Shame on our Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples.
He took on the Dripping Springs School District for having Meatless Mondays at three of its elementary schools.
Corn and bean farmers should unite, because it seems he is one-sided in his argument. There are a lot of ways to get protein in a healthy diet, and meat is not the only option.
By the way, Staples received a lot of money from the cattle ranchers in his last campaign. But that has nothing to do with this argument, right?
Staples says students shouldn’t have an agenda pushed on them, that they have a right to eat meat. Well, they do … the other four school days in each and every week.
The problem with his argument is that he seems to forget that this issue is about health, not just about animal rights. The students are learning about options and health, and this could easily be turned into a learning experience.
Yes, the students need proteins. Yes, they need dairy.
We’re not saying that meat should be taken out of the cafeterias completely. Heck, a lot of us like to eat meat.
But we also understand that there are limitations on what should be eaten, and when we should cut back.
A meatless meal teaches kids that there are other ways to move around a table that provides them with healthy options.
These children may one day grow up to travel abroad – where they might not get meat every day, much less at every meal.
They might face obesity problems, as so many students do these days. They might have health problems that restrict their diets.
They need to understand that beans and grains, that fruit and vegetables, are a nice option. And a tasty option, at that.
So, what do these kiddos in Dripping Spring get to choose from on their meatless days? Bean burritos, cheese nachos, vegetarian chili. They can also opt for a cheese sandwich, or cheese ravioli, or soups and salads.
It’s not like these kids are being starved to death because they don’t have meat on one meal out of the week.
We should not sell the Dripping Springs School district registered dietician John Crowley short. He went to a workshop to study the idea, which has been introduced in other schools in the state. He knows what he is talking about.
He is concerned about the health of Hays County children, and he is trying something that can’t hurt.
Despite what the commissioner of agriculture says, the school district is doing a good thing.
Maybe Hays CISD should look into a similar option. It certainly doesn’t hurt a child, and, in the long run, if we end up with healthier students, it might be a good thing.
Now, if school districts would only follow up that option with PE every day, there might be healthier students all the way around. But, that’s another subject entirely.
Until then, “Bon appêtit, ya’ll!”
