By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

At the end of June 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a $308 billion state budget for 2022-2023. This budget features a first for any state in the United States – funding for plant-based school meals in public elementary and secondary schools.

According to the Enacted Budget Summary, the budget includes a one-time $100 million allocation “to support local educational agency procurement practices for plant-based or restricted diet meals, to procure California-grown or California-produced, sustainably grown, whole or minimally processed foods including for use in plant-based or restricted diet meals, or to prepare meals fresh onsite.”

The state budget also includes a one-time $600 million apportionment for upgrades to school kitchens and equipment and food service employee training and compensation that will allow the use of more “fresh, minimally processed California-grown foods.”

To read more about vegan and vegetarian meals in schools see:

Getting Vegan Foods into Elementary Schools

Adding Vegetarian Options into School Lunch Programs

Working for Vegetarian Food in Your High School Cafeteria