The Optimist Daily is a big fan of alternative meat company Impossible Foods and we love to write about its progress as it continues to grow. We celebrated when the company obtained its FDA approval so it could sell its plant-based meat in grocery stores, and also when it expanded from meatless burgers to include a fish, pork, and even a cow milk alternative.
Now, Impossible Foods’ plant-based meat has received the USDA’s child nutrition (CN) label. This CN accreditation means that Impossible Foods’ meat contains enough nutrition to be served for school breakfasts and lunches. Children will now be more aware of plant-based meats at an earlier age and will have more opportunities to discuss the detrimental effects animal agriculture can have on our bodies and the planet.
To introduce these new cafeteria menu items, Impossible Foods will launch a pilot program at schools across the nation this month. School chefs will be serving recipes that feature Impossible Foods products, such as Impossible Frito pie, spaghetti with Impossible meat sauce, and Impossible street tacos. During the program (which will last for the duration of the academic year), the company will donate cases of their plant-based meat to schools so that it can get helpful feedback from students and can assess the program’s success.
Impossible Foods CEO and founder Pat Brown says, “Schools not only play a role in shaping children’s dietary patterns, but they also play an important role in providing early education about climate change and its root causes.”
According to a report by Impossible Foods, “Kids care about climate change, and they want to do something about it. But they’re still far more likely to take actions like recycling or limiting food waste than they are to stop eating meat… that’s why it’s so important to give them an easy solution that they resonate with.”
Impossible Foods hopes that having alternative meat options on the menu at cafeterias across the nation will inspire kids to develop healthy and sustainable habits early in life.
