 School Lunch
From Youth
Radio.org
"Two years before, my dad was diagnosed
with Type II diabetes. I remember thinking I don't want
anyone else in my family to die or to become sick." By
Miriam Archibong
I decided to take a stand against my school's lunch
options this year.
I had already made a change in my own life to become
a devoted, full-time vegan. It took me two years
to stop eating meat, but I was motivated by my family
history. In 1999, my grandfather died from complications
of diabetes. Two years before, my dad was diagnosed
with Type II diabetes. I remember thinking I don't
want anyone else in my family to die or to become
sick. I switched to a vegetarian lifestyle because
I wanted to live a long and healthy life. For me,
eating cafeteria food was as forbidden as the forbidden
fruit in the Garden of Eden. But that’s not
the end of the story.
I set two goals for myself this year: to become
student body president, and to start a vegetarian
club. I achieved both.
One of my responsibilities as student body president
included reading the daily lunch menu on the morning
announcements. I was appalled by the high calorie
and unhealthy cafeteria options for students. Once
the newly established Grady High School Vegetarian
Club was meeting on a weekly basis, we decided to
focus on convincing school administrators to add
vegetarian lunch items to the school menu.
I knew that to convince my school, we’d have
to build a strong case. After gathering information,
I brought my concerns to my school principal and
to representatives from Sodexho, the cafeteria private
food provider.
Within a few weeks, my school was the first high
school in metro Atlanta to have vegetarian meals.
The food provider asked for my help with menus. With
almost four years of vegetarianism under my belt,
I dove right in. We discussed meal options like tofu
stir fry, veggie burgers, veggie chicken, black beans
and rice, and hummus. For the first time in my high
school career, I was a regular cafeteria customer.
And, to be quite frank, the food wasn't half bad.
Pretty soon, hundreds of students opted for the veggie
lunches.
When I go to college this fall, I plan to continue
sharing the benefits of the vegetarian lifestyle
with my friends and fellow college students. And
I plan to be a regular advisor to the Grady High
School Vegetarian Club.
Thanks to my grandfather and my dad, there are a
lot more students eating healthier cafeteria food,
and learning the secrets of living healthier lives.
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