Coalition for Plant-Based Food in Hospitals
The Coalition for Plant-Based Food in Hospitals helps hospitals include plant-based meals in their food service offerings. To get started serving plant-based meals, check out our Plant Forward Plates Healthcare Toolkit.
Eating a more plant-forward diet is a recommendation made by both the American Medical Association and American College of Cardiology, which says that “hospitalization can be a ‘teachable moment’ for patients who are ready to embrace nutrition as part of the healing process.” The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the Humane Society of the United States, Oldways, and Meatless Monday are four nonprofits providing support, resources, and hands-on trainings to hospital culinary teams to help them provide more plant-based meals.
Learn more about the Coalition here
It’s not unusual for hospitals to serve cheesy scrambled eggs, meatloaf, and chicken parmesan to heart disease and stroke patients. This new plant-forward coalition is helping hospitals nationwide provide patients plant-based food options that combat rather than contribute to cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
Hospitals have a responsibility to continually improve quality of care, and offering nourishing, plant-based meals and medical food options are critical for enhancing patient outcomes, reducing health care costs, and lowering the risk of chronic diseases among its community.
In need of plant-based resources? See below for resources and services available for hospitals from each member organization of the Coalition for Plant-based Food in Hospitals.
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
About the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in education and research. The Physicians Committee provides numerous resources to organizations, hospitals, and individuals at no cost to improve health through good nutrition. With years of preventive health culinary training experience, we offer employee wellness programs, free CME, and grand rounds and lunch and learns, as well as other support to keep your staff healthy, vital, and satisfied. Menu consultation, free recipes, and marketing assets are available to support hospitals provide plant-based options to their patients and align with the AMA’s Healthy Food in Hospitals resolution, as well as state-specific laws (California, New York).
Toolkit: Health Food in Health Care Toolkit
For Resources: PCRM.org
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Universal Meals – allergen free recipes
Contact: Anna Herby (aherby@pcrm.org)
Digital Media:
The Humane Society of the United States’ Forward Food Program
About The Humane Society of the United States’ Forward Food Program
Since 2015, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has partnered with the country’s largest foodservice companies, as well as individual hospitals, on plant-based nutrition education, culinary trainings, menu development, recipe creation, and marketing with the goal of increasing plant-based options in the cafeteria and on patient menus. Different types of virtual trainings are available for foodservice leaders, chefs, and clinicians within health care, including webinars, videos, and live Zoom hands-on learning events. The trainings address the health and environmental impacts of food, ways of marketing plant-based foods, and strategies on recipe development.
Flyer: Forward Food Program for Hospitals
For Resources: forwardfood.org
Contact: Dorrie Nang (dnang@humanesociety.org)
Digital Media:
Oldways
About Oldways
Oldways is a food and nutrition nonprofit dedicated to improving public health by inspiring individuals and organizations to embrace the healthy, sustainable joys of the “old ways” of eating—heritage-based diets high in taste, nourishment, sustainability, and joy. The Oldways Plant Forward Plates Healthcare Toolkit provides 40+ dietitian-created recipes, menus, ordering guides, HACCP instructions, and additional guidance for adding 100% plant-based meal options to hospital menus.
For Resources: OldwaysPT.org/Toolkit
Contact: Kelly LeBlanc, MLA, RD, LDN (kelly@oldwayspt.org)
Meatless Monday
About Meatless Monday
Launched in 2003 by The Monday Campaigns in association with the Center for a Livable Future at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Meatless Monday encourages people to start with a small change—skip meat once a week. This simple message works because it provides a regular cue to take action on Monday, which research shows is the day people are most open to making positive changes. Starting each week practicing Meatless Monday can lead people to eat more plant-based meals throughout the rest of the week. This can improve their health and help reduce environmental impact. Resources are available for all hospitals to make an impact in 2020 by embracing plant-based menus for patient health and satisfaction and for environmental sustainability.
Flyer: New York-Presbyterian Hospital Case Study
For Resources: MondayCampaigns.org
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Hospital and Healthcare resource center (marketing, operations guides)
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Coalition guide for MM — via Oldways
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Patient healthy eating guides/program (for RDs and healthcare professionals to provide to patients or potentially employees)
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Foodservice resources — marketing plant-based meals
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Meatless Monday Challenge — for employee engagement
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Environmental education — for employees
Contact: Joy Lehman (jlehman@mondaycampaigns.org)
Greener By Default (GBD)
About Greener By Default
Greener by Default makes plant-based food the default, while giving diners the choice to opt into meat/dairy. This strategy allows institutions to improve health and inclusivity, meet carbon reduction goals, and save on food costs, all while preserving freedom of choice. We consult with healthcare institutions to apply choice architecture to foodservice, looking at the variety of dishes offered, the way that they’re named and displayed to make healthy and sustainable plant-based options more abundant and appealing for all diners. Our program can be applied in any type of food service environment, from patient menus to retail/cafeteria and catered events. Services are provided free of charge to the healthcare sector.