If you’re a Fieldston Student, you have an opinion about Meatless Mondays. Negative or positive, you feel something about it. I will admit that Monday is my least favorite day in the cafeteria, and I have often gone on tirades about meatless Mondays to my friends, family and even my grandparents who live in Massachusetts. I don’t dislike the concept of Meatless Monday, just the execution. Now, full disclaimer: I’m not a cafeteria expert. I don’t know how everything runs back there; I’m just a very opinionated tenth-grader. That being said, I believe that some changes should be made.
Let me set the scene: It’s Monday, class is over and you’re headed to the lunchroom. Once you arrive, you head to the lunch line. In front of you is the homestyle section, which is a ghost town, and on the right is the pasta section, with a line stretching to the door. The homestyle section features some wilted green and yellow roasted summer squash, and next to it, there are some green things( which may or may not be spinach). Sometimes, there is some steamed broccoli as well. The lack of a line is jarring, especially compared to the mob scene typical of Friday’s line. The lack of interest in the Meatless Monday offerings is clear.
One thing I’ve always noticed about Meatless Mondays is the repetition. It always feels like I keep seeing the same meals over and over. Last year, every Monday, I felt like I was stuck in bean fajita purgatory, so I did a little research. I looked at the AVI Foodsystems website and my suspicions were confirmed. Meatless Mondays are locked in a four-week cycle, unlike other dishes, which only appear once every two months. I wouldn’t mind the repetition if the meals were amazing, but their lackluster taste makes the monotony stick out like a sore thumb.
I understand how hard it is to cook for the Fieldston campus, and I admire the cafeteria workers for the feat they accomplish every single day. I don’t believe their cooking is the problem, but rather the repetitive, bland menus. Meatless Mondays are a valuable opportunity to infuse healthy, sustainable food into a world where diets often consist of junk food and energy drinks. It’s also important for vegetarian students who often have to resort to the salad bar because most of the meals offered have meat. Unfortunately, this opportunity is squandered.
When talking about Meatless Monday with my friends, we agree that there are many options for meals that could be prepared for a mass audience, such as falafel, which could be bought frozen and reheated. Another person suggested specialty salads, which are more complex than the DIY ones already offered. Meatless Monday could also be an opportunity to introduce international cuisine. Around the world, there are many delicious vegetarian meals whose composition would be more exciting for students’ palettes. I would be thrilled to walk into the cafeteria on Mondays if each week represented a different portion of the globe.
In my heart, I believe that meatless Mondays are wonderful, but my taste buds disagree. I love the idea of a vegetarian day and the exposure to new foods that it could bring. If I were asked, “Should meatless Mondays exist?” my answer would be a wholehearted yes. Unfortunately, the execution feels like Meatless Mondays is an afterthought, quickly implemented, and never revised to suit students’ needs. I remain excited by the infinite possibilities of Meatless Mondays and hope they can be explored.
