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California’s Santa Barbara Unified School District made the decision to offer plant-based meals for students in their cafeteria this school year, and the initiative has been so successful that the school will likely continue to serve vegan meals, KEYT reports.

The school district partnered with plant-based meat company Hungry Planet in order to offer vegan options for students. Hungry Planet’s products include vegan versions of ground beef and chicken and a vegan burger.

“Hungry Planet is a great bridge between the meat eater and the non-meat eater,” Nancy Weiss, the school’s director of food service, told KEYT. “It’s so much good on the plate.”

Hungry Planet’s products are also free from GMO’s and trans fat, and a number of them are gluten-free.

Weiss said that she had used the company’s vegan meats for burgers, meatball subs, chicken enchiladas, and beef tostadas.

Other schools have had similar initiatives to bring healthier vegan options to students. In New York City, all 1,200 NYC public school offer a vegan hummus option, and a number of schools, including PS 244, PS 343, and PS 1 have transitioned to totally meat-free menus. 35 Los Angeles schools also added vegan options this year.

Make a Vegan School Lunch

Even if your school doesn’t offer a vegan option, you can still bring a plant-based meal to school. Take a look at some of these vegan lunch ideas from our Food Monster App.

Meatball and Garlicky Greens Subs

vegan meatballs

These Meatball and Garlicky Greens Subs have tempeh-mushroom meatballs that are packed with protein, and tasty greens cooked in garlic. You can even add vegan mozzarella!

Ultimate Veggie Sandwich

vegan ultimate veggie sandwich

This Ultimate Veggie Sandwich is perfect for lunch, and it’s super versatile. Use your favorite bread and add some vegan cream cheese!

Raw Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookie Dough Bites

raw peanut butter bites

For a vegan treat that will stay great in a lunchbox, try these Raw Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookie Dough Bites! They even have chickpeas and peanut butter for some protein.

Love vegan food? Download the Food Monster App. For those that don’t have it, it’s a brilliant Food app available for both Android and iPhone. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to cut out or reduce allergens like meat, dairy, soy, gluten, eggs, grains, and more find awesome recipes, cooking tips, articles, product recommendations and how-tos.

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