Baltimore City Public Schools has been named the Most Vegetarian-Friendly Cafeteria in the nation by peta2, a Norfolk, Va.-based youth animal rights organization.
Baltimore beat out Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia, Prince William County Schools in Virginia, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the Berkeley Unified School District in California.
Baltimore won the distinction for: its efforts to serve fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers; and Meatless Mondays, an initiative where students can chose from vegan and vegetarian foods such as spicy vegetarian chili, and Tex-Mex style black-bean nachos.
"Baltimore City Public Schools stands as a role model for school districts across the country when it comes to educating students about how their food choices affect not only their own health but also the world around them," said peta2 director Dan Shannon, in a prepared statement released today. "More and more young people are learning that the best thing that they can do for animals, the planet, and themselves is to go vegan."