Hospitals worldwide embrace plant-based meals as the new default by 2026

Hospitals around the world are shifting their menus to plant-based meals as the default option. By March 2026, over 50 medical centres have adopted this approach, thanks to a partnership between catering giant Sodexo and sustainability group Greener by Default. The change has already cut emissions, reduced food waste, and increased patient uptake of plant proteins.

The movement began with early adopters like University Hospital Zurich in 2023 and Oslo University Hospital in 2024. Several NHS trusts in the UK soon followed. The strategy focuses on redesigning menus to make plant-based dishes more appealing and accessible, without removing meat entirely.

At 35 Nuffield Health hospitals in the UK and Ireland, Sodexo's plant-based default menus led to a 22% drop in food-related emissions. The shift also cut average meat servings per patient by 14%, while plant protein servings rose by nearly 50%. Nuffield Health now aims for 90% of its menu to be plant-based, while keeping patient satisfaction high. Sodexo's broader sustainability efforts have delivered even stronger results. The company halved its food waste by 2025—five years ahead of schedule. It also surpassed its 2025 emissions target, achieving a 44.5% reduction in Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Expansion plans are already underway. In 2024 and 2025, Greener by Default worked with 18 hospitals and healthcare systems to develop plant-forward menus. The partnership now intends to roll out the approach to 400 US hospitals by 2025.

The plant-based by default model has proven effective in reducing emissions, cutting waste, and shifting patient diets. With over 50 hospitals already on board and hundreds more set to follow, the initiative is reshaping hospital catering globally. The results show measurable changes in both environmental impact and food service operations.