Sarasota schools launches Meatless Mondays

Sarasota, Florida -- Starting today, meat is off the menu at all Sarasota County schools. They're launching Meatless Mondays.

It's a move that likely makes Sarasota the first district in Florida to go all-veggie for one day a week.

The district says there will be no revolt from hungry students because kids have actually been pushing for lunch trays with only veggies on board.

What's on a meatless menu? Things like hummus and vegetable subs, veggie pasta bakes, spaghetti, pizza sticks you can dip, taco salads, and more.

Why make this change? The district says the number one reason, really, is that students are asking for it. The district surveys students and runs focus groups with kids and, in general, the results show students want healthy foods and more menu options with no meat. There's also a national effort to promote healthy eating and living with Meatless Mondays. It's been going for a decade now.

The food chief for Sarasota County Public Schools told us Meatless Monday is a good way to get kids thinking about how to fight obesity and other chronic health problems. Although, she does say that since the menu items are rearranged from other days, the direct benefit for kids' health won't be too huge.

"It's not worse for the kids. I don't even necessarily know that it's 100 percent 'better,' but we do love the idea of reinforcing that not every meal has to have meat at the center of the plate," said Beverly Girard, Sarasota Schools' director of food and nutrition. "So there will still be cheese items, and there will be different pastas, and eggs sometimes, and different plant-based proteins as well, even beans and so on."

Cafeterias will still serve no-meat items on other days, as well.

We asked about nutrition. Will kids still be getting what they need out of their school lunches?

The answer from the district: Yes -- the items all meet federal standards for nutrition, and they're all already approved to be on school cafeteria menus.

It's just a matter of rearranging the calendar to bring them all together on Mondays.