Four major hospitals in Lisbon, Portugal, are set to provide more plant-based meals in their cafeterias under ProVeg Portugal’s Sustainable Meals program, which has been described as “groundbreaking”.
The initiative will take place through an agreement between ProVeg Portugal and the leading caterer ITAU. This collaboration will also enable training for catering teams, and will help to raise awareness of the environmental and health impacts of food choices among cafeteria managers, clinical staff, doctors, and customers. Additionally, tailored recipes will be developed by nutrition experts as part of the agreement.
ProVeg Portugal’s Sustainable Meals program was first implemented in 2022, and has served over 58,000 plant-based meals at more than 90 schools in Portugal so far this year. Following its success, the program is now being expanded to hospitals.
“Powerful lever for climate action”
A similar program is underway in New York; plant-based meals became the default option at all 11 NYC public hospitals in 2022. The initiative has proven extremely successful, with over 95% patient acceptance and over 90% patient satisfaction. Furthermore, the meals are said to have reduced the hospital system’s emissions by 36%, while lowering costs by $0.59 per meal.
UK public institutions were called on to adopt a similar program in a policy briefing published earlier this year. According to the briefing, a shift to plant-forward meals could improve health and sustainability while saving the NHS £54.9 million per year.
“By introducing plant-based meals in hospitals and other institutions, we are showing how food and public procurement can be a powerful lever for climate action while promoting healthier lifestyles,” said Joana Oliveira, Country Director of ProVeg Portugal.
