Resources and further reading

Greener by Default consults with institutions to apply behavioural science to food policy, nudging diners towards sustainable plant-based food while preserving freedom of choice. They have been instrumental in transitioning New York City hospitals to serving plant-based meals as the default option. In March 2022, 11 city hospitals in New York City transitioned to a plant-based default menu. Their results have been phenomenal with 60% of patients sticking with the plant-based meal option, greater than 90% patient satisfaction, 36% reduction in food emission and 59 cents saving per meal. You can read more here. Patients who are discharged from these hospitals receive a booklet of plant-based recipes to make at home. Photos from the Culinary Center are available here.

Download Greener By Default’s Food As Medicine factsheet.

Visit Plant-Based Defaults at events for tips on how to make your events more sustainable.

The Food Service Playbook for Promoting Sustainable Food Choices brings together the latest strategies for creating dining environments that empower consumers to choose sustainable, plant-rich dishes.

The Healthy Hospital Program by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine includes plant-based menu items, inpatient education tools, and printable recipes to empower patients to take control of their health during their hospital stay and beyond.

Serving Up Plants by Default by the Food For Climate League and the Better Food Foundation. Read about the first-ever multi-site research study on plant-based defaults within all-you-care-to-eat dining halls, and the resulting key insights and opportunities. Learn how you can optimize variety, health, and sustainability of all-you-care-to-eat university dining with plant-based defaults.

Plant-based nutrition course at the University of Winchester

Launched in 2019, this 8 week online course remains the only University-based CPD-accredited course on plant-based nutrition. It is designed for health professionals (e.g. doctors, nurses, dieticians, nutritionists, physiotherapists) who would like to incorporate evidence-based nutrition into routine clinical practice. The course is a facilitated, self-paced short course to be completed within 8 weeks. There are 6 modules, each requiring at least 6 hours of personal study to complete. The course is recommended as part of the Royal College of GPs sustainable healthcare initiative – Green Impact for Health Toolkit – and the Irish College of GPs – Glas Toolkit.