In a “first-of-its-kind” study, global food service provider Sodexo said that switching from a meat-default to a plant-default diet at several colleges produced a dramatic result: 81% of students chose a plant-based diet. Surveys also indicated that students—including meat eaters—were more likely to express satisfaction with meat-free meals on days when plant-based meals were the default.
“Companies like Sodexo have made ambitious climate commitments that they can only achieve by serving more plant-based foods.”
work with Food for the Climate League and Better Food Foundation, Sodexo says the study is the first multi-university in-field experiment using default plant-based alternatives in an all-you-care-to-eat setting. The study involved three colleges: Tulane University in New Orleans, Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.
“Surprising” results
The research team evaluated a dining hall station consisting of eight food pairings (one meat-based and one plant-based) during 35 lunch periods at three schools. On plant-default days, the plant-based dish was presented as the only option, although students could request a meat version. On the control day, both meat and plant-based foods were presented side by side.
The results, Sodexo says, are “statistically startling”: Across the two dining stations that consistently enforced the plant-based default, about 82% of students chose plant-based entrees near the end of the study, compared to 31% before the study began.
According to the company, this data supports previous research showing that “choice architecture” is an effective way to encourage people to eat more plant-based foods.
Additional benefits
Through the study, the researchers also uncovered a secondary benefit of this approach: On plant-default days, students were more likely to express satisfaction with their meals. This finding suggests that default positively affects attitudes toward plant-based foods, and that such normalization may help food halls more easily expand their plant-based offerings.
Meeting climate goals
During the study, Sodexo noted that reducing meat consumption reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 24%, demonstrating that such emerging strategies can help other companies effectively pursue climate commitments.
For its part, Sodexo has committed to making 50% of its college campus meals plant-based by 2025.
“Companies like Sodexo have made ambitious climate commitments that they can only achieve by serving more plant-based foods,” said Eve Turo-Paul, founder and executive director of the Food for Climate League. “The challenge for food service leadership is how to make this change while keeping students and staff happy. Behavioral nudges with defaults are a powerful addition to their toolkit to achieve this goal.”
Jennifer Chanin, executive director of the Better Food Foundation, said: “This research confirms what we’ve seen time and time again—that Gen-Z students are not only open to plant-based foods, but they feel good about eating in places that focus on plant-based foods. These findings give us hope that the plant-centered diet our world needs is easier to achieve than we thought.”
A full summary of the study can be found here.