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Tips for helping students and their parents embrace plant-based meals

School kids eating healthy food together. Happy children sitting at table with packed lunch boxes. Back to school concept. Boy and girl treat each other fruits.

Tips for helping students and their parents embrace plant-based meals

Featured Author: Ryan McKee

Replacing animal-products with plants in our diets can improve our health greatly. This is one of the many reasons why it is so important to start introducing children to plant-based meals from an early age.  

Elemeno is a Vancouver-based meal delivery service that prepares plant-based lunches for school children. Launched in the Spring of 2021, the aim is to make healthier kids lunches available to Vancouver parents. In the following paragraphs, founder Ryan McKee addresses common concerns and also offers tips that can help parents and students embrace a plant-based diet.

This plant-based approach is unique in the market and a response to the upward trend toward meat and dairy reduction. But I wondered if it would meet the desires of parents and their evolving concerns on what their children eat.

After surveying more than 200 local parents I learned that parents are increasingly reading labels, shopping local and sticking to ingredients they know. They are attuned to allergies and other sensitivities that their child may be experiencing and they are willing to modify their family’s diet to accommodate.

So while parents are focusing more and more on healthy ingredients, there is still apprehension in regards to plant-based food. Long held beliefs around meat and dairy products have created uncertainty and questions about plant-based eating. When we launched our plant-based lunch program in the Fall of 2021, we faced a lot of questions and concerns.

To address these concerns, we turned the dial up on education. We focused less on challenging parents’ views and more on weaving into their beliefs.

Common concern: My child is used to animal-based meals.

We acknowledge that dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese tend to be dominant at breakfast time. Meat is often the ‘hero’ or main dish at dinnertime as well, so plants tend to take on a secondary role at those times. This means they can often be foregone or ignored, which reduces the amount of vital nutrients a child consumes. To combat this, our lunch menu brings balance into the daily diet, loading kids up with vitamins, minerals and fiber they may not have otherwise gotten. This approach really resonated with parents, creating a more collaborative and supportive relationship. This approach also helped bridge the gap between parents that felt a vegan or vegetarian diet wasn’t for them.

Common concern: A plant-based lifestyle just isn’t for my family.

Our intention was not to convert families into a certain lifestyle, but rather to be a simple and positive aspect of their weekly routine. We can all agree that we need more plants in our diet, so if we can show them how to do so simply and successfully, then we’re playing our part in raising healthy kids.

To build off this, we send parents a daily ‘fun fact’ that plants offer protein, calcium, iron, B-12 and other essential nutrients, that softly helped to dispel notions otherwise.

Common concern: My child is a picky eater!

We uncovered another benefit of the program: that we’re actively enhancing children’s palettes and tastes. Just as children develop skills in school around communication, social, fine motor, etc., we can play a role in broadening the range of foods they eat. It brings us nothing but joy to hear a parent tell us their child had never tried a curry dish or tasted a mushroom before – and yet, now they love it!

Common concern: My child isn’t a fan of change.

Of course, this adoption of new foods doesn’t come instantly. This was another key concern for parents. Virtually all parents we surveyed felt their child is the pickiest eater on the planet. If there was a scale from 1-10 with 10 being extremely picky, 99% of parents would rate their child no lower than an 8!

While this level of pickiness does present a challenge, at least it’s not unique! To combat this, we ask parents to give us a month to allow for their children to get used to the food. We try to pair new dishes, such as shakshuka, with more familiar sides like muffins and veggie sticks. And we know that peer influence – seeing their friends eating it – goes a long way as well.

This approach has proved successful, but we have also made mistakes, learned and adapted along the way. For example, we found strong reluctance to processed vegan food. Despite the vegan industry taking great steps over the last few years around this, there is still a lack of knowledge around some of the ingredients, the processes to make it and the flavour profile. Ultimately, we decided to focus on ingredients parents can find in the grocery store, made from scratch. As we say, save the lab coats for science class!

We’re still very early in our journey (keep your eye out for Elemeno products to show up on store shelves!) but taking a collaborative approach with parents has built a foundation of trust and loyalty. As we start to move into other schools around the lower mainland, we’re excited to change the game on kids lunches and build healthy habits at the earliest stages.

For more information, visit Elemeno.co.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Vancouver Humane Society’s PlantUniversity Platform to stay updated on new content and to get involved in their work.

