Sodexo Brings Eco-Friendly Plant-Based Meals to 5,000 Cafeterias Worldwide

Foodservice giant Sodexo will soon introduce environmentally friendly plant-based meals to more than 5,000 cafeterias—including those operating inside businesses, government offices, universities, and hospitals—in the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and France. New meals such as Wild Rice Quinoa and Lentil Bowl, Tuscan Chickpea Polenta and Rapini Bowl, and Ube Maitake Tartine will use ingredients from the new Future 50 Foods report. Co-written by Knorr Professional and leading conservation organization WWF-UK, the report identifies 50 of the most nutritious plant-based ingredients based on their nutritional value and relative impact on the environment. The list combines familiar foods, such as lentils, wild rice, and kale, with lesser-known foods such as fonio, pumpkin flowers, and cactus. “When you see there are more than 20,000 known edible plants on our planet, and yet our food comes primarily from a dozen of them, there is definitely opportunity to change and discover new ways of eating,” John Wright, senior vice president, Sodexo Food Platform, said. “Today, we are helping consumers as they look for ways to adopt more sustainable diets. Future 50 Foods represents an exciting opportunity for our chefs to innovate in the kitchen and share Sodexo’s Love of Food (campaign) with diners in a way that’s also good for the planet.” Last year, Sodexo launched 200 new plant-based dishes at hundreds of corporate, university, and healthcare cafeterias nationwide.