UNITED STATES, April 2010:  Source: hafsite.org “Why do they have to stick ham on even a salad?!” lamented Ishani Mehta, over the fact that healthy, vegetarian options were not available daily at her school cafeteria. Well, next week is the chance to speak up by urging your congressional representative to pass H.R. 4870, the Healthy School Meals Act.

Whether your family is vegetarian or not, a varied and balanced diet is essential to good health. If we do not take responsibility in managing the health of our children, they will be left managing their disease as adults. Especially for the South Asian community, a predisposition to insulin resistance, adoption of a western diet compounded by increasingly sedentary lifestyles leads to weight gain, higher prevalence of diabetes, and coronary heart disease.

H.R. 4870 aims to improve children’s eating patterns by encouraging the inclusion of healthful plant-based options in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. This legislation will introduce plant-based foods to schools, increase the availability and affordability of these foods, and provide incentives for schools to provide daily plant-based options. Visit http://healthyschoollunches.org/ to learn more about the effort in America.