Vegetarian stall in the Canteen

Dear Sodexo, 

I am here to present an idea to you about having a vegetarian stall in our school canteen. Although most people in this school are non-vegetarians, I feel that vegetarian food is very beneficial for your health and is good for the environment too, Sodexo should recognise this. Sodexo should have a vegetarian stall in the canteen, while keeping the other non-vegetarian stalls too. This way both non-vegetarians and vegetarians can be happy. A few reasons that I think this are - Vegetarian food is good for your health and it is good for the environment.

One reason I think that Sodexo should consider having a vegetarian stall in the canteen, is because vegetarian food is good for your health. Heart disease claims the life of nearly one out of every three Americans. Adopting a vegetarian diet is a powerful way to prevent heart disease. In fact, a recent British study found that switching to a vegetarian diet may cut your chances of developing heart disease by 32%! Animal foods tend to be high in cholesterol and saturated fat, major contributors to artery-clogging plaque. You may argue that vegetarian food may not provide you with all the essential nutrients your body needs. However, it is very easy to have a well-balanced diet with vegetarian foods, since these foods provide plenty of protein. Careful combining of foods is not necessary. Any normal variety of plant foods provides more than enough protein for the body’s needs. Although there is somewhat less protein in a vegetarian diet than a meat-eater’s diet, this is actually an advantage. Excess protein has been linked to kidney stones, osteoporosis, and possibly heart disease and some cancers. A diet focused on beans, whole grains, and vegetables contains adequate amounts of protein without the “overdose” most meat-eaters get. Calcium is easy to find in a vegetarian diet. Many dark green leafy vegetables and beans are loaded with calcium, and some orange juices, non-dairy milks, and cereals are calcium-fortified. Iron is plentiful in whole grains, beans, and fruits. Remember, that health is wealth.

One reason I think that Sodexo should consider having a vegetarian stall in the canteen is because vegetarian food is good for the environment. By having a vegetarian stall in the canteen we can reduce the impact of climate change, rainforest destruction and pollution, while saving water and other precious resources. In fact, raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all of the cars, planes, and other forms of transportation combined. There has never been a better time to go green by eating green. To produce one pound of animal protein vs. one pound of soy protein, it takes about 12 times as much land, 13 times as much fossil fuel, and 15 times as much water. Raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and growing feed crops) now uses a staggering 30% of the Earth’s land mass. Imagine what we could use all that land for. According to research if you had to pay for all the damage the meat had done the environment to get to you so that you would be able to buy, it would add a massive $240. Staff reporter Justin Caba quotes that - “A recent study published in the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition has found that people who adopt a vegetarian diet save an average of $750 each year on groceries compared to people who eat meat.” - Caba, 2015. This is saying that vegetarian food can be very cost effective. According to scientific research Animal Agriculture is the one of the three biggest reason for global warming. It is responsible for about 20% of global warming being a greater reason of global warming than deforestation. It has grow to so much of a problem that scientists are so concerned by the effects of rising meat consumption that Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and possibly the world's leading authority on global warming, made a plea last year for people to have at least one meat-free day a week.(Finn, 2009). To feed the animal we have to grow thrice as much plants for them than we had to if we all didn’t eat meat at all. And this is not the only reason how it’s contributing to global warming. All the effort to get so much food to the animals emits huge amount of greenhouse gases. Adds poisonous chemicals into our soil, air, and water. And also erodes billions of tons of topsoil each year.

What I’m saying that our school should have a separate vegetarian stall in the canteen. There are also many students and teachers who are vegetarian. Recently we had posted a poll that went out to the whole Grade 7. The question was - Do you support the idea of having a separate vegetarian stall in the canteen (as part of Sodexo)? Out of the 111 people that responded, 81% supported the idea. That’s 91 out of 111 people. So why not take the healthier side, and include a vegetarian stall in our canteen.