Go plant-based for your health

Go plant-based for your health

A growing body of scientific studies contrast health outcomes of meat-inclusive and plant-based diets.

Risks to health from meat-inclusive diets

In 2016, the Mayo Clinic published a review of large-scale studies involving more than 1.5 million people that found higher mortality rates for those who eat meat, particularly red or processed meat, on a daily basis.

The authors recommended that “physicians should encourage patients to limit animal products when possible, and substitute red meat and processed red meat with plant-based foods.”

In 2017, a study published in the British Medical Journal found “increased risks of all cause mortality and death due to nine different causes associated with both processed and unprocessed red meat…”.

The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research have stated: “There is strong evidence that consumption of either red or processed meat are both causes of colorectal cancer.”

In 2015, The World Health Organization classified the consumption of red meat as “probably carcinogenic to humans” and processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans.”

In 2012, a study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that “a daily serving of red meat no larger than a deck of cards increased the risk of adult-onset diabetes by 19 percent.”

A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, found that people who consumed large amounts of meat protein experienced a 60-percent increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD), while people who consumed large amounts of protein from nuts and seeds experienced a 40-percent reduction in CVD.

plant-based dishes in compostable containers

Health benefits of plant-based diets

A plant-based diet, free of animal products, can be healthy at any stage of life – from children to teens, older adults and pregnant or nursing mothers. For example, there are so many plant-based foods that naturally contain calcium or are fortified with it. These include dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens, and spinach, as well as broccoli, oranges, almonds, fortified non-dairy milks and yogurts, and tofu that has been made with calcium.

A 2016 Oxford University study found that a global switch to diets that rely less on meat and more on fruit and vegetables could save up to 8 million lives by 2050.

A number of studies have found that plant-based diets are associated with health benefits, including reduced symptoms of arthritis and reduced blood sugar and cholesterol.

More recently, five studies presented at a 2018 nutrition conference found that eating healthy, primarily vegetarian foods is associated with lower risk of chronic diseases, weight gain and death.

Canada’s revised Food Guide recommends that Canadians shift their consumption to more plant-based foods, including suggestions to incorporate plant-based proteins more often. The Food Guide also acknowledges that many of the well-studied healthy eating patterns from areas of the world where people statistically live the longest include mostly plant-based foods. 

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Go plant-based for the animals

Milking cows by automatic industrial milking rotary system in modern diary farm.

Go plant-based for the animals

The growing consumption of animal products has led to the expansion of factory farms.

Farmed animals are among the most directly impacted by human activity, with more than 830 million land animals raised and killed for food in Canada in 2019.

Mass consumer demand for of animal products has led to the rise of the industrial animal agriculture system, characterized by enormous numbers of animals confined in cramped, barren and unnatural conditions.

Animals are typically kept in cages or stalls that severely limit their ability to behave naturally and socially. It is also common practice to separate mothers from their young much earlier than would naturally occur. 

On-farm practices, including painful procedures without the use of pain control; rough handling and the use of electric prods; untimely or no treatment of injury and disease; and inhumane methods of euthanasia all pose serious farmed animal welfare concerns.

Practices and conditions surrounding the transport, auction and slaughter processes are also incredibly stressful for animals. Every year in Canada, approximately 14 million animals suffer injuries and 1.6 million die during transport journeys that are often long-distance and in extreme weather conditions. At slaughterhouses, thousands of animals are killed per day, resulting in a fast-paced, dangerous environment for both the animals and the workers.

Conditions in farms are often hidden from the public, denying consumers informed consent when they choose which products to purchase at the grocery store. There are a few legal protections for humane treatment of farmed animals, but these are often rarely enforced. Instead, so-called “Ag-Gag” laws punish those who expose cruelty on industrial farms with prison sentences, as recently took place in British Columbia.

Chickens

“Broiler” chickens, raised for meat, make up the vast majority of the animals killed for food in Canada. Of the 830 million farmed animals killed in 2019 in Canada, more than 747 million were broiler chickens.

Chicken farms vary in size, with an average of 36,000 birds kept in huge indoor sheds, eating and sleeping in their own waste for their entire lives. These chickens have been genetically modified by breeding for such rapid weight gain that they develop painfully weakened bones from rapid weight gain, which also causes heart attacks, skeletal disorders and lameness (inability to walk). In 1950 it took 84 days for a broiler to reach market weight. Today it takes 38 to 40 days.

