Plant-Based PALY Initiative
A group of students at Palo Alto High School (PALY) has come together to advocate for plant-based food options at their school. Their success is a tangible example of how motivated students can make positive strides toward climate action. Acterra interviewed several of the organizers to learn more about their campaign’s progress.
Rachel Gates: Can you provide an overview of your campaign and how it got started?
Margot Blanco: I started planning for it over the summer then started implementing it in January with Morgan, Carlota, and all of our other members. Our principal goal was always to implement meals so everyone has access to something within their dietary, religious, or cultural, or any other needs that they may have. Especially now that the meals are free, it’s become even more important that everyone who needs it has access to it. And that they’re not sacrificing anything to eat in school. So, we started a petition in January and it received over 350 signatures … and we did that so that we could convince the nutrition services team that this was a worthy effort and that students were interested in it.
We’ve been working with the nutrition service team to implement a specialty bar that occurs once every two weeks. It has a plant-based option and one that isn’t plant-based. For April, they’ve implemented one vegan meal every day which is really exciting.
Rachel: What’s been the most challenging part of this work?
Margot: I think the most challenging part was first gaining support, especially from the nutrition services team. They’re going to be working under the Universal Meal Program next year, which consists of a tighter budget, and this transition to plant-based meals, I understand, at first can be pretty costly even though it is cost-effective in the future. So, gaining that support and trust from nutrition services in the beginning was key.
And then, as well, gaining student support, especially [overcoming] the stigma around being plant-based or eating vegan … we’re trying to make students understand that you don’t have to be plant-based to eat plant-based meals. And also having students understand that we’re doing this for the climate, for sustainability reasons, or for ethical reasons — there’s so many reasons, and having students understand those has been key.
Rachel: What kind of work are you currently doing to reduce that stigma?
Margot: We’re working with social media and having themed posts every week. One week we’re doing a myth and truth about plant-based eating, another week we’re doing facts about the correlation between drought and water conservation.
Morgan Greenlaw: Both Margot and Carlota are on school publications and there’s been a lot of coverage about this issue. We were also interviewed by the school broadcast system so they’re going to do a feature segment on us. Margot talked about water benefits, so we’re hoping that will spread more education.
Rachel: In terms of working with nutrition services, how are you able to make this a free option?
Margot: For the past two years, since COVID came, the nutrition services team for all of California has provided free meals for all students. Then last year the Universal Meal Program was passed, so all students in California in public schools will have free meals moving forward.
Rachel: What are some of the meals that have been served so far?
Morgan: At the specialty bar there has been a make-your-own tostada bowl. There was also a baked potato bar so you get your own potato and there’s various toppings. We also tried some plant-based chicken nuggets.
Rachel: What kind of reactions have you had from your peers?
Carlota Blanco: In the beginning we did a couple of surveys and many of the respondents were still not getting the point, they were like “we want more fish, we want more meat” and overall the biggest complaint was we don’t have enough quantity or it’s super bad quality. Because, of course, it’s free. From my perspective they’ve increased the quality and quantity, so from that point I think a lot of people are happier. And it’s something new, I think a lot of students get excited by that. Overall there’s been positive reactions. One of the stereotypes we had to combat was that vegan food is really bad and that people eat meat at home, so they want to eat it at school; it’s part of their daily life.
Rachel: What are you hoping to see with this program in the future?
Margot: Currently, nutrition services isn’t able to implement this [program] at other schools because of physical constraints with their cafeterias. Hopefully, if the program at PALY works out well, they’d be able to get more support from the general school district and then be able to implement it at other schools.
Margot: Obviously getting one entirely vegan day would be incredible in increasing our movement across PAUSD, but it would be even more beneficial if we could educate students about the benefits of plant-based eating and reduce the stigma in our community so that these meals become more accessible and acceptable. I think that’s one of the most effective ways this can work and that this will stay for as long as possible.
This interview has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity. Photos courtesy of the Plant-based PALY Initiative.
Morgan Greenlaw initially went plant-based for ethical reasons after making a connection between her pets and food, which inspired her to research the environmental and health benefits of a vegan diet. She has been passionate about this topic since 3rd grade, and has spoken twice to audiences of 500+ people about the impacts of plant-based eating. She was so excited to make a difference in the PALY community by working with campaign members and the school to make eating plant-based more accessible and common around campus. On the weekends Morgan loves going on hikes with her parents and having a picnic in the woods!
Margot Blanco is a junior at PALY and is passionate about addressing the effects of factory farming in her community. She has been vegetarian for 7 years (Morgan first introduced her to plant-based eating!), and became vegan last year when she learned more about the impacts of factory farming. Through adding more plant-based menu options at PALY, Margot hopes to raise awareness of the benefits of plant-based eating.
Carlota Blanco is a junior at Palo Alto High School and has been flexitarian for four years, rarely eating meat since making the decision. Ever since she met Morgan 7 years ago, she has eagerly supported Morgan and Margot’s causes for following and promoting a plant-based diet. By advocating for plant-based menu options at Paly, Carlota hopes to encourage more students to learn about different diets and how eating healthier can have a significant positive impact on the environment.
Rachel Gates is Acterra’s Operations and Communications Fellow. She has been vegan for six years and was an active member of her college’s vegan society. She grew up in Palo Alto and is happy to see her community adopting more plant-forward options.