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Study Shows Vegan School Lunches Help Children Avoid Nutrient Deficiencies

A new study has shown that vegan school lunch options can help children avoid developing nutrient deficiencies.

During the study, six vegan options were added to the menu at participating schools in Washington DC. The children involved were aged between five and 14 years old.

On average, the vegan school lunch options contained 9.5 grams of fiber — three times more fiber than the non-vegan meals.

The initiative revealed that the plant-based options provided more calcium and iron, as well as vitamins A and C. They were also lower in saturated fat than the meat options.

The study, which was conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and non-profit organisation DC Central Kitchen, has been published in The Journal of Child Nutrition & Management.

The dishes were given fun names such as Veg Out Chili & Powered Up Pasta (Source: Liliya Kandrashevich / Shutterstock.com)

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Vegan Nutrition For Children

Statistics show that as many as nine out of ten people aren’t consuming an adequate amount of fiber, a lack of which can impact digestive health and contribute to the onset of certain cancers and diabetes.

“Many U.S. kids are falling woefully short on fruits, vegetables, and fiber–setting them up for heart disease, diabetes, and other serious health problems,” said Susan Levin, MS, RD, director of nutrition education for the PCRM.

“Our pilot program showed that serving plant-based options on the lunch line can help kids get more of the important nutrients they need to stay healthy.”

Do you think more schools will be inspired to introduce plant-based options? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!