Emphasize plant-based meals
There are many ways food service professionals are reducing meat purchases and improving the health and welfare of their clients, patients, students and staff. Some are doing meat-free days like Meatless Monday – in which they may make all meals plant-based. Others are adding additional plant-based meals to their menus on a daily basis. Some are mixing plant-based proteins or mushrooms with their meat, reducing overall meat usage.
Events
With the help and guidance of HSI/Africa, launching a Green Monday program is easier than you think. Want to host a free event for culinary teams, dietitians, nutritionists or other food service professionals to learn about plant-based cooking?
We will come to you to host a free Green Monday launch event, culinary training for chefs, or presentation.
See MoreRecipe development
Green Monday meals are easy to prepare and rely heavily on local ingredients that are readily available, less expensive and more sustainable for the environment. The recipes are also easily tailored to suit you catering needs. Our HSI culinary team can create plant-based recipes for your organization. If there is a particular dish that is culturally important or very popular at your location, HSI can create a healthier, plant-based alternative. If you would like help adjusting your menus for patients as well as customers, the HSI registered dietitians can provide expert advice and sample menus for how to promote healthier, plant-based meals.
Marketing and promotion
HSI/Africa can assist you with marketing the new plant-based meals and menus. This can consist of point of sale materials, posters, customer incentives, presentations to staff, web site content, and drafted letters for staff/customers.
Our communications team is also happy to help you promote your Green Monday program to the media, should you wish to have public recognition for your commitment to health and sustainability. This is done through press releases, media pitches, hosting events and site visits, organizing interviews and offering social media concepts/suggestions/graphics.
Environmental impact measurement
Given that factory farming is the largest contributor to today’s most serious environmental problems, including large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, HSI/Africa can help measure the environmental impact of changes made to your menus. With the help of our scientific expert, changes in food related greenhouse gas emissions will be quantified and reported in a format that your institute can use in its communications. This can also be a part of your wider sustainability strategy and can be tailored to your needs.
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Green Monday Events
Host your very own Green Monday event, free of charge! Learn from a range of experts on how to sell the concept to administrators, students and employees. How to pitch it to the media to garner your institution the positive attention it deserves (if you’re so inclined), and how to use social media to drive the message in a way that will resonate with a wide audience. Enjoy delicious food during our plant-based food cooking demonstration and network with individuals seasoned in the art of setting and reaching goals to bring healthier menus to their guests.
A variety of interactive events are available to help you promote your institutional program, connect with like-minded professionals, network with other service providers in industry, and gain insights into the latest trends in implementing and marketing plant-based food programs. Below is a list of the free trainings we offer — all of which can be custom-tailored to suit your needs.
- Culinary training for your cooks, chefs and food service staff on how to cook delicious and nutritious Green Monday meals.
- Plant-based cooking demonstrations for larger groups.
- Green Monday presentations for staff or students.
- Exhibitions and sampling at employee wellness days.
- Webinars and workshops on presenting and promoting Green Monday programs.
- Onsite sampling events with plant-based treats to help promote your Green Monday program.
For information on events near you – or if you’re interested in hosting one – please contact us!
Culinary experiences
HSI/ Africa offers free hands-on culinary training for food service professionals, chefs and catering management staff. We will train up to 20 of your food service professionals on how to create and present delicious plant-based foods, using local and affordable ingredients. During the training, each attendee receives a Green Monday recipe booklet with plant-based recipes and instruction on how to create delicious, nutritious, healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts. Attendees who complete the training also receive an attendance certificate from HSI/Africa. All we ask is that organizations pay for the cost of ingredients. If this is an obstacle for your organization, we are happy to explore the opportunities to work with you around it.
Nutrition workshops for academic institutions
We also offer nutrition workshop for food service professionals at academic institutions. The training is designed to showcase how and why schools are helping students and staff embrace plant-strong programs and opt for fresh fruits and vegetables and whole, plant-based options. This training will inspire ideas on how you as a food service professional can use your cafeteria as a learning laboratory to positively influence dietary habits. Meeting the national nutrition standards for schools while reducing plate waste and increasing the volume of locally sourced ingredients can be accomplished in schools all over the country by appealing to customers’ senses. Attendees learn how schools are preparing delicious, plant-strong recipes students are choosing and how the meals are being marketed, while maintaining a fiscally responsible nutrition program.
The movement is growing
Now, we are witnessing a growing trend towards a more comprehensive shift in favor of healthy, plant-based foods. Many food service operators are setting an objective to reduce overall meat usage by 20 percent within two years. That translates into major health and environmental benefits, including major water savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and less water pollution.
Our resources page contains additional ideas, toolkits, recipes, and marketing materials. Or send us an email and we’ll have an expert get back to you quickly and set up a time to chat.