The expansion builds on the success of 131 hospitals already offering plant-forward menus with an additional 200 hospitals set to transition in 2025, bringing the total to 400 by 2026
Greener by Default announces today the expansion of its partnership with Sodexo, extending the plant-based patient meals program to all U.S. hospitals under Sodexo’s management. This collaboration builds on the remarkable success of Greener by Default and Sodexo’s program with NYC Health + Hospitals, which launched in 2022 and resulted in half of all eligible patients opting for plant-based menu items—cutting the health system’s carbon emissions by over one-third in just its first year.
The plant-forward patient menus position nutritious, sustainable plant-based meals as the default option for one meal per day, while preserving freedom of choice and providing a diverse array of protein options for diners through flavorful dishes like Cajun Pastalaya, Southwest Potato Breakfast Bowl, Balsamic Stuffed Portabella, and more. Research has shown that plant-based eating is connected to significantly lower risk of serious health concerns like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers; and plant-based meals have been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and land use compared to animal-based meals.
Early data from one Sodexo hospital already offering plant-based meals by default showed that since the program’s implementation, patients have been served 36% more plant-based entrees, while patient selection of meat-based entrees declined by 20%. Though these numbers are preliminary, they suggest a promising potential impact: If just 10% of the 290,000 meals Sodexo serves to patients per day shift from meat-based to plant-based, the company could transition over 10 million meals per year.
“The continued success of patient menus that position plant-based options as the default demonstrates how small, cost-effective shifts can have an outsized impact, while still preserving freedom of choice for diners and ensuring their access to nutritious, sustainable foods that don’t compromise on taste,” said Katie Cantrell, CEO and Co-Founder of Greener by Default. “We look forward to our ongoing work with Sodexo, and to building more partnerships with forward-thinking healthcare institutions that want to make a difference for their patients and the planet.”
"Our collaboration with Greener by Default is driven by our shared goal to advance and promote plant-based dining in hospitals across the U.S. through effective choices,” said Molly Matthews, CEO Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors. “As a leader in healthy-outcomes based menus and protocols through our Clinicia patient nutrition programs, we recognized the need for a partner like Greener by Default to support our efforts in educating teams, promoting our plant-based meal options, and extracting meaningful data for improved outcomes. We anticipate continued success of the plant-based menu expansion and its positive impact on our clients and their patients.”
About Greener by Default
Greener by Default (GBD) is a nonprofit organization that empowers institutions with evidence-based consulting and hands-on guidance to serve inclusive and delicious plant-forward menus that move the needle on health and sustainability, while protecting freedom of choice. GBD works primarily with hospitals and healthcare institutions, colleges and universities, corporate cafeterias, and large catered events, using behavioral science to nudge diners towards more sustainable, healthy, plant-based options by making them appealing, abundant, and accessible.
In just the past year, GBD has cultivated partnerships with 18 hospitals and healthcare systems in the U.S. and around the world to develop plant-forward patient and cafeteria menus, all designed to help these institutions improve health outcomes, cut carbon emissions, and decrease food costs, while prioritizing diner satisfaction.
About Sodexo North America
Sodexo North America is a division of Sodexo Group, a global Fortune 500 company operating in 45 countries and a leading provider of sustainable food and integrated facilities management in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam, at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play. Across the U.S., the company employs over 100,000 people and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional jobs by annually purchasing goods and services from a wide range of small to large businesses. Sodexo North America is committed to meeting the challenges of everyday life with a dual goal: to improve the quality of life of our employees and those we serve, and to contribute to the economic, social and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all.
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