Pigs

More than 21 million pigs were killed for meat in 2019 in Canada. Pig farms vary in size, with some housing upwards of 5,000 animals.

Most farms keep pigs confined indoors in individual stalls or group pens. While the Canadian standards require pigs to have enrichment, farmers have argued that pigs being near each other is enrichment enough. The majority of pigs are not provided materials for bedding or nest-building; behaviours that are hard-wired. As a result, they experience daily frustration and stress. Stress from overcrowding and boredom can create aggression, so most pigs have their tails cut off to prevent tail-biting.

The majority of farmers use gestation stalls to house mated female pigs used for breeding which involves brutal techniques of artificial insemination. These stalls provide only enough room for a pig to stand or lie down, but not enough to turn around. When the pig is expected to give birth, they are moved to a farrowing crate, which is similar in size to the gestation crate, but is equipped with a separate section for the piglets and a guardrail to prevent them from being accidentally crushed under their mother.

Typically, piglets are abruptly weaned between 14-28 days old, which is much earlier than natural and is stressful for the mom and piglets. The piglets are moved into group pens, while the mother is moved back into the breeding area to start the breeding cycle over. If a piglet is deformed, the legal method of euthanasia considered acceptable is blunt force trauma. As with kids (baby goats) and lambs, the animal is swung full speed against a wall, or tools such as hammers or pipes are used to bludgeon them.

Egg-laying hens

The average egg farm has over 22,000 hens, but larger farms can have more than 400,000 hens. The majority of egg-laying hens are kept confined in cages or crowded together in barns that are rarely cleaned and with air permeated by caustic ammonia. While one may think “free-range” eggs are better, free-range is legally defined as “access to the outdoors,” and barns are often so crowded that almost none of the hens will discover the small cat-sized door they have access to. In such densely populated barns, feather-plucking becomes a problem. It is common to see completely feather-bare hens sent to slaughter, having lived their entire lives being picked on by other hens.

Shortly after hatching, hen chicks undergo a painful ‘de-beaking’ procedure that involves removing part of the beak with a blade or laser, with no requirement for the use of pain medication.

In nature, hens live up to 10 years. Genetic selection has resulted in today’s egg-laying hens laying approximately 340 eggs per year – a much higher rate than is natural. After two to three years, the hen’s bodily resources are so depleted that their egg production decreases and they are sent to slaughter for food as they are no longer profitable. In 2019, nearly 34 million egg-laying hens were slaughtered for this reason in Canada. This does not include the number of male chicks that are killed after hatching, as they are of no use to the egg industry and are not the fast-growing breed used in the broiler (meat) chicken industry. They are killed by a chopper or boiling water.

Hens naturally go through a time where they stop laying, called moulting, each year. All commercial egg producers, including those misleadingly labelled as organic or free-range, either send the hens to slaughter as soon as this time arrives or they ‘force-moult’ the birds by starving them to shorten the period. If they force-moult, the farmers send the hens to slaughter after the second year because their bones are too brittle at this point from the egg laying.

Beef & dairy cattle:

More than 3 million beef and dairy cattle were killed in 2019 in Canada.

Castration and horn removal are routinely performed on cattle raised for beef. These are painful procedures that are often performed on cattle raised for beef without the use of pain medication. Transport is a stressful process for cattle, yet beef cattle are typically transported several times in their lives before being slaughtered.

It is common for calves to be sent to industrial feedlots in order to be quickly fattened up prior to slaughter. It’s there that beef cattle are often abruptly moved off a pasture diet to an unnatural high-grain based diet, which can lead to serious digestive issues.

In the dairy industry, cows are forcefully and painfully inseminated with long instruments. Calves are separated from their mothers shortly after being born, a standard industry practice that is distressing for both mother and calf. Calves tend to be confined in individual pens or hutches, with female calves later joining the milking herd, while male calves are raised for veal or are sent to auction at approximately one week old to be raised for beef. Some male calves are casually discarded in a pile and left to die, calling desperately for their distressed mothers.

