mocking plant-based milks. The campaign features famously sardonic actress Aubrey Plaza promoting milk made from trees. “Is wood milk real? Absolutely not, only real milk is real,” Plaza says in a satirical commercial.
“People don’t really like to drink cow’s milk anymore, and they have other sources of dairy. My friends are plant-based for the most part, and we talk a lot about our food system,” she said.In October, Williamson, who eats a primarily vegetarian diet, gave out samples of oat milk to her classmates to promote dairy alternatives.
Haber declined to address Williamson’s claims that the school promotes dairy milk in the morning announcements and through posters. “Dairy and milk play a central role in school meals by providing 13 essential nutrients students need for healthy growth and development,” Herrick said. “Milk is the top source of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin D in kids ages 2 to 18.”
Most school nutrition programs are still facing routine supply chain problems that began during the pandemic, said Diane Pratt-Heavner, director of media relations for the School Nutrition Association, the trade group for school-food-service professionals. She said schools in July will lose some of the per-meal funding provided by Congress under the Keep Kids Fed Act, which makes the prospect of stocking plant-based milk options daunting.
Williamson’s father, Bennett Williamson, said his daughter has been a strong animal rights advocate since doing research on the food system for a big school project.