MILFORD >> A practice that started as a way to save meat at home so it could be sent to soldiers abroad is making a comeback as a health measure in schools and hospitals across the country. Katie Scott, a food policy coordinator for the Humane Society of the U.S. from Milford, is here to tell you all about it. \u201cMeatless Mondays,\u201d a tradition that began in World War I, is now being promoted by the Humane Society of the United States as a way for schools, hospitals, universities, and stadiums to offer alternative choices in their cafeterias that can decrease the risk of developing chronic health problems later in life. \u201cIt\u2019s really about healthier and more sustainable food options,\u201d said Scott, who works for the New England branch of the Humane Society of the U.S. \u201cWe\u2019re using food as medicine to help people.\u201d While Scott is starting to work more with food service providers at colleges and universities, she finds that a big push is for school districts, so kids can be introduced to different types of meal options. \u201cK-through-12 is where you want to make the most impact very quickly,\u201d Scott said. The Humane Society of the U.S. argues that meat-free diets can decrease a risk for obesity, dementia, arthritis, high blood pressure, and other chronic health problems. Beans, nuts and whole grains can provide sufficient protein without the by-products of cholesterol and animal fat, the society argues. The society\u2019s campaign for Meatless Mondays includes sample recipes that fit the strict guidelines imposed by school lunch programs that range from bean burritos, to vegetarian chili, to stir-fry tofu. \u201cIt also gives you an option to explore different types of food,\u201d Scott added. She said she likes to explain to food service managers that it\u2019s an opportunity to make traditional side dishes, the star of the plate. \u201cIt\u2019s not just tofu. It\u2019s getting creative,\u201d she said. Dietary guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture encourage limiting meat consumption to only lean meats, and substituting other protein sources such as eggs, seafood, and beans regularly for other high-fat meat options. Countless schools across the country, including public school systems in Boston and Los Angeles have adopted Meatless Mondays, Scott said. And since she started in August, Scott has been meeting with schools, hospitals and universities around New England, encouraging food service managers to adopt a meat-free day in their cafeterias too. The Tolland Public Schools adopted a form of Meatless Monday at the beginning of this school year. Abby Harned, director of food services for the district, said that the high school has added a meat-free station to the normal choices on Mondays and the elementary and intermediate schools have gone completely meat-free on Mondays. \u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity to add more vegetables and things other than meat to their plates,\u201d Harned said. While the school has always offered meatless options, promoting Meatless Monday has given the district different ways to promote meat-free options in the cafeteria. Their latest addition to the cafeteria is a black bean burger, which Harned said has become very popular for some high school students. A full data analysis to examine how Meatless Monday has affected lunch sales or even the cost to food service has not been completed yet, she added. While protecting traditional pet animals is more typically associated with the Humane Society, Scott said that promoting meat-free food policies also decreases a demand on meats coming from factory farms. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to stop cruelty to all animals,\u201d Scott said. \u201cNot just cats and dogs.\u201d Scott said she is hopeful that after successfully adopting one meat-free day, schools, hospitals, and other large institutions will start to provide more meat-free options on other days of the week, or what some places are calling \u201cLean and Green Days.\u201d These practices will continue to cut the demand on meat coming from factory farms, and may even provide places with the extra funds to buy meat from local or organic farms, she said. But, a main focus when pitching these meatless options is a focus on fun, Scott said, because giving up meat one meal per week does not have to be a sacrifice.