AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The state’s agriculture commissioner says he’s not pleased with a school district that’s started a pilot program aimed at encouraging kids to go without eating meat during lunch once a week.
The pilot program at the Drippings Springs School District offers meat-free lunch options on Mondays to students in its three elementary schools. Students can still eat meaty meals on Mondays, but must bring their lunches from home.
John Crowley heads childhood nutrition services for the Hays County district. He says the program is intended to encourage healthy and environmentally conscientious eating.
Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said in an opinion piece published in the Austin American-Statesman Statesman (http://bit.ly/1weW1OT) that the meat-free lunches are a part of a movement by activists who seek to mandate their lifestyles for others.
