Rethinking Event Menus: 6 Simple Strategies to Transform Sustainable Events
Written by Taylor Flores,
Corporate Engagement Manager at
Greener by Default
Food accounts for 25-30% of the world’s carbon emissions, but is often overlooked as a solution in creating sustainable events. See how six simple strategies backed by behavioral-science can drastically reduce your food’s carbon footprint.
From zero-waste signage to reusable giveaways, many event organizers are focusing on ways to reduce their event’s environmental footprint. What many often overlook, however, is the opportunity that a plant-forward menu presents. Studies show that globally, animal agriculture accounts for approximately 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. This is roughly equivalent to the emissions from all transportation sectors combined. And even if we made every other industry carbon neutral (that’s fossil fuels, building, everything!), studies show that we cannot meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C unless we change the way we eat.
Eating more plant-based foods is a critical piece of the solution to this puzzle. Data shows that on average, plant-based foods produce half the emissions of animal-based foods. Swapping just one beef burger for an Impossible Burger, for example, cuts a meal’s greenhouse gas emissions by 89%! The data is clear that we must reduce our consumption of meat and dairy to combat the effects of climate change, so why are so many people hesitant to implement change even at relatively lower-stake environments such as events? Food is a deeply emotional and personal topic and event organizers are often worried that changing their menu from the status quo of beef burgers and chicken parm will upset attendees. There are a number of benefits for your attendees that are associated with serving plant-forward menus, and there’s a way to do it that preserves freedom of choice for those that want a different option.
Improving Inclusivity
The standard American diet, with meat and dairy in every dish is not an inclusive way to serve food. Serving plant-forward menus is more inclusive of the 30-50 million Americans who are lactose intolerant, the majority of whom are people of color. Many religious populations such as Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Rastafarians, Jews, and Muslims are vegetarian or are restricted from eating certain animal products such as pork and beef. In addition, more than half of all Americans are trying to eat less red meat and more than one-third are trying to eat more plant-based foods, especially among Millennials and Gen Zers. Plant-based eating has been on the rise and will only continue to increase. Instead of managing more special request meals, event organizers can accommodate consumers’ changing preferences simply by offering more plant-rich menus.
The ways in which plant-based meals are more inclusive than the standard American diet. Source: Greener by Default.
Meeting Climate Expectations
In addition to improving inclusivity, serving plant-forward menus meets attendees’ expectations for meaningful action on climate change. A recent PromoLeaf survey of event attendees conducted by Censuswide found that 85% of respondents prefer or strongly prefer attending conferences with sustainable practices. Even at events that have little to no programming dedicated to the topic of climate change, it is no longer the case that attendees will glance over environmental missteps such as giving away plastic key chains at expo booths or using styrofoam for event signage. People expect event organizers to care about their event’s environmental impact and create an experience that attendees can truly enjoy without worrying about their resulting carbon footprint.
Providing Healthier Options
Another benefit of providing plant-rich menus is offering healthy options for attendees to choose from. L.E.K. Consulting’s 2018 food and beverage survey of almost 1,600 consumers found that 63% of consumers try to eat healthy most or all of the time. Eating healthy food helps boost peoples’ energy and productivity levels and can make a big difference in an attendees’ event experience. No one wants to feel bogged down by a meal high in saturated fat when they are only halfway through the day and still have five more sessions to attend! Plant-based foods are on average, much lower in saturated fats and calories and are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals compared to animal-based foods and can keep attendees energized and engaged for a long conference day.
Strategies for Implementation
Now that we’ve explored the benefits of adding more plant-based options to your event menu, you might be asking yourself, what does this actually look like in practice? After all, one can’t just add a salad bowl with unseasoned tofu to the buffet and call it a day. Luckily, Greener by Default has created strategies backed by behavioral-science that are proven to be effective and uphold diners’ satisfaction by maintaining their freedom of choice.
