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

Gainesville, Fla. -- 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 the University of Florida (UF) has made the grade.

The university has been selected as one of the top 32 schools in the U.S. when it comes to providing vegetarian and vegan options. Among the many meatless options available on campus menus are tempeh with tandoori strawberry puree over lentils, orange-glazed tofu with sweet potatoes, and tempeh pizza (made with locally grown tempeh delivered by bike!).

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 keeping off that pesky "freshman 15." 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.

"UF's success in offering great vegan options is good for students' health and for the school's bottom line," 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 the University of South Florida, New York University, Northwestern University, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. 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.