A nationwide rollout of plant-based hospital meals is underway—promising healthier patients and a greener planet, one tray at a time.
Greener by Default just announced a major expansion of its partnership with Sodexo, aiming to bring plant-based meals to all hospitals under Sodexo’s US management. The rollout builds on the success of plant-forward patient menus in 131 hospitals, with 200 more set to transition in 2025—bringing the total to 400 by 2026.
"Our collaboration with Greener by Default is driven by our shared goal to advance and promote plant-based dining in hospitals across the US through effective choices,” said Molly Matthews, CEO Sodexo Healthcare and Seniors. “As a leader in healthy-outcomes based menus and protocols through our Clinicia patient nutrition programs, we recognized the need for a partner like Greener by Default to support our efforts in educating teams, promoting our plant-based meal options, and extracting meaningful data for improved outcomes. We anticipate continued success of the plant-based menu expansion and its positive impact on our clients and their patients.”
From NYC Success to Nationwide Impact
This bold move stems from the collaboration’s impressive results at NYC Health + Hospitals, where the program launched in 2022. Within the first year, half of eligible patients opted for the plant-based default menu, slashing carbon emissions by more than a third. Now, Greener by Default and Sodexo are scaling that impact across the country.
Flavor-Packed Meals That Patients Actually Want
By offering dishes like Cajun Pastalaya, Balsamic Stuffed Portabella, and the Southwest Potato Breakfast Bowl, the menus spotlight sustainable, nutrient-rich meals as the default—without removing choice. Patients can still select animal-based entrees, but early data shows a 36% increase in plant-based meal uptake and a 20% drop in meat-based choices at one pilot hospital. That shift alone hints at massive potential—if just 10% of the 290,000 daily meals Sodexo serves go plant-based, over 10 million meals per year would change for the better.
“The continued success of patient menus that position plant-based options as the default demonstrates how small, cost-effective shifts can have an outsized impact, while still preserving freedom of choice for diners and ensuring their access to nutritious, sustainable foods that don’t compromise on taste,” said Katie Cantrell, CEO and Co-Founder of Greener by Default. “We look forward to our ongoing work with Sodexo, and to building more partnerships with forward-thinking healthcare institutions that want to make a difference for their patients and the planet.”
As the partnership between Greener by Default and Sodexo continues to grow, the message is clear: defaulting to plant-based meals in hospitals isn’t just good for patients—it’s good for the planet. With flavor-packed dishes, data-backed results, and a commitment to choice, this initiative sets a powerful precedent for the future of healthcare dining.
