Published May 2023
Serving Up Plants by Default
Optimizing variety, health, and sustainability of all-you-care-to-eat university dining with plant-based defaults.
What if a simple change in the way universities present food choices in dining halls could help us meet global climate goals?
In this study, the research non-profit Food for Climate League (FCL)—in collaboration with Better Food Foundation (BFF), Sodexo, and researchers at Boston College—successfully tested the impact of serving plant-based dishes as the default option within dining hall stations at three universities: Tulane University, Lehigh University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).
This is the first-ever multi-site research study on plant-based defaults within all-you-care-to-eat dining halls.
Scientists overwhelmingly agree that shifting global eating habits towards predominantly plant-based diets is one of the most powerful tools we have to combat the climate crisis and improve human health.
Learn more about the study’s key findings regarding the impact of plant-based defaults.