Plant-Based Defaults - Plant-based defaults are one of the most powerful tools to encourage attendees to eat more plant-based meals. Studies have shown that people are more than 7x more likely to order a plant-based meal from a menu that’s plant-based by default, compared to traditional menus. Instead of having a meat-based dish be set as the default entree for an invite-only lunch, swap it with the plant-based option and allow attendees to select the meat-based dish upon request. Or instead of serving a build-your-own salad bowl with cheese already in the base, make the base plant-based by default and serve the cheese separately, at the end of the buffet. We simply swapped the RSVP to be a plant-based default for a climate event in NYC and 96% of attendees stayed with the plant-based default. When we ran the same study at another climate event but left it as a traditional American diet default, only 4% of attendees opted in for the vegan meal.
An example of a plant-based by default buffet meal. Make the base plant-based and allow attendees to add toppings, placing the meat and dairy toppings at the end. Source: Unsplash.
Climate-Friendly Ratios - When plant-based defaults is not an option, Greener by Default recommends using climate-friendly ratios (offering at least two plant-based options for every animal-based option). A recent study found that when the menu shifts from 2/3 meat entrees to 2/3 vegetarian entrees, selection of vegetarian meals increases more than 50%. This is because when there’s only one vegetarian or plant-based option, omnivores perceive it as the special option that’s just for vegans and vegetarians. When we make the majority of options plant-based, attendees think about flavors and what they’re in the mood for rather than whether they identify as vegan.
Prime Placement - Prime placement is about placing the plant-based options first in the buffet line or menu. A study from World Resources Institute found that placing plant-based dishes first on the main menu increases selection by more than 50%. Note that plant-based options should be integrated into the main buffet or menu instead of being separated into its own buffet station or section of the menu. When the options are separated, even flexitarians think it’s only meant for vegans.
Tasty Titles - Tasty titles involves using titles for plant-based options that describe the flavors, textures, and ingredients of the dish, rather than “vegan” or “vegetarian.” While people might not want to eat a “vegan pasta,” they are much more likely to want to eat a “rosemary lemon pasta.” Attendees don’t want to be reminded of what they are missing out on by using words like “meatless” or “vegan.” To share the dish’s dietary information, event organizers should simply include a small “v” or leaf at the end.
An example of using tasty titles for plant-based dishes in a buffet. Source: Greener by Default.
Subtle Substitutions - Subtle substitutions takes a look at condiments, dressings, desserts, breads, and anything on the side and swapping ingredients with plant-based options. Things like butter, bread rolls, and salad dressings can easily be replaced with plant-based alternatives. Nowadays the plant-based versions of these products are so good that attendees will hardly notice the difference! This tactic is also more inclusive because otherwise, attendees that can’t have dairy will be left without butter on their bread or creamer in their coffee.
Meat Reduction -If the event is buffet service, consider building the menu and setup around reducing meat consumption. Build base entrees that are plant-based for your buffet and offer meat and dairy at the end of the line as a garnish or topping on your meals. A recent study by Stanford showed that the amount of meat in a burrito can be reduced by 25% without any change in diner satisfaction. Steer clear of slabs of meat and alternately make dishes where meat can be reduced by blending with plant-based options.
We’ve seen time and again how event organizers can dramatically increase the consumption of plant-based foods through simple changes like these that adhere to people’s psychological and decision-making behaviors. It’s important to note, however, that in order for these strategies to truly work, the plant-based foods served must actually be good. Greener by Default recommends consulting with your venue’s catering team to understand their level of comfort creating and cooking delicious plant-based dishes.
Although it might seem tempting to focus on implementing the age-old tactics of sustainable event management, such as zero-waste signage and reusable giveaways, we cannot ignore the huge role that food has to play. Event organizers have a responsibility to address the emissions produced by food and we hope you will join us and lead by example with your next event. Together, we can inspire attendees and other stakeholders to make sustainable choices that improve the health of our planet and our collective wellbeing.
More resources can be found on the
Greener By Default website: greenerbydefault.org/events.
Connect with Taylor on LinkedIn here