Every child has a right to healthy, culturally appropriate, climate-friendly meals at school. Yet very few plant-based entrees are offered at our public schools and students who want or need these options are often left with nothing to eat at school.

Kids who prefer or require plant-based options for religious, health or other reasons are forced with the choice to eat animal products at school or go hungry.

Providing healthy, culturally appropriate meals is also a crucial point of intervention to mitigate racial health disparities that emerge early in life. Healthy, plant-forward diets can boost academic performance and address educational inequities.

And since plant-based foods tend to have a lower carbon footprint, these efforts will also help climate change. Food production contributes more than one-third of global greenhouse gases. With 7 billion school meals served annually in the United States, improving school food is a major opportunity to reduce our climate footprint.

Students across the country have been taking climate activism to the cafeteria, asking for plant-based options that have a significantly lower carbon footprint than meat-heavy menus. But school districts work on a very tight budget to provide options that are better for the planet — in part because government subsidies favor animal products.

As we speak, Congress is working to upgrade the school meal program. This first-of-its-kind legislation will provide much-needed financial support, culinary training, and other assistance to school districts to meet the growing demand for plant-based options and support schools in procuring, preparing, and marketing healthy, plant-based options.

But unless legislators hear from you, they won’t prioritize funding for plant-based school food. SIGN NOW to support the children of our country who are demanding healthier, climate-friendly, plant-based food options.

Tell your Member of Congress: Support the Healthy Future Students and Earth Act.