Better food, by default
Our mission is to create sustainable food systems by incubating novel solutions for shifting diets and shaping cultural narratives that guide food choices.
We envision a thriving world where plant-based food is the norm.
Normalizing plant-based food
Food systems are our most powerful lever to improve environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and human health.
1,815,000
meals impacted/year
500+
institutions using plant-based nudges and defaults
37%
institutions average reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to 888,000 kg of carbon dioxide
34%
institutions average reduction in water, or 21,000,000 gallons of water
Make the Best Choice, the Easy Choice
Plant-Based by Default is a simple way to offer healthier, sustainable, and inclusive meals by nudging customers towards plant-based options.
The Latest
3 Takeaways from NACUFS 2025
What we learned by attending NACUFS 2025. From the engaging presentations, we identified three critical challenges facing campus dining and how plant-based defaults offer effective solutions.
This Simple Shift is Transforming Our Food Systems
Learn more about the science of human behavior and the power of nudges happening quietly in many food service settings–from university campuses to hospitals and coffee shops worldwide.
Nudge News: June 2025
Here’s the latest round-up from the plant-based food nudges and defaults movement across society. Enjoy!
Take action
Apply for the DefaultVeg Internship Program
Universities around the world see the value in reimagining food systems. Together we can keep campuses—and the planet—cool.
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Just as we always eat in community, we also need our community to make this transformative work possible.
There’s a lot of large-scale change that we could achieve in any of the institutions where food is served. Nudges are more than just quiet and discreet. They’re actively changing people’s attitudes in a positive direction towards plant-based foods.
Jennifer Channin
Executive Director
Our Partners
