School lunch is more inclusive in Portland this year. The city, which is the state’s largest school district, has expanded its daily vegan hot lunch options to its three middle schools. “We are sending the middle schools vegan lunches each day,” said Lori Beatham, who manages the district’s central kitchen, which is located in an office park near Riverside Street.
In the past, the kitchen supplied only the city’s 10 elementary schools, which lack full kitchens. The middle schools have greater cooking and storage capacity and normally do their own ordering. But staffing shortages, as well as the central kitchen’s experience preparing vegan lunches, meant that for now it was easier for the central kitchen to supply the middle schools.
Students there are getting the same option each day as the grade schoolers. Beatham says students and parents wondering what the daily vegan choices will be at King, Lincoln and Lyman-Moore middle schools should consult the elementary school menus until the December menus are posted online. At that point, the vegan options will be listed on the middle school menus, as well.
In 2022, New York City public schools implemented “Vegan Fridays.” School lunch’ menus included Mediterranean chickpeas, shown here. Portland’s elementary school students were offered hot vegan lunches as early as 2019.
New York City Department of Education via AP The Portland Public Schools gained national attention in 2019 after the district began offering.
