Over the last decade, we conducted numerous research studies with our partners and behavioral science experts to identify the most effective ways to shift to plant-based foods in various dining settings.
What these practices share in common is that they use choice architecture–the process of designing how options are presented to people to influence their decision-making.
1. Plant-Based by Default: Make the best choice the easiest choice
- Serve plant-based foods by default—diners who prefer can opt for animal products, preserving freedom of choice. Many studies show that defaults are the most effective practice at reducing animal products.
- Use plant-based patties by default in burgers—have diners request beef or chicken patties.
- Use oat milk (or another plant-based milk) by default in coffee or tea drinks (Oat milk is significantly lower in carbon emissions!)
- In a buffet, make your base plant-based–serve entirely plant-based entrees and include the option to add meat or dairy to any meal, potentially at an additional cost. Ensure that the base dish is hearty and protein-packed plants such as lentils, quinoa, nuts, beans, legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, edamame beans, green peas, sprouted grains, oats, chia seeds, protein-rich fruits, and vegetables.
- On event registrations, mention that the event strives for zero emissions by offering a plant-based menu. Ask guests to opt in if they want animal products. Unless they opt in, they’ll receive the plant-based meals. (Example copy: “By serving a plant-based menu, we reduced the events food-related carbon emissions by up to 350% to 550%.”)
2. Climate-Friendly Ratios: Make plant-based foods the most plentiful
- Increase the ratio of plant-based offerings–aim to have 2-3 times more plant-based than meat dishes.
- Make sure that every meat-based dish has a similarly appealing plant-based alternative.
- Encourage chefs to explore plant-based recipes and serve animal products as an add-on or garnish rather than the central portion of the meal.
3. Prime Placement: Make plant-based foods the most visible
- Place plant-based entrees at the front of the buffet.
- List plant-based entrees at the top of the menu.
- Always have the “daily special” or promoted meals be plant-based.
- Use tasty descriptors focused on flavors, textures, and ingredients rather than how healthy or vegan it is.
4. Subtle Substitutions: Make the switch to plant-based ingredients
- Swap plant-based condiments, desserts, mayo, and bread–the high quality of plant-based products nowadays ensures diners won’t even notice the difference.
- Switch to using plant-based mayo or frosting in every dish or baked good.
- Any time a recipe can be easily switched to plant-based ingredients (e.g., by using plant-based milk, eggs, or butter), do it—the food items will instantly become more accessible to the growing number of diners with dairy allergies!
5. Tasty Titles: Switch menu titles to sound delicious
- Switch the titles of “vegetarian” and “vegan” dishes to tasty titles instead, use descriptive words focused on flavors, textures, and ingredients, rather than focusing on healthy or plant-based (i.e., “Cuban Black Bean Soup” rather than “Vegetarian Black Bean Soup.”)
- Label dishes that contain meat, dairy, eggs, and other common allergens and indicate plant-based with a small (v).
- Research has shown how we label food impact customer’s food choices. These simple changes can increase the number of plant-based dishes served. (Download the Say This, Not That: Labeling Language Tips in Resource)
You can try just one of these tips the next time you serve food—or try more than one! Experiment to find the combination that will make your dining the most inclusive, sustainable, and healthy for all your guests.
That’s just a taste. If you’d like help picking the right nudge to use in your food service establishment, contact us—we can help you get started and connect you to our fantastic partners who can provide you with the support you need.
Recipes
There are also lots of resources available for chefs looking to expand their plant-based menus:
• For institutions, Forward Food offers a recipe database and ample resources, including toolkits and a guide to hosting culinary training
• For athletes, The Game Changers offers high protein recipes that Olympic athletes swear by.
• For allergen-friendly recipes, the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine offers the Universal Meals program and recipes.
• For culturally relevant food, visit AfroVegan Society for delicious, simple, affordable recipes.
And if you’ve tried any of these practices, let us know the results! We love hearing about your successes, and we’ll share them with others. We’re available to troubleshoot techniques, and continuously improve our knowledge to make our recommendations more effective. Reach out at [email protected].
