Rivals Go Head-to-Head to Determine Which School Offers Its Students the Best Food for Thought

For Immediate Release:
October 30, 2009

Contact:
Ryan Huling 757-622-7382

Vancouver, British Columbia -- Not that long ago, a vegan meal at many of the country's colleges consisted of a salad and a baked potato, but times have changed for the better. That's why peta2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization, has announced the nominees for its fourth annual Most Vegetarian-Friendly Colleges competition--and Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia (UBC) have made the grade.

The universities have been selected as two of the top eight schools in Canada when it comes to providing vegetarian and vegan options. Among the many meatless options available on campus menus at Simon Fraser are veggie dogs, vegan burritos, and shepherd's pie. At UBC, selections include potato masala with spinach and chickpeas, baked teriyaki tofu, and vegan stew.

Why are students dropping meat, eggs, and dairy products from their diets faster than a hot potato? For one thing, vegan meals contain much less saturated fat and cholesterol than nonvegan meals, so students who stick to vegan options have a far easier time staying slim. According to the United Nations, raising animals for food is the number one cause of climate change, and going vegan is the single best thing that you can do to help stop animal suffering.

"Simon Fraser's and UBC's success in offering great vegan options is good for students' health and for the schools' bottom lines," says peta2's senior college campaign coordinator, Ryan Huling. "More and more young people are learning that the best thing that they can do for animals, the planet, and themselves is to go vegan."

Other nominees include Mount Allison University and Concordia University. Colleges were chosen based on student recommendations as well as feedback obtained through MySpace, Facebook, and the popular peta2 blog. Everyone is eligible to vote and help peta2 choose the winners. Winning schools will be announced in November and will receive certificates to display in their campus dining halls.

To view the entire list of the 32 U.S. and eight Canadian colleges and universities that were nominated--and to cast your vote--please visit peta2.com/College, or click here for information on Simon Fraser and here for information on UBC.