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Tampa 2nd-grader helps develop more vegetarian options for school lunch menu to help the environment

Roland Park K-8 will bring back "Meatless Mondays"
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Posted at 2:51 AM, Jun 03, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-03 08:25:55-04

TAMPA, Fla. — While many families and kids were preparing for summer break, in the last week of classes, Lila Miller, a second-grader at Roland Park K-8 in Tampa, wanted to make sure all kids have something they can eat on the school lunch menu.

Miller, who became a vegetarian more than a year ago, developed a revised menu with more plant-based and meat-free options. Then, thanks to her assistant principal, she met with the school's nutrition manager to present it.

Miller hopes this will help reduce the school's carbon footprint and help the environment.

"If the world gets too hot, we won't be able to exist on Planet Earth," she said.

She also is an animal rights activist.

"I don't want to hurt the animals," she said.

Now, thanks to Miller, Roland Park K-8 agreed to bring back "Meatless Mondays" starting this fall.

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Lila Miller, a second-grader at Roland Park K-8 in Hillsborough County, helped develop a vegetarian menu for her school.

Some of her cost-effective vegetarian options include mushroom pizza, mac n' cheese with broccoli, and spinach and cheese tortellini.