THE BUSINESS CASE FOR PLANTFORWARD PROCUREMENT
ANALYSIS FROM THE MENUS OF CHANGE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH COLLABORATIVE'S COLLECTIVE IMPACT INITIATIVE
Plant-forward procurement can support sustainability goals, financial imperatives, and diner satisfaction when approached strategically.
Foodservice operators are managing rising food costs while being asked to advance healthier, more sustainable menus. The MCURC Cost Insights Pilot suggests these goals can move together: loweremissions protein portfolios were associated with lower food costs. The strongest opportunities were linked to practical menu and purchasing shifts that reduce high-impact ingredients; increase purchases of legumes and whole plant foods; and preserve flavor, value, and operational fit. The pilot yielded the following results:
90M LBS.
food purchases analyzed across 32 institutions
11% food cost reduction per kg of food purchased
Why this matters now
$22M estimated 2023 savings from MCURC members' collective shifts
Foodservice teams are under pressure to control food costs, respond to supply and labor constraints, reduce food-related GHG emissions, and keep diners satisfied. Plant-forward procurement can help address these pressures when it is treated as a practical purchasing and menu strategy, not as a restriction.
About the Project
MCURC's Collective Impact Initiative, led by the R&DE Stanford Food Institute, turns shared procurement data into practical evidence for action. It gives participating institutions a shared target, a common way to track protein portfolio shifts, and actionable lessons dining operators can use.
• MCURC has a target to reduce food-related GHG emissions from protein purchases by 40% by 2030, aggregated across participating institutions.
• Since 2019, MCURC has achieved an 18.5% reduction in GHG intensity, nearly half of the 40% target.
• The Cost Insights Pilot added food cost data to the Collective Impact analysis to examine the relationship between lower GHG intensity and food cost per kg of food purchased.
Key Insights
The Cost Insights Pilot addressed an essential part of the business case for plant-forward purchasing: food costs. The findings suggest lower-emissions protein portfolios were associated with lower food costs.
• The strongest savings patterns were linked to less beef and more legumes.
• Reduction in CO2 intensity was strongly associated with reduction in cost per kg of food at the university level.
• A separate scenario analysis conducted by the MCURC found that aligning procurement portfolios with the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet could result in an estimated 46.1% reduction in GHG emissions, a 19.7 point increase in Healthy Eating Index scores, and 9.7% lower food costs over baseline across 20 universities.
The business case goes beyond food costs: other benefits
Practical implication for operators: Procurement strategy, menu design, culinary execution, and diner experience need to be managed together. Avoid carbon tunnel vision; keep diet quality, allergens, menu diversity, labor, waste, animal welfare, and diner satisfaction in clear view.
High-impact levers for operators
Across the cohort, the clearest cost and GHG opportunities were linked to a small set of practical shifts in purchasing and menu design. These are not one-size-fits-all solutions, but they point to concrete places where operators can start.
DISPLACE BEEF WITH LEGUMES
Use beans, lentils, peas, tofu, tempeh, and other legumes in familiar formats: chili, tacos, bowls, Bolognese, burgers, soups, and stews. This is the clearest savings pattern: less beef and more legumes.
MAKE SMART SEAFOOD CHOICES
Seafood is a broad category. Cost and impact vary by species and source. Prioritize underutilized, lower-trophic, and responsibly sourced options (sardines, anchovies, mussels, oysters, clams), and combine smaller seafood portions with vegetables, grains, and legumes.
USE DAIRY STRATEGICALLY
Reimagine dairy in a supporting role. Dairy can add flavor, richness, and familiarity to vegetarian dishes, but should be used deliberately rather than becoming a default substitute for meat. Consider using plant-based milk alternatives like oat, soy, pea, almond, or coconut milk.
USE STRATEGIC BLENDS & PROTEIN FLIPS
Treat animal protein as a condiment, seasoning, or smaller component. Blend meat with legumes, mushrooms, vegetables, grains; use 2-ounce portions where appropriate; and build whole-grain, vegetable- and legume-rich entrees around flavor first.
How to turn the business case into action
• Measure cost intensity and GHG intensity together. Track total food cost and total food-related GHG emissions per kg or lb of food purchased, so progress is visible even as dining volume changes.
• Enhance internal buy-in. Engage staff in developing new plant-forward menu options that reflect their culinary interests and cultural heritage.
• Start with a few high-impact shifts. Focus first on high-volume beef items, recurring poultry- or dairy-heavy entrees, and dishes where legumes can improve value without reducing satisfaction.
• Pilot, taste, and iterate. Use chef action stations, tasting tables, and diner feedback before full rollout.
• Work with procurement and distribution early. Ask vendors for data in the right units, identify lower-cost legumes and grains, and clarify your criteria for seafood, dairy, and dairy alternative choices.
• Lead with flavor, not restriction. Use globally inspired culinary strategies, tastefocused language, and familiar formats. Avoid making plant-forward options feel like something was taken away.
• Use peer learning to reduce risk. MCURC resources, case studies, and implementation tools can help operators adapt strategies to their own menus, students, labor model, and budget. Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn for more insights.
Looking ahead, small adjustments can yield major progress.
MCURC modeling suggests that shifting just 1% of animal protein purchases (beef, poultry, pork) to beans and legumes year over year could reach a 40% emissions reduction by 2029, with collective savings approaching $45 million annually. In practice, each institution can start with the next best menu shift that fits their operations.
About the MCURC
The Menus of Change University Research Collaborative (MCURC) is a global network of over 85 colleges and universities using campus dining halls as living laboratories for behavior change. Co-founded and jointly led by the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Stanford Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE), and Stanford Prevention Research Center, the Collaborative brings together academic researchers, campus dining leaders, administrators, students, and mission-aligned sponsors and research collaborators. The 600+ MCURC members collectively serve over 4 million meals each day, representing 15 billion meals over the course of their students’ lifetimes.
The Collective Impact Initiative is led by Ghislaine Challamel, Senior Advisor for the R&DE Stanford Food Institute and the MCURC, and the Cost Insights Pilot was developed in partnership with Dr. Jackie Bertoldo, Culinary Institute of America Research Advisor and Founder of Eat Better by Design. For any questions, contact gchallam@stanford.edu and jackie.bertoldo@culinary.edu
Visit us at www.moccollaborative.org