Lille thus becomes, in June 2024, the first city in Hauts-de-France to win the label awarded by the Assiettes Végétales* association, for its school catering offer promoting plant-based alternatives in school canteens.
A pioneer in reducing the consumption of meat and fish in school restaurants, the City of Lille introduced a weekly vegetarian menu in 2014, then two vegetarian menus each week since June 2018meeting the support of parents and children alike.
This vegetarian offering favors organic and/or local products, the proportion of which has been greatly increased, reaching 65% in 2023. The ingredients for school menus arrive, for the most part, raw and fresh at the central kitchen, before being cooked there. The emphasis is placed on the diversification of foods, particularly with the integration of legumes. Some examples of the vegetarian dishes offered: chili sin carne, lentil dahl with peppers, pea and mushroom blesotto, legume bolognese…
« With these two vegetarian menus for everyone, Lille is participating in the democratization and standardization of vegetarian menus. These menus have their place today in collective catering because they make it possible to act effectively for our planet, for the health of guests and for the reduction of animal suffering. » says Marine Fahy, development manager for the Assiettes Végétales association. “ We are delighted to award the label to this exemplary municipality which joins the growing ranks of establishments labeled Assiettes Vertes. »
Providing balanced, quality meals to all the children of Lille, Lommois and Hellemmois is part of the strong social and environmental commitment of the City of Lille and its associated municipalities. This is why the City made the choice, in 2008, to halve prices and deploy a proactive solidarity pricing policy: today almost one child in two eats in city canteens for one euro or less.
« In Lille, education is the first item in the city budget. Beyond the very large investments of recent years, we are mobilizing, in 2024, 15 million euros to develop schools thermally, environmentally, digitally, and make them ever more pleasant, inclusive and supportive, in a city with child height. Healthy eating for children in Lille is one of the major challenges of this mandate. Consuming less meat allows you to reduce your ecological footprint, and this is also how we train the citizens of tomorrow in the canteen! », declared Charlotte Bbrun, Deputy Mayor responsible for the Educational City, thanking Assiettes Végétales for this new distinction. In September 2019, Greenpeace France awarded the first “Green Canteen” scarf to Martine Aubry, Mayor of Lille, for the provision of two vegetarian meals in Lille school restaurants.
* Since 2018, the non-profit association Assiettes Végétales has supported collective catering in the transition to a more plant-based diet. The association works with professionals to implement a vegetarian or plant-based choice that is eco-responsible, attractive and good for everyone’s health. The association is supported by Valérie MASSON-DELMOTTE, climatologist and co-president of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
Contact Vegetable Plates: Marine FAHY, Development Manager – [email protected] – 06 59 57 45 85
The Assiettes Vertes label is awarded by the Assiettes Végétales association to certify that a collective catering service sets an example of sustainable nutrition by putting plant-based foods at the heart of its menu. The 1* label here rewards a catering service which offers a unique vegetarian menu twice a week whose ingredients are mainly of plant origin. To date, 16 corporate, administrative or university restaurants, 3 Crous (Rennes-Bretagne, Grenoble-Alpes, Strasbourg) and 6 cities (Montpellier, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Mouans-Sartoux, Paris 11eLyon, Pessac) received the label.