Around 73% of dairy farms in Canada keep their milking herd in tie-stall housing, where they are tethered to their individual stall and unable to move around freely or engage in natural behaviours. Free-stall housing presents its own welfare challenges, including increased rates of lameness (difficulty walking). Contrary to the images used in dairy-product marketing, most cows are denied access to pasture and are kept indoors, where more time spent on concrete floors and unnatural surfaces can increase the likelihood of lameness. In British Columbia, where free-stall housing is more common, research found that on average, more than 25% of the province’s high-producing cows are clinically lame.

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Cambridge University cuts emissions with less meat & more plant-based foods

Cambridge University cuts emissions with less meat & more plant-based foods

Back in 2016, Cambridge University made the decision to remove beef and lamb from its campus menus and offer more plant-based dishes in an effort to reduce its food-related emissions.

Cambridge pointed to the fact that producing beef and lamb emits 250 times more greenhouse gases per gram of protein than legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans) and that one meal with beef or lamb has the same footprint as eight months of chickpea-based meals. They also highlighted that plant-based foods require less water and land than animal-based foods.

The school has since reported that the decision, which was part of its Sustainable Food Policy, has been effective in reducing emissions per kilogram of food purchased by 33 per cent and land use per kilogram of food purchased by 28 per cent. The move cut the school’s overall emissions by 10.5 per cent, while simultaneously increasing sales and profit.

“It is hard to imagine any other interventions that could yield such dramatic benefits in so short a span of time,” said Andrew Balmford, professor of Conservation Science at the University of Cambridge.

In addition to swapping out red meat options for more plant-based dishes, the school focused on making plant-based dishes appealing and accessible. Cambridge’s catering team took part in plant-based cooking classes and visited restaurants with plant-based menus for inspiration. Managers received training on marketing for sustainability rather than for profit.

Meanwhile, dishes added to the menu were strategically placed in the cafeteria to highlight them and encourage customers to choose them over meat-based options.

When it came to the labelling of dishes, staff focused on the ingredients rather than identifying dishes as specifically “veg” or “vegan”. They hoped this would create universal appeal and that customers would focus on the deliciousness of the dish.

Some of the most popular plant-based dishes include Swedish style vegballs with mash and creamy mustard sauce, smoky Moroccan chickpea stew with saffron infused couscous, and a sweet potato burger.

The success of this decision by Cambridge University serves as an inspiring example for other post-secondary schools and institutions that offer food service. It also comes at a crucial time; a growing body of research concludes that a significant reduction in global meat consumption is essential for addressing climate change, the global biodiversity crisis and the high demand for meat that drives the cruel factory farming system.

Interested in introducing or expanding plant-based menu options at your school, workplace, business or in your community? Get in touch!

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Plant-based winter desserts for your humane holiday

Plant-based winter desserts for your humane holiday

Food is a highlight for many families celebrating holidays, and especially during the December holiday season. Now, with so many plant-based recipe variations for your favourite holiday dessert, it is easier than ever to have a plant-based holiday season. Here are a few of our favourite plant-based holiday recipes. Try one (or a couple) the next holiday season!

Apple crumble tart:

Baking with apples is always so delicious – and makes your home smell amazing too! This recipe is filled with decadent ingredients like pecans, maple syrup and holiday spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. In the link below, there is also a handy video you can follow along that shows you how to make the tart.

Tip: Using a food processor is recommended for making the crust.

Get the recipe

Sugar cookies:

For some, sugar cookies are a classic holiday cookie – they are simple, yummy and melt in your mouth. This holiday, try out a new plant-based version of this classic. Bonus: These cookies are also gluten free and grain free.

Tip: Use festive cookie cutters!

Get the recipe

Blintzes:

Surprise your guests this season with these tofu filled blintzes! They are sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Tip: For a healthier blintz, this recipe suggests to leave out sautéing at the end. Mix it up by replacing the blueberries with strawberries, peaches, mango, or your favourite fruit.

Get the recipe

Rugelach:

You can whip this recipe up in under 30 minutes! Instead of making your own pastry, this recipe suggests looking for a puff pastry in your grocery store – many are plant-based! This will save you a lot of time this holiday season and we guarantee, it will still be delicious.

Tip: These can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months in an airtight container.

Get the recipe

Sweet potato pie:

One word: Yum. This pie is mouthwatering, oh-so-flavorful, with a thick consistency because of delicious coconut cream. If you are feeling adventurous, try making your own pie crust too (find a recipe for a plant-based pie crust in the link below).

