Colleges and universities are setting systemwide commitments to transition up to 75% of their dining hall offerings to plant-based options in the next three years, according to a new report from the Humane Society of the United States.
“Now more than ever, students are demanding meal options that are healthier for themselves and the environment,” said Kate Watts, director of food service innovation at the Humane Society. “Colleges and universities have a responsibility to meet these demands, be transparent about their sustainability targets for prospective and current students and work to reduce their environmental impact.”
Plant-based dieting is linked to lower greenhouse gas emissions and decreased use of energy, water and land resources than animal-based proteins, research suggests.
Moreover, enrollment may hinge on institutions’ ability to adapt in the dining hall. Procurement offices are shifting operations to match Gen Z’s preference for locally and sustainably derived food. Evidence suggests students are willing to pay a premium for such products.
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The College and University Protein Sustainability Scorecard examined 38 universities’ commitments to plant-based dining hall options. Half of all meals offered at the University of Colorado Boulder, which ranked No. 1 with an “A+,” are currently plant-based. Architecture at Brigham Young University’s main dining hall is intentionally designed to steer students toward vegetarian options and focus groups help design the menu.
Here were some common threads among institutions that earned at least a “B”:
- Support other universities in making plant-forward menu changes as members of the Change University Research Collaborative or Forward Food Advisory Council.
- Strong collaboration with the marketing and communication departments to promote menu items, campuswide events and healthy dieting.
- Executive chefs and sous chefs receive training from registered dieticians on plant-based cuisine to ensure health and wellness principles are applied to each recipe.
Here’s a closer look at the 20 institutions that fared well.
Rank | Program | Grade |
1. | University of Colorado Boulder | A+ |
2. | University of North Texas | A+ |
3. | The University of Texas at Austin | A+ |
4. | University of Michigan | A+ |
5. | University of Arizona | A |
6. | Washington State University | A |
7. | University of California, Berkeley | A |
8. | Rutgers University | A |
9. (T) | Oregon State University | A |
9. (T) | The University of Washington | A |
10. | University of California, Los Angeles | A |
11. | Ohio State University | B+ |
12. | University of Georgia | B+ |
13. | University of California, San Diego | B |
14. | University of Maryland, College Park | B |
15. (T) | University of California Davis | B |
15. (T) | University of Southern California | B |
16. | University of Wisconsin-Madison | B |
17. | Indiana University Bloomington | B |
18. | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | B |