Increasing plant-sourced protein and reducing meat in hospital foodservice menus benefits the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Changing ingredients in existing recipes avoids menu-level changes, is largely invisible to patients, and was supported by stakeholders in our earlier research, provided meals remained nutritionally adequate, acceptable to patients, actually eaten, cost-neutral, and operationally feasible for the foodservice provider.
This presentation aims to inspire audiences to improve environmental sustainability and equip them to redesign, test, implement, and evaluate recipes with less meat. We will:
Two beef-based recipes were redesigned by a university research team and a New Zealand hospital foodservice provider, with the shared goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Beef madras and beef bolognese were chosen because they are popular and cooked on site. Chickpeas were added to the madras and lentils to the bolognese, targeting an even beef–legume split while meeting nutrient standards. During benchtop testing, we adjusted seasoning, liquids, and cooking methods to optimise flavour and texture. Batches were then cooked and taste‑tested in the hospital staff café. Most tasters liked the redesigned dishes (87-90% >6/9), with strong acceptance of taste, appearance, texture, and smell. Feedback informed refinements to improve meat texture and balance flavours. Final recipes reduced protein sources from 100% beef to 54–60% beef and reduced kgCO2 per 100g by 13%.
We evaluated the new recipes against the originals in a before‑and‑after study at two hospitals. Over two 14-day menu cycles, each recipe was served twice. We assessed foodservice feasibility and impacts on patient satisfaction, plate waste, and energy and protein intake.
Satisfaction was gathered through short surveys sent to patients on trays and verbally administered on the wards. Surveys were completed by 331 patients (21% of the total served). Respondents liked the recipes, with sensory ratings all >5 out of 7 (7=high satisfaction). There was no drop in satisfaction between the original and new versions for the bolognese or madras. The redesigned madras scored lower for meeting expectations (p=.017), likely because the chickpeas were more noticeable than the lentils in the bolognese (p<.001), although noticing the chickpeas was associated with higher satisfaction (p=.038), flavour (p=.017) and appearance (p=.044) ratings. Gender and age did not affect satisfaction (all p>.05). Surveys (n=22) distributed to foodservice staff after serving the new recipes reported they were “easy” to prepare, used familiar ingredients and recommended.
Plate waste was measured with before-and-after photographs and used to calculate energy and protein intake; analysis is ongoing.
We successfully created two environmentally friendlier recipes that met nutrition standards and were operationally feasible. Collaboration between researchers and foodservice teams was supported by aligned priorities, flexibility, strong relationships, and adequate resourcing. Our evaluation shows reducing meat did not reduce patient satisfaction. Collecting before‑and‑after data, using recipe‑specific satisfaction questions, and measuring plate waste provides a simple yet robust evaluation approach.