Tip: Read about some of the nutritional benefits of eating sweet potatoes in the recipe link!

Get the recipe

Mochi:

These sweet red bean filled mochi are deliciously sweet and chewy. This recipe makes 8 mochi for you to share over the holiday season.

Tip: Want more intense flavor? This recipe suggests using molasses instead of brown sugar to make the dough. Yum!

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Nanaimo bars:

A B.C. fav, you cannot go wrong with serving Nanaimo bars over the holidays, especially these plant-based and gluten-free ones! Everyone will be asking you what the delicious filling is made with! Check out the recipe to see what the secret filling ingredient is.

What makes these bars even better? This recipe includes no powdered or white sugar!

Get the recipe

Looking for more delicious plant-based recipes?

Go to our recipe library!

Check out PlantUniversity’s original recipe library for more delicious plant-based meal and snack ideas.

Learn from PlantU

Tips on going dairy-free from the staff of Vancouver Humane Society

Tips on going dairy-free from the staff of Vancouver Humane Society

Have you been thinking of transitioning from dairy to plant-based alternatives? It’s easier than ever to make the switch! Read on for some reasons to consider plant-based products and tips on going dairy-free from Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) staff.

A cow and baby calf nuzzle in a field

What’s the deal with dairy?

Many people get the impression from a young age that cows produce milk on their own or even need to be milked regularly in order to be healthy. The truth is that cows, like other mammals, produce milk for their babies. That means dairy farms remove baby calves from their mothers as soon as just after birth in order to profit from their milk supply.

Just like humans, cows and their babies form strong bonds with each other. Mother cows recognize their individual calf’s call, and prefer to stay close to their babies. Mother and baby cows also groom each other, as do other cows who form social relationships.

As more people learn about the suffering caused by the dairy industry, there is a growing demand for plant-based alternatives. VHS staff are here to help with some of our favourite products and tips to help you on your plant-based journey!

Transitioning to dairy-free

There are so many dairy-free alternatives available now, from milks and spreads to yogurt and ice cream. Rest assured that there is a plant-based alternative for even your favourite dairy product! You can find companies selling plant-based foods at our Animal-free shopping and eating guide.

Scroll down for tips from VHS staff on making the transition to plant-based, along with some of our favourite dairy-free alternative products.

Find delicious ways to get the nutrients you need

From VHS staff member: Amy Morris

Favourite dairy-free alternative: Yosa Coconut Yogurt. Yoso is creamy and makes for great smoothies and yogurt cups. It has a more coconut flavour. Another alternative with a less coconut flavour is the Riviera plain unsweetened coconut yogurt. Both are really tasty and humane alternatives to cow dairy, making sure Clover and I both get our probiotics on a daily basis.  

Tip: It turns out that probiotics can be used to make any kind of yogurt, including plant-based! Clover and I love eating plant-based yogurts every day with berries to get our probiotics and antioxidants. 

Give your taste buds time to adjust

From VHS staff member: Emily Pickett

Favourite dairy-free alternative: Silk almond vanilla coffee creamer. It’s creamy and perfect in my morning coffee! They also have a variety of other bases (coconut, soy and oat).   

Tip: Allow your taste buds time to adjust. I’ve heard people say “…but I could never give up [insert favourite dairy product]” and I also thought that myself when I first considered cutting dairy from my diet. But from my experience, I just needed to allow my taste buds time to adjust. In time, I stopped craving dairy-based cheese or ice cream and started craving different foods entirely. In addition, as new alternative products have been added to grocery store shelves, I’ve been able to find delicious dairy-free cheeses and ice creams to have as a treat. 

Bake it ’til you make it

From VHS staff member: Claire Yarnold

Favourite dairy-free alternative: Tofutti’s Sour Supreme. Tofutti’s Sour Supreme is a tasty vegan alternative to sour cream. It’s great as a topping for plant-based nachos or chili, especially with some fresh cilantro too.  

Tip: As an enthusiastic baker, I had to adjust my recipes after going vegan. After reading up online and experimenting in the kitchen, I realized I was able to make delicious cakes and baked goods just as easily, and without harming any animals in the process! Plant-based yogurt adds moisture to cakes, soy milk is a great dairy substitute and you can readily find plant-based chocolate chips in your local grocery store for the perfect chocolate chip cookies. 

