March 20 will be the annual Meatless holiday in New York City

New York City's first annual Meatless Holiday kicked off yesterday, courtesy of Mayor Eric Adams, who recently signed the city up for the MeatOut initiative.

New York City – home to more than eight million people – will promote plant-based food-centricity for five days after March 20 this year (aka MeatOut Day).

Select restaurants have launched vegan and vegetarian menus for the occasion. And a series of educational events are planned to take place across the city.

The Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM) launched the concept of MeatOut in 1985. The campaign was designed to raise awareness about the health and environmental benefits of eating plants.

More than 40 cities and states have signed up since then, including Colorado, Dallas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Philadelphia and Texas.

A 'plant-based future'

Eric Lindstrom, FARM executive director, welcomed NYC's participation in the initiative.

“As a New Yorker myself, I am especially proud of this announcement,” Lindstrom said. “The progress that Mayor Adams has made toward a plant-based future and Vegetarian Fridays in New York City schools, is completely aligned with our mission and our MeatOut's mission.”

Indeed, Mr. Adams — the mayor of New York City — has made good on his promise to promote plant-based foods since he took office on January 1, 2022.

In February, the Mayor Adams-backed Vegetarian Fridays initiative was rolled out across the NYC public school system, the largest in the country.

Under the program, more than 1.1 million K-12 students at more than 1,700 schools will be served plant-based meals every Friday. Adams argues that such approaches are vital in addressing the health crises weighing on children today.

“We can't just talk about fighting childhood obesity, fighting diabetes, but when you go into schools, you see the foods that are causing our health care crisis being sold. public,” Adams said in January.

“The kids have called me and said they want better food in school and I will do all I can to give them options for a healthier diet so we can can put an end to crisis-causing foods.”

Adams adopted a vegan diet himself in 2016 and credits the move for reversing his diabetes diagnosis.