Making Plants the Star of Meals:
Reasons Why and Ways to Achieve It
By Lianna Levine Reisner
their health-conscious family struggled to find food on the cafe menu that met their needs. Among the “daily deli” options were an Italian wrap with pepperoni and salami, a sliced turkey breast sandwich with thousand island dressing, and a grilled chicken sandwich with bacon, mayo, and provolone cheese. Most days of the week the cafe offered either a soup or a side, yet only one entree served on Tuesdays that fit what they were looking for — a fully plant-based option. hen Vivian accompanied her mother to a procedure at the neighborhood hospital, W At healthcare facilities around the region, new chef-curated menus feature fresher, scratch- cooked, and culturally-diverse options as the field of food service becomes more creative and inclusive. Yet there’s still a gap between what’s on the menu and what we know will truly promote health: an abundance of whole plant foods. Why are plants becoming all the rage? Here are some top reasons: 1. Plant foods offer the perfect package of nutrients, water, and fiber that our bodies are designed to assimilate and digest. Fiber is only found in plants, helping to keep us regular while reducing our risk of many cancers and flushing out excess hormones and toxins. Plants are the original source of folate, calcium, magnesium, antioxidants, and countless other compounds that promote health and keep us in balance. No single nutrient is a magic pill — it’s the whole food that nourishes us while fighting disease. 2. People who eat whole food, plant-rich diets are healing from our most widespread chronic diseases. An apple a day used to keep the doctor away, but that was in a bygone society where people were eating far less meat
and processed foods. Today, most people know that eating more fruits and vegetables will help to prevent chronic disease. But the farther we go toward a plant- sourced diet, the more likely we’ll be to both prevent and even reverse conditions that are so often considered irreversible. 3. Plant-powered cuisine opens up a world of adventure. Setting aside animal foods may sound daunting, but the growing number of people embracing plant-based diets enjoy many more varieties of foods than the average person. Eating a diverse array of plants ensures that we get all the essential nutrients we need while feeding (via fiber) the trillions of microorganisms in the gut microbiome that mediate health and disease. But often the biggest barrier to change is not knowing how to make whole plant foods the star of our plates. Let’s dig into the most important things food service professionals can consider to put health back on the menu. Rethink Deli Meats and Bacon Processed meat is a carcinogen on par with tobacco and asbestos. You heard that right. Pepperoni, bacon, hot dogs, pastrami, ham, and even sliced turkey are known to cause cancer. What’s more, they’re a major source of sodium in the HOSPITALITY NEWS AUGUST | Page 19
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