Look up vegan versions of your favourite foods

From VHS staff member: Chantelle Archambault

Favourite dairy-free alternative: Daiya plant-based cheezecake. The key lime and pumpkin spice flavours are my favourites as a special treat.

Tip: Look online for plant-based versions of foods you already love. There is a dairy-free version of virtually every food now. Do you like shahi paneer? Give shahi tofu or red lentil curry a try. Do you like boxed macaroni and cheese? There are plant-based versions of that too. Once you get the hang of it, you can make most recipes dairy-free with your own substitutions! Oat milk, coconut milk, plant-based margarine, and even olive oil are incredibly easy (and cost-effective) swaps for dairy milk and butter in your cooking. 

Take it one step at a time

From VHS staff member: Julia McCann

Favourite dairy-free alternative: Almond milk. Almond milk is a great alternative to dairy milk and is so readily available. There are also lots of other plant-based milks to try, such as coconut, soy, rice or oat! I like to heat up and froth some plant-based milk to make a yummy at-home coffee.   

Tip: Shifting to plant-based doesn’t have to be hard. Try to make the switch one step at a time, instead of all at once. This can help make the process less overwhelming and it gives you an opportunity to explore the transition at your own pace.

Find a new favourite

From VHS staff member: Brooklyn Fowler

Favourite dairy-free alternative: Earth Island Parmesan Shreds. They pack all of the salt and flavour I love so much about parmesan! The parmesan has become a staple in our kitchen and we use it as a salad topper, to take mac & cheese to the next level, and as an addition to garlic toast. It really shines in Bacon & Pea Risotto made using local company PlantBase Food’s bacon. 
 
Tip: For me making the switch to plant-based was gradual. I told myself I would try being plant-based for as long as I felt good emotionally and physically about it, and 12 years later I’m still feeling great about it! It was easy for me to give up meat, but I knew I would miss strong-tasting gourmet cheeses the most! When I discovered Earth Island’s parmesan, I realized that I can still have the flavour and function that I wanted in my parmesan. I have also fallen in love with the many companies making gourmet cheeses including Myokos, Kite Hill, and Nuts For Cheese.

Ask about options at restaurants

From VHS staff member: Celeste Morales

Favourite dairy-free alternative: Sheese dairy-free cream cheese (original spread). I’m obsessed with the Sheese brand! These cream cheese-style spreads come in a ton of different flavours (garlic and herb, cheddar, chive, etc.!) but I love the original with a toasted everything bagel. Sheese also has different types of dairy-free cheese slices which are great for making a grilled cheese. 

My tip: When eating out at restaurants, don’t be afraid to ask about dairy-free options! Plant-based diets are so common these days, which means that it’s very likely the restaurant will have dairy-free alternatives, and you won’t be met with a look of confusion! Asking about dairy-free options is also a great way to let your favourite restaurants know that their customers want to see plant-based options on the menu! 

We hope you found these products and tips helpful! For more information and help on making the switch to plant-based, contact programs@vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca and make sure to check out more of the resources available on PlantUniversity.

Find more resources to help you shift to plant-based

Video library

Check out the video library for more educational content about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

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Vegan Halloween treats for your humane holiday

A tray of candy apples drying

Vegan Halloween treats for your humane holiday

A tray of candy apples drying

Most traditional Halloween candies and chocolates have animal-based ingredients like dairy and gelatin, but eating plant-based doesn’t mean you have to lose your holiday sweet tooth! These tasty vegan Halloween treats are easy to make and enjoy at home.

Vegan Caramel Apples

Vegan caramel apple treats for Halloween

Caramel apples are a classic Halloween treat! This plant-based version uses just five ingredients for the homemade caramel topping and comes together in 20 minutes.

Tip: If you don’t have cream of tartar on hand, this recipe suggests that you can swap it out for lemon juice.

Get the recipe

Vegan Caramel Dipping Sauce

Vegan caramel dipping sauce

Looking for an even quicker snack? Try this five-minute caramel dipping sauce for your apple slices. One reviewer raves: “So I just tried this with some Granny Smith apples and it is AMAZING! We topped it off with pecans. It’s nice, rich, and sweet but not overly sweet. This is my new sub for ice cream and all things fruit!”

