The new Purpose-Driven Plant-Based Incubator program is working with more than 12 universities across the country to help them put plant-based food on the menu.
More plant-based options are coming to university campuses thanks to a new program called “Purpose-Driven Plant-Based Incubator.” Nestlé Professional developed the program in partnership with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), and four-time James Beard Award Winner Chef Michel Nischan, founder of national food equity nonprofit Wholesome Crave.
The program includes a “Playbook” with recipes that feature plant-based proteins from Nestlé -owned brand Sweet Earth (such as enchiladas, breakfast sandwiches, and bucatini bolognese), together with Wholesome Crave’s soups.
“At Nestlé Professional, we’re committed to helping our partners address the new realities of the foodservice landscape. This Purpose-Driven Plant-Based Incubator does just that—it showcases plant-forward recipes while providing guidance on how to reduce operators’ and students’ carbon footprints,” Perry Miele, president, and CEO of Nestlé Professional, said in a statement.
The program is also designed to be a testing ground for protocols developed to help students choose—and come back to—plant-based options while helping streamline operations to aid with ease of adoption a plant-forward menu shift. Here, there is also room to experiment with how best to implement recipes, protocols, presentations, and carbon emissions labels.
“In addition to the Playbook we’re offering, the Incubator program will include hands-on workshops and collaboration to help partners customize their own journey, no matter if they’re a small college with a single dining hall or an entire university system with dozens of food service venues,” Miele said.
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