23 RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL DISTRICTS SERVE PLANT-BASED LUNCHES FOR NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH

PROVIDENCE, RI (March 2, 2020)–– This March, Rhode Island students in grades K-12 will have an opportunity to choose plant-based menu options in 23 school districts. Plant Powered March, a partnership facilitated by One Meal a Day for the Planet (OMD) for Chartwells K12 and the Humane Society of the United States plans to pilot four climate-friendly plant-based recipes every Thursday to nourish kids and support a healthier planet.

Recipes on the menu will include favorites such as: nachos, sweet potato chili, chana masala, baja tacos, buffalo cauliflower, roasted veggie pasta, veggie burgers and buffalo chickpea tacos.

Key campaign events include:

• A kickoff event on March 5 at North Providence High School starting at 10:25am
• A “plant powered” sushi day on March 12 at Johnston High School at 11:00am
• An action station on March 19 at Central Falls High School at 10:50am
• A wrap-up event on March 26 at Barrington Middle School at 12:10pm.

Throughout the month, schools will also host pop-up Discovery Kitchen activities to creatively include more plant-based foods into meals through cooking demos, taste tests and hands-on events.

“At Chartwells K12, we want to make sure that every child leaves the cafeteria happier and healthier than they came in,” said Barbara Cohen, District Manager, Chartwells K12. “Our partnerships with One Meal a Day for the Planet and The Humane Society of the United States to organize Plant Power March only reinforces our commitment to serving food kids love to eat and creating programs that encourage discovery and fun.”

“OMD supports institutions, partners and K-12 schools to increase access to climate-friendly, plant-based school lunch and we’re thrilled to be working in the Ocean State,” OMD’s Institutional Engagement Manager, Brandon Lane said. “The National School Lunch Program is the nation’s largest lunch provider, serving more than 5 billion lunches each year. That’s an incredible opportunity to create positive environmental impact at scale. In Rhode Island alone, if K-12 students chose plant-based school food for a year, we could offset the household water usage of the entire city of Providence.”

Supported by training provided by the Humane Society of the United States foodservice professionals across the 23 districts learned about the benefits of plant-based food and explored how to serve delicious meat- and dairy-free meals to students.

“The HSUS was thrilled to partner with Chartwells in Rhode Island and OMD to bring more plant-based options to students,” said Dorrie Nang, HSUS food and nutrition coordinator. “We worked with talented Chartwells chefs from around the state to prepare twenty delicious plant-based recipes and the creativity, skill and results were over the top! We look forward to a continued partnership with Chartwells and can’t wait to hear what students think of the new menu items. We know that concerns about the environment and animal welfare are on the minds of so many young people today, so if a delicious healthy meal just happens to be plant-powered, so much the better.”

About Chartwells K12
Chartwells K12’s goal is to make sure students leave the cafeteria happier and healthier than they came in, by serving food kids love to eat and creating custom dining programs. With more than 16,000 associates in 4,500 schools, ranging from large public institutions to small charter and private schools, Chartwells K12 is built on decades of food, education and operational experience driven by top culinary, nutrition, wellness, and sustainability talent. For more information, visit www.ChartwellsK12.com.

About One Meal a Day for the Planet
OMD is a book and movement to make plant-based eating mainstream as a solution to climate change through encouraging individuals to eat more climate-friendly, plant-based diets. OMD is also about system change and expanding access to plant-based foods at schools, businesses, restaurants and in communities. For more information, visit: omdfortheplanet.com.