Get the recipe

Vegan Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

Vegan pumpkin sugar cookies

These are my go-to recipe fall cookies, with or without the frosting! The recipe uses simple ingredients like canned pumpkin for the perfect cozy flavour and texture.

Tip: While pumpkin is the star of this recipe, you can also use it in lots more plant-based baking! Use 1/4 cup canned pumpkin in the place of 1 egg to keep your recipe moist and sweet.

Get the recipe

Vegan Boo Bark

Vegan Halloween bark treat

This recipe uses dairy-free dark chocolate for a plant-based take on an easy classic. The recipe is super customizable, so you can swap out the cranberries and walnuts for your favourite healthy trail mix ingredients.

Get the recipe

Vegan Halloween Cupcakes

Vegan Halloween cupcakes

This recipe uses a uses a versatile cupcake base topped with three unique designs to turn your kitchen into a monster mash! See the instructions to learn how to bake the cupcakes and decorate a ghost, bat, and Frankenstein’s monster.

Get the recipe

Looking for more delicious plant-based recipes?

Go to our recipe library!

Check out PlantUniversity’s original recipe library for more delicious plant-based meal and snack ideas.

Learn from PlantU

8 ways to market your plant-based meal options

8 ways to market your plant-based meal options

Getting plant-based meal options on your menu is a great first step. Now it’s time to market those items and make sure everyone has a chance to try them out! Below are eight ways to market your plant-based dishes.

#1: Consider placement in the cafeteria line.

Try making plant-based options easier to choose by putting them from and centre.

#2: Make the default dish fully plant-based.

Try doing this whenever possible in order to make it easier for people to choose plant-based meals, as opposed to the opposite where they need to know how to modify options to make them plant-based.

#3: Make “grab-and-go” options plant-based.

This helps make the plant-based choice the convenient choice, and also showcases what a complete plant-based dish can look like.

#4: Offer a promo/incentive on plant-based items.

Consider offering a slight discount, a punch card, or a draw for a gift card. This can help create excitement around choosing more plant-based options.

#5: Offer a sampling of a new plant-based item.

Offering samples can be beneficial to gain client feedback and to help promote new items. (Contact VHS for help!)

#6: Make plant-based foods a part of your institution’s animal welfare/sustainability/health goals.

Share this with staff to help reinforce the social benefits of your effort to offer more plant-based foods. Helping staff understand the “why” will create more support. (Contact VHS for a presentation!)

#7: Don’t hide plant-based dishes in a separate section on your menu.

Make plant-based dishes a part of your regular menu (e.g. Beyond burgers are sold in grocery stores next to beef burgers and plant-based milks are sold next to dairy milk)

#8: Names and descriptions of dishes are important.

Research suggests against labeling dishes as “vegetarian” or “vegan”, because it suggests those dishes are only for those who identify as veg or vegan. Instead, consider using a symbol (like a leaf) to indicate a dish is suitable for vegans.

Highlight the origin of a dish – Think Chicago-style pizza or Texas BBQ. Leveraging a food’s origin is a powerful tactic to create positive associations with a product. eg. Instead of “Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup” choose “Cuban Black Bean Soup”, or instead of “Meat-Free Breakfast” choose “Field Grown Breakfast”

Flavour-based naming – highlight what a dish will taste like to increase the sensory appeal of plant-based dishes. Eg. ‘Smoky Soul Chili’, ‘Fiery Jerk Jackfruit’.

Use positive and indulgent descriptors:

  • Studies show that positive terms and narratives like “fresh”, “seasonal”, “farm to table”, “slow-roasted” are better received than language like “reduced calorie”, “lighter choice”.
  • Use indulgent terms like “creamy”, “warming”, “crunchy”, “smooth” and “sticky”.

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Check out the video library on our PlantU Platform for more educational content about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

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4 plant-based menu planning tips

4 plant-based menu planning tips

Increasing your operation’s offering of plant-based menu items makes good business sense – it leads to more inclusive menus (more people can enjoy a plant-based dish than a vegetarian or meat-based dish) and can complement corporate social responsibility goals by reflecting a commitment to protecting animal welfare, the planet and public health.

Below are 4 tips for featuring plant-based dishes:

01

Start by examining your current menu.

Are there any options that can easily be modified to be fully plant-based (containing no animal products)?

02

The key to a great plant-based dish is flavour and familiarity.

