Veganism at HHS

On May 12, 2016 Guy Fieri from Food Network’s: Diners, Drive Ins, and Dive’s visited The Herbivorous Butcher, a vegan butcher shop located in North East Minneapolis.

The Herbivorous Butcher is a family owned vegan market. Siblings Aubry and Kale Walch began selling their vegan meats and cheeses at a local farmer’s market, before opening up their own store in 2014.

“I really like Herbivorous Butcher. I think one of the hardest parts about fake meat is getting the texture right, and they do a really great job with that. During holiday meals, when people traditionally eat turkey or ham, I get the alternative,” said Emma Woodyard, senior.

However, restaurants that are conscious of vegan and vegetarian diet restrictions are rare to come by, especially in suburbs.

“It’s harder to find vegan restaurants here in Minnetonka. Chipotle, Taco Bell, and other fast food places offer many good options, but other than that I have to go to Uptown,” said Ali Winter, sophomore.

Perhaps the most difficult place for students to find a vegan or vegetarian meal is in the HHS lunchroom. In the opinion of many, lunch options at HHS are limited, however for vegans and vegetarians they restricted further.

“I could probably get the salad bar [for lunch] every day, but that’s about it. They do pretty well with vegetarian options, but otherwise I feel most things have cheese or egg in them,” said Greta Wilkening, senior.

As a result, the Hopkins Nutrition department has made efforts to broaden the meals available for HHS students who cannot to eat meat or dairy.

“When planning the lunch menu, I need to make sure the meals prepared are are meeting the USD school meal nutrition standards. So, I am required to provide the components that make up a healthy meal; fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat and milk,” said Sandra Rulec, lunchroom back house manager.

Despite the difficulties that result from the restricted diets associated with a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, most believe that the positives outweigh negatives.

“I became vegan because I watched a video about animal cruelty and it also pointed out how it’s really good for the environment and your health. [Since becoming vegan] I have a lot more energy, and people are really interested in veganism,” said Wilkening.