A Shift to Plant-Forward Meals at UK Public Institutions Could Save the NHS £54.9M Per Year
A new policy briefing endorsed by 25 health and sustainability organizations has called for the procurement of food for UK public institutions to be aligned with healthy, sustainable diets. The briefing makes three key recommendations for the UK government: Making sustainable meals more abundant The briefing estimates that a shift to healthier meal options could save the NHS £54.9 million per year, based on data from New York hospitals that offer plant-based meals as the default option. Furthermore, the changes could improve health outcomes, resulting in further savings for the NHS. Last October, a campaign called Plants First Healthcare, led by senior NHS doctors, called on UK hospitals to offer plant-based meals by default to benefit human and planetary health. Additionally, a factsheet published last …