In Milan’s school canteens, the number of children eating vegan or vegetarian meals has doubled

More and more children are requesting vegetarian and vegan menus in school canteens in Milan, more for ethical choices than for religious reasons

In the last ten years there has been a significant increase in requests for vegetarian and vegan menus in canteens schools in Milan. According to data from Milano Ristorazione, from 2013 to 2023, requests for ethical-religious diets are in fact grew by 62%going from 5,940 to 9,635.

This phenomenon is part of a context of general decrease in prepared meals, due to the decline in students, but highlights a change in families’ eating habits. An analysis of the numbers reveals that growth is driven more from ethical and cultural choices than from religious motivations, although increasing.

The requests for menus without pork, typical of Muslim families, are rises of 20% from 2,857 to 3,445. Even the menus for Hindus, free of both pork and beef, recorded an increase, going from 213 to 753.

The meatless meals category represents more than half of total requests

However, the most obvious changes concern vegetarian and vegan choices: requests for vegetarian meals they have doubled (from 221 to 470), while those for vegan menus have almost tripled, from 105 to 269. Particularly interesting is the category of meat-free mealswhich represents more than half of the total requests, with 4,698 preferences in 2023 compared to 2,544 in 2013.

In total the vegetarian, vegan and meat-free menus represent 6.6% of the 83,000 meals served every day in schools. This data suggests a growing sensitivity towards animal protection, even without a completely vegetarian food choice.

As Simona Bertoli, clinical nutrition expert, points out, these menus, which include fish, reflect a broader ethical attention towards animal welfare. The phenomenon therefore testifies to a significant cultural and dietary change.