Of course kids don’t want quinoa lunches at school – but that doesn’t mean they can’t go veggie
It seems the schools whose vegetarian lunches were proving unpopular (Schools offering vegetarian-only lunches forced to make changes after backlash from parents, 14 February) are now catching on to the fact that replacing bangers and mash with courgette and quinoa isn’t necessarily going to cut it with the kids.
If children are used to more traditional fare, then why not keep menus familiar at first and introduce new vegetables and dishes more gradually? With so many plant-based options readily available these days – veggie mince, burgers and sausages, fishless fingers, tofu, tempeh, seitan, plant milks and more – it’s easy to provide a more eco-friendly school dinner that children will love.
Schools can also involve students in menu planning, and introduce themed days including world cuisine, to make things exciting. The bottom line is we need to reduce our meat and dairy consumption for the sake of animals, people and planet. Having at least one plant-based day each week, such as a Meat Free Monday, is a great way for schools to reduce their carbon emissions and provide an integrated approach to global citizenship.
Suzanne Barnard (Campaign manager, Meat Free Monday)
London W1D
Johnson’s absolute power
Boris Johnson is becoming increasingly volatile and autocratic in his leadership. The only difference between him and Donald Trump is that the latter has the cojones to sack staff himself rather than using a gauche rottweiler to do so. It would be a classic example of the tail wagging the dog except many rottweilers do not have tails. If Trump explains to Johnson his social media strategy, we will be in dire trouble.
Christopher Learmont-Hughes
Wirral
I have just watched the news with Boris Johnson opening the meeting of his new cabinet. What a silly childish spectacle it was with Johnson asking so-called serious politicians to answer “How many new hospitals are we going to build?”; “How many more policemen are we recruiting?” And like children they answered in unison. Pathetic.
Maurizio Moore
Writtle
Brexit delusions
I continue to marvel at the capacity of Brexiteers for self-delusion. Ursula von der Leyen and Michel Barnier have explained in detail why our prime minister’s bravura, buffoonery and bluster don’t hide the fact that his statements about future trade deals have no basis in reality.
This farce of a cabinet reshuffle displays what seems to be Johnson’s lack of honesty and reliability. He’s clearly not up to the job and Dominic Cummings, his malign Svengali, must be having a ball manipulating this superficial narcissist and pursuing his own devious ends with zero accountability.
John Cameron
St Andrews
Following the recent general election when the Labour Party suffered its worst defeat since the 1930s, and the refusal of the present Labour Party leader to accept his own responsibility, it is critical during the current leadership election to recognise that the electorate have lost confidence in the ability of the party, with its present Marxist principles, to provide a plausible opposition.
In order to recover credibility, the new leader must embrace a much more moderate viewpoint and abandon a hard-left stance. Of the candidates who have gained sufficient nominations to be included on the ballot paper, Keir Starmer seems to be the person best suited to fulfil the position, with Lisa Nandy probably the next.
Robert James
Leicester
Is it not time Labour listened to the many, not the extreme-left few? Last December, the great people of Britain called loud and clear for democracy; the Brexit referendum was called to be honoured, and the communist-leaning position Labour stood for was rejected. To continue the same style of radical left-wing politics, as Rebecca Long-Bailey seems to, is turning a deaf ear to the people and will surely produce the same defeat. Look at the last Labour landslide victory of 1997 – was this because they listened? Keir Starmer with his more central approach seems to have the better hearing.
Tim B
Kenilworth
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