The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education is scheduled tomorrow to consider whether to implement meat-free menus at school cafeterias on Mondays, beginning this fall.

The proposal to create "Meatless Mondays'' menus in elementary and K-8 school cafeterias was made by school board President John Lee Evans and board member Kevin Beiser.

They said nearly 28 percent of children in San Diego are overweight or obese, making them more susceptible to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other ailments. The two also cited a United Nations study finding that the meat industry creates one-fifth of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.

UC San Diego, the University of San Diego and Los Angeles Unified School District have joined the Meatless Monday movement, according to Evans and Beiser.

Operation Samahan, a San Diego-based community health organization, calls Meatless Mondays "an easy, effective way for our children to start the week with a focus on health and nutrition.''

The proposal also has backing from the Sierra Club and San Diego Green Party.

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