Many of us are already consuming plant-based meals without even realizing it! Global cuisines from Indian, to Chinese, to Mexican, to Italian feature flavour-packed plant-based recipes. Consider offering familiar dishes, such as pasta primavera, black bean burritos, stir fries, chili and coconut milk curry. Other popular dishes can often be made fully plant-based with just minor tweaks to the recipe.

03

Tap into current food trends.

Eg. “The Bowl” – a grain, legume, vegetables and a flavourful sauce. That’s all you need to make a filling and delicious dish, and the options are endless (eg. Thai soba noodle bowl with peanut sauce, Mexican sweet potato bowl with a cashew lime cream, Crispy chickpea bowl with lemon tahini dressing, sushi bowl, falafel bowl, etc.)

04

Explore cooking techniques.

Explore how cooking techniques that are often applied to meat-based dishes can be utilized in making a plant-based dish. For example, marinating, searing, grilling, BBQ and smoking.

10 tips for getting started on a plant-based diet today

10 tips for getting started on a plant-based diet today

Featured author: Desiree Nielsen

Desiree Nielsen, a registered dietician based in Vancouver, shares 10 tips for getting started on a plant-based diet today.

A growing number of scientists and public health experts agree that eating a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to improve your health and the health of the planet. Learn more about the science-based “Planetary Health Diet“, which is a mostly plant-based diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, plant protein sources, unsaturated plant oils and has been identified by researchers as the optimal diet for the health of people and the planet.

The following 10 tips will help you get started on a plant-based diet the right way! 

01

Replace!

Replace animal products, don’t just remove them from your diet! Simply leaving out meat or dairy can lead to deficiencies. The following tips will help you get what you need in your plant-based diet.  

02

Choose plant-based milk wisely

You do not need dairy to build strong bones, you need calcium. Luckily, some plant-based milks come fortified with calcium. But watch out – some may contain high amounts of sugar and low protein. Desiree suggests trying unsweetened soy milk, which has about 7 grams of protein per cup, which is similar to the 8 grams in dairy milk.

Learn more about plant-based milk

Learn about the different types of plant-based milks and their benefits in this post from Emma Levez Larocque, Plant-Based RHN.

Learn more
03

Use the ‘plate method’

Desiree suggests using the ‘plate method’ to plan your meals to ensure you get enough of the right food groups to keep you feeling full and satisfied. This method divides your plate into 3 sections: ½ fruit or vegetables, ¼ starchy foods and whole grains, ¼ proteins. When considering the protein on your plate, choosing a concentrated source of protein is important as well.

04

Take vitamin D and B12

Take a vitamin D and B12 supplement! Eating a balanced diet and following the plate method can give you most of your nutrient requirements. However, sources of vitamin D are low in the food supply, so Desiree recommends everyone takes this as a supplement. A vitamin B12 supplement is specifically important for those eating a plant-based diet, since it is not found naturally in the plant kingdom. 

05

Eat foods high in iron

You can meet your iron requirements on a plant-based diet! Desiree suggests including an iron rich, plant-based food on your plate at every meal and to get your blood work done at the 6-12 month mark of your plant-based journey.

06

Get to know seeds!

In particular, Desiree loves hemp, chia and flax seeds because just 1 tablespoon of either seed provides 100% of your daily omega-3 fatty acids. Sprinkle them on salads and soups, or stir them into smoothies or oatmeal. 

07

Don’t forget to eat beans

They are high in fibre, plant-based proteins and minerals. Desiree suggests trying unsalted canned beans or simply rinse them before eating. Dried beans can be an even more affordable option and once cooked, are great for freezing. 

Find fibre-rich recipes

08

Choose iodized salt

We do not get a lot of natural sources of iodine from plant-based foods, but iodine is critical for thyroid health. Choosing an iodized salt is an easy solution.

09

Make friends with soy!

You may have heard the myth that estrogens found in soy products, like tofu, can be harmful to our health, but the phytoestrogens found in soy products, are actually 1000 times weaker than our body’s natural estrogens. Meanwhile, soy-based products are high in protein, calcium and iron. Sunrise Soya Foods tofu, a Vancouver company, is one of Desiree’s favorite.

10

No such thing as a mistake

There are no mistakes, only learning on a plant-based diet! Every meal is just another opportunity to eat more plants and nourish your body.

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