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As colleges across the country begin to adopt more progressive attitudes towards on-campus food, Stanford leads the pack. Recently named PETA’s top vegan-friendly college (thanks to 2,000+ votes), Stanford University has non-dairy milks, vegan desserts and entrees (labeled) and generally makes life easier for veg (or veg-curious) students.

Vegan items on campus, according to student commenters, include fresh falafel, vegan jambalaya and cassoulet, vegan lasagna, vegan quinoa burgers, Gardein items and lots of other options. Russo Cafe gets lots of kudos. Stanford’s website lists a whole host of vegan options for each meal.

In addition, more than 800 students st Stanford have signed a Meatless Monday pledge, according to David Kay, President of Stanford PAW (People for Animal Welfare) and the school’s MFA (Mercy for Animals) fellow. Kay, with help from MFA, recently wrote to The Stanford Daily to encourage other students to join the movement.

“Over 11 percent of the Stanford undergraduate student body has now pledged to forgo meat on Mondays, opting instead for plant-based foods such as the dining halls’ delicious Gardein stir-fry, lentil/bean dishes and veggie burritos,” the letter states.

The MM pledge is actually part of the MFA fellowship, Kay tells LatestVeganNews.com, and is designed to extend the reach of the veg message.

“The idea, which Alan Darer [of MFA] came up with, was that typically we do leafleting at college campuses. The problem with that is that people only have one interaction with pro-veg content. Alan wanted to have a way to be able to send people regular pro-veg content—the way to do that was to get them to signup to try MM. Once they sign the pledge and give us their email, we send them light levels of pro-veg content, including tips on veg eating,” he explains.

The school’s food policies and priorities are clearly changing, and the advocacy

“When I first came to Stanford I wasn’t even vegetarian, so I wasn’t paying much attention to the amount of veg options on campus,” he recounts. “But since last year, when I became vegan, I’ve noticed a stark increase in vegan/vegetarian options (although it varies a lot by dining hall). Part of that is related to requests from students/student groups (like PAW), but I think most of it is the dining hall’s own interest in serving food that is more sustainable, healthier, etc.”

Kay says PAW also hosts a variety of activities on campus, most of which are centered around food. “In addition to getting people to sign the MM pledge, we also host film screenings (i.e. Earthlings) and talks with high-profile animal advocates. We are also organizing a blanket drive for a local pet shelter.”

All in all (thanks in part to student advocacy) Stanford (much like JWU North Miami) is clearly a front-runner when it comes to meatless eats and vegan-friendly campus dining. Let’s hope other schools are paying attention.

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