Meatless meatballs, tempeh, mushroom-based burgers, lentil-filled bao buns and country fried tofu steak are some of the dishes being offered on "Meatless Mondays" at Eastway and the DI Dining in March.
It's one of several initiatives by Kent State's University Culinary Services team. Sarah Korzan, registered dietitian and assistant director of University Culinary Services, said, "We're tabling each Monday in both locations trying to get people to try these options and tell us what they think of them to incorporate them into our menus next semester."
"We're trying to feature options that would be meat-free because we recently upped our plant-based pledge with the Humane Society of the United States," she said. "We increased our plant-based pledge to be 30 percent in all of our retail and residential locations by 2026."
A commitment and a partnership
This increased commitment follows the university surpassing its initial goal to provide 15 percent plant-based offerings in its residential facilities.
“Kent State is clearly committed to sustainable, nutritious and delicious menu offerings,” said Tracy Burgio, culinary specialist at the Humane Society of the United States. “We’re delighted to work with them to bring new plant-based options to their students.”
The new goal was set ahead of National Nutrition Month which takes place in March. In conjunction with National Nutrition Month, the university kicked off its new initiative with a plant-based pilot and student engagement and education opportunities.
“This plant-based pilot will help animals while also cutting Kent State’s greenhouse gas emissions,” said Christine Coughlin, food service innovation coordinator at the Humane Society of the United States. “We’re excited to help them improve animal welfare and to help calculate the positive environmental impact these menu options will make.”
Korzan noted that more than a third of Kent State's student body embraces diverse dietary preferences, including vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian and flexitarian lifestyles. University Culinary Services prioritizes recognizing and responding to the dietary needs of students, in this case by offering a wide selection of meat-free alternatives.
Thinking Food Forward
In support of Kent State’s new pledge and the upcoming pilot, Forward Food hosted plant-based training for Kent State’s culinary team this February.
The Humane Society's Forward Food program guides institutions like schools and food service companies in creating and executing the most effective plant-based commitments for food offerings through a wide variety of free resources. These resources include culinary trainings, marketing and education support, and sustainability analyses that provide unique and valuable data to institutions about how plant-based menu offerings help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other negative impacts on the environment.