NYC Hospitals Will Now Serve Plant-Based Meals as the Default

EAT

Oct 6

The new initiative, supported by the city’s mayor and plant-based advocate Eric Adams, will provide the community with better access to healthy food choices.

Plant-based meals will now be the default dinner option for patients in New York City public hospitals, thanks to a new initiative between the Better Food Foundation, New York City Health + Hospitals (H&H), and Mayor Eric Adams.

The new program builds on their plant-based lunch default program, which launched in March of this year. So far, the program has been wildly successful, with more than half of all patients choosing the plant-based meals, despite only 1 percent of patients actively following a vegan or vegetarian diet. In addition, 95 percent of those who opted for the plant-based meals said that they were satisfied with their dish.

“Ninety-five percent of patients in the pilot program responded positively to NYC Health + Hospitals’ incredible new menus that reflect New York’s rich cultural diversity,” said Katie Cantrell, co-director of Greener by Default, an initiative of the Better Food Foundation. “These menus are a welcome shift from typical hospital foods that Americans famously dread. Meals like sancocho, a zesty burrito bowl with jicama slaw, and Southern black-eyed peas with plant-based cornbread aren’t just healthier, they’re tastier too.”

To help with the transition, a team from Greener by Default worked closely with hospital administrators. Greener by Default makes plant-based food the default option in businesses, universities, conferences, and many other places, while giving diners the choice to opt into meat centered options. This strategy aligns with the global health community’s dietary recommendations and allows institutions to spotlight healthier food choices, meet institutional carbon reduction goals, and offer more culturally inclusive meals.

“While NYC is beckoning in an exciting future, it’s also returning to its people’s roots: plant-based eating has been an integral part of food cultures and religions throughout history,” said the Better Food Foundation. “In culturally diverse NYC, centering inclusive food choices on the menu is even more important. People of color are most likely to be lactose-intolerant and to suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Access to healthy plant-based foods through public institutions like hospitals and schools isn’t just a health issue; it’s a social justice issue.”

Three million lunch and dinner and dinner meals are served to patients by H&H each year. Since the plant-based default program was launched, around 864,000 of those meals have been plant-based. The meals are inspired by the flavors of Latin, Asian, and other cuisines that represent the health system’s diverse patient population. Thai noodle bowls, Spanish vegetable paella with yellow rice, and a Southern black-eyed pea casserole are just some of the new, “chef’s choice” options being offered to patients at these three sites.

The 14 new plant-based dinner options are expected to be rolled out to all hospitals this fall, with plans to offer plant-based supplements and tube feeds by the end of the year. The system also intends to introduce the plant-based menu options to post-acute care facilities by January.

What we eat matters

Scientific research has shown that plant-based eating patterns are linked to significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers. They can also be effective for weight management, as well as treatment of certain chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.

“Food is medicine, especially in our moments of sickness. Nutritious, healthy food should be available wherever New Yorkers are, but especially in institutions that are meant to restore health,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “It starts with us, and we must lead by example, so this is an important step forward. Congratulations to Health + Hospitals for making nutritious and delicious plant-based foods the default option for patients who are there to heal and to return to health.”

This isn’t the first time that New York’s Mayor, Eric Adams has spearheaded initiatives that advocate for plant-based foods and better nutrition. In 2019, the then Brooklyn Borough President banned processed meat from schools and worked with former NYC mayor Bill de Blasio to introduce Meatless Mondays at 15 Brooklyn-based schools. On top of that, Adams also authorized a $10,000 discretionary grant to support plant-based nutrition education at the State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate College of Medicine.

“When it comes to preventing diet-related chronic disease, there is a growing recognition that it’s not our DNA — it’s our dinner,” said Adams. “Since January, we have introduced Plant-Powered Fridays into schools, introduced fresh produce into the nation’s only municipal emergency food system, and expanded Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Clinics to public hospitals across all five boroughs. Now, we are proud to announce the successful rollout and expansion of default plant-based lunch and dinner options at all H+H sites. This transformative program is already changing lives, empowering patients to take control of their own health and further cementing New York City as a leader in preventive medicine.”

Last year, Adams sat down with Elizabeth of Species Unite to talk about his incredible vegan health journey so far. Listen to the conversation here.

Do you think you could embrace plant-based living for 30 days? We do. Sign up for the Species Unite 30-Day Vegan Challenge to discover a whole new world, from recipes that will trick your most carnivorous friends to shoes, boots and bags made from some of the most magical plants on the planet. Take part here!

Try Plant-Based for 30 days!

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