Taking the Challenge

What is the Challenge?

The Balanced Menus Challenge is a voluntary commitment by a healthcare institution to reduce their meat procurement by at least 20%. The Balanced Menus Challenge is one benchmark of sustainability outlined in the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, a national sustainability agenda for the healthcare sector.

To participate in the Balanced Menus Challenge, enroll your hospital or health system in the Healthier Hospitals Initiative and choose the Healthier Food Challenge.

What does taking the "Challenge" mean?

By taking the challenge you are joining a set of leading facilities that recognize the opportunity to improve the health of their customers (employees, patients and visitors) and the health of the environment by reducing meat and poultry on their menus. Challenge takers are recognized on our website and are provided resources and tools to support this change at their institution.

How do I make the case for this transition to hospital staff and administrators?

Reputable researchers, organizations and governmental agencies that acknowledge the importance of reducing meat consumption for positive health benefit and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Utilize these statements and articles to support your transition proposal to hospital staff and administrators.

What about measurement and benchmarking of our progress?

Tools are available to support you in measuring your procurement baseline, climate impact baseline, setting benchmark goals, and measuring results.

• Balanced Menus Tracking Tool
• Balanced Menus Greenhouse Gas Emissions Tracking Tool

How can I learn from others that have taken the "Balanced Menu Challenge"?

• Facilities that have taken the Challenge are listed to facilitate dialogue and support.
• Join our Healthy Food in Health Care email list, where you can post questions, resources and experiences with your peers across the country
• Regional leadership groups, offering a more local peer resource network, may be available in your area. Contact us for more information
• Watch for educational opportunities that support Balanced Menus implementation on the listserv and the Healthy Food in Health Care website
• Case studies of hospitals implementing these changes are available

What tools are available to help explain the project to our patients and customers?

Communicating the Balanced Menus Challenge, and your facility's commitment to it, is important to gaining customer support as well as extending the impact to their food choices outside of your facility. Print-ready marketing materials to support your implementation of the Challenge — including table tents, tray bookmarks, and posters — are available for download here. Please contact a Regional Organizer for more assistance with materials.

How do I identify recipes to support menu changes?

Visit our Recipe Toolkit to find recipes that meet nutritional and sustainability criteria. These delicious and vetted dishes, developed by hospital chefs and reviewed by registered dietitians, feature whole, seasonal foods and contain little or no meat. We hope this collection will grow over time!

Can plant-based diets provide adequate protein?

Research shows that Americans consume on average more protein than is needed or is healthy. Additionally, meeting protein needs through plant-based proteins in vegetarian, vegan (diets totally void of any animal products) or omnivorous diets, is easily achieved. The American Dietetic Association has a formal statement declaring that vegetarian and vegan diets, when well planned, can support health throughout the lifecycle. Check out these resources on plant-based diets for more information and ideas for your program.

Can a sustainable seafood, such as fish or bivalves, be substituted for meat and poultry products?

As with land-based "meat", seafood resources face significant challenges to sustainability. Issues include where and how the seafood is harvested or farmed, as well as the potential exposure to toxic pollution in many species (mercury, PCBs, dioxin and BFRs). Because of these environmental and health issues, we encourage hospitals to look for non-animal proteins to replace the reduction in "meat". That said, there are sustainable options in seafood and there are many great resources for identifying those. Use the resources below to identify sustainable options:

• Smart Fish Guide by Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)

• Seafood Watch by Monterrey Bay Aquarium. Ranks sustainability of fish species for consumption in regional markets (West Coast, Northeast, Southeast, etc.)
• Seafood Selector by Environmental Defense Fund. Ranks environmental impacts of fishing or fish farming according to species
• Blue Ocean Guide by Blue Ocean Institute. Ocean-friendly seafood guide that integrates sustainable fisheries, MSC certification and health risk (mercury, PCB) information; contains detailed scorecard on each selection

How do I source sustainable meats, poultry and seafood?

Start with your suppliers (GPOs, distributors or purveyors). Many good sources for sustainably produced and harvested products are now available through these traditional food service buying networks. Use this survey to help communicate your preference to your suppliers. In addition, look for local producers with sustainable production methods through local agriculture networks, farmers coops, farmers markets and sustainable food organizations.