VHS was recently at the BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital for the launch of their expanded Meatless Monday initiative. The hospital’s café featured a variety of veg dishes including a vegan burger, an ancient grains bowl with roasted veg, a falafel pita and Mediterranean veg pita, two vegan soups, a salad bar, sandwiches, sushi and more!
Over the course of the lunch hour, VHS Program Coordinator Emily Pickett, and BC Regional Marketing Manager of Compass Canada Kelly Contreras, tabled in the hospital’s café to raise awareness of the initiative. They handed out recipes, free samples of the ancient grains bowl and encouraged patrons to opt for plant-based meals as a way to help protect animal welfare, the planet and public health. Café guests were very receptive to the message and were enthusiastic about participating.
Contreras initiated the expansion of the hospital’s Meatless Monday campaign after attending the “Forward Food Summit” hosted earlier this year by VHS, Humane Society International/Canada and UBC Food Services. The summit explored the latest trends in both implementing and marketing plant-based menus, which inspired Contreras to refresh and re-launch the hospital campaign with an expanded menu and marketing materials.
“The benefits of this plant-based initiative fit in perfectly with our café as our guests are conscious of what they consume and are always on the lookout for healthier options,” explained Contreras. “By expanding our Meatless Monday initiative we are not only supporting our guests and the environment, but we are also hoping to encourage all of our guests to go meatless, even if for just one day a week.”
“VHS has worked closely with local schools and students in recent years to bring Meatless Monday to their cafeterias. To date, eleven Metro Vancouver schools have launched Meatless Monday initiatives and the new school year has us working with several others looking to join as well. We’re thrilled to see those efforts inspire others, including the local healthcare sector, to join in on Meatless Monday,” said Pickett.
You can help VHS bring Meatless Monday to more institutions by making a donation today!