Plant Powered School Meals Coalition

The Plant Powered School Meals Coalition expands nutritious and delicious plant-based foods and beverages in U.S. K-12 schools.

We are a coalition of 40+ organizations where envision a future where every student has access to food that meets their needs and protects the planet.

Through movement building, policy advocacy, and leadership development, the Plant Powered School Meals Coalition unites stakeholders, shifts public perception, and secures policies that make plant-based school meal options the norm.

Our Values

1. Equity and Inclusion: Those directly impacted by school meals – especially low-income and Black, Indigenous, and students and families of color who are most likely to rely on them as a primary source of nutrition – guide our work.
2. Compassion and Community: School meals impact the health and well-being of people, animals, and the environment.
3. Freedom and Choice: All students and their families deserve food and beverages that meet their needs at school, whether for religious, philosophical, health, ethical, cultural, or other reasons.
4. Interconnectedness and Intersectionality:The more than seven billion school meals served each year have ripple effects throughout our entire food system, from farm to fork. Our work is among many system change efforts working in concert to support nutritious diets, protect the environment, ensure fair treatment of workers and farmers, and protect animals.

Our Youth Program:

The Plant Powered Youth Fellowship is a program of the Plant Powered School Meals Coalition led by Chilis on Wheels and Friends of the Earth. Founded in 2022, the Plant Powered Youth Fellowship (formerly known as the Plant Powered Youth Steering Committee | YSC) selects 14 students from across the country each year to advocate for plant-based options in K–12 schools through movement building, policy advocacy, and leadership development.