student does not need to eat lunch at school every day to request plant-based meals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Does my student need to eat lunch at school every day to request plant-based meals?

This will vary by school, depending on the type of food service model they have. We recommend you reach out to your school district directly.

Can my student opt in to plant-based meals and still get non-plant based meals when they choose to?

A fiber-rich diet supports healthy immune systems that keep children engaged and in the classroom.

Eating more plant-based meals benefits long-term health and reduces the likelihood of developing obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and various forms of cancer.

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Resources for

Plant-Based Cooking

Straight Up Food

My Plant-based Family

African American Vegan Starter Guide

Plant-based Indian Living

Plant-Plate

Forks Over Knives

Plant-based Cooking with Diane Smith

Chickpea and Bean