May 28th, 2018
Kick-off the summer in style by moving your Meatless Monday out of the kitchen and onto the grill. It’s all about what’s fresh, in season, delicious, and fun to eat.
In addition to grilling farm-fresh vegetables, consider plant-based alternatives to meat like Gardein, which has a range of tasty and simple meatless options.
Looking for some culinary inspiration for your next round of Meatless Monday meals? Well, we have some EXCITING news: The first Meatless Monday cookbook is finally here, and with over 100 delicious, better-for-you plant-based recipes you’ll be able to whip up a meat-free meal for any type of eater — from experimental flexitarians to new vegans to the staunchest of carnivores.
The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook, by Jenn Sebestyen, emphasizes the limitless potential of plant-based cooking. The recipes are nutritious, easy-to-prepare, and mimic the look, taste, and texture of comfort-food favorites (you’ve got to check out the lentil Bolognese, butternut-squash mac and cheese, and “meaty” mushroom stew). The book, whose foreword is written by Sid Lerner, founder of the global Meatless Monday initiative and The Monday Campaigns, is based on the Meatless Monday philosophy of cutting out meat one day a week for your health and the health of the planet.
And as its title suggest, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook is designed for the whole family, because when kids are involved in the prepping and cooking process, they develop a greater appreciation, understanding, and respect for the food in front of them. The cookbook officially goes on sale November 19, but we’ve included a few recipe highlights to share with you. And with Thanksgiving right around the corner, these plant-based recipes might just be what you need to round out the holiday dinner table.
This recipe marries the best traits of avocado toast with the enticing aroma and flavor of cannellini beans slowly sautéed with fresh garlic and olive oil. The mixture is spooned on to the avocado-smeared toast and drizzled with a sweet and tangy homemade barbecue sauce.
With butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts, you’re getting all the best that autumn has to offer. The subtle maple glaze adds a surprisingly subtle sweetness that pairs nicely with the fall vegetables.
There’s nothing cozier than a hearty stew and some mashed potatoes. This recipe, which uses cremini and shitake mushrooms and a healthy dose of tamari, is an homage to umami. Ladle it over a scoop of mashed potatoes for some pure plant-based bliss.
It’s like a chicken potpie — minus the chicken and the pie. No animal products are necessary for this smooth and sultry creamy vegetable noodle soup. Vegetable broth, almond milk, nutritional yeast, and a whole lot of seasonings and aromatics make this soup satisfying and delicious.
This salad is light and fresh yet has plenty of protein from the quinoa and pecans. Fresh summer berries are little powerhouses of vitamins and are super kid-friendly. The toasted pecans take this dish to the next level.
A burrito is engineered to include an entire meal’s worth of goodies wrapped in one, warm, fluffy package. Chocked full of smoky pinto beans, cilantro rice, lettuce, and an avocado green chile sauce, be prepared for requests for seconds.
Channeling the hot smoke of the barbecue pit, this BBQ chickpea veggie bowl is charred, sweet, and tangy with a satisfying crunch. The recipe calls for roasted broccoli, red peppers, onions, and chickpeas, but you can top your brown rice bowl with any variety of vegetables. Just don’t forget to drizzle over some homemade sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce.
The proper blend of sweet and heat, this BBQ sauce uses smoky chipotles, tart apple-cider vinegar, maple syrup, and a blend of spices. Squeeze a little bit any meatless Monday meal to take it to the next level.
About the author: Jenn Sebestyen is the creator of VeggieInspired.com. She was inspired to write The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook to help moms and dads get both picky kids and die-hard carnivores to eat more veggies. She offers tips and tricks that have worked for getting her kids on board with a veggie-heavy Meatless Monday plan.
Interested in learning more about Meatless Monday? Click here for more recipes, cooking tips, and ways that you can spread the Meatless Monday message to your community. For a chance to be featured in our next recipe roundup, make sure to tag @MeatlessMonday or use the hashtag #meatlessmonday the next time you post a meatless or plant-based recipe.
Chances are you know someone affected by diabetes, a condition that impacts the lives of about 30 million Americans. Approximately one in three American adults has prediabetes — a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes — and of that population, 90% don’t know they have it.
Think you or a loved one may be at risk? Take (or share) the 60-second American Diabetes Association (ADA) type 2 diabetes risk assessment quiz and find out.
The good news is that most cases of type 2 diabetes are preventable through simple lifestyles changes. The three most important things to do: lose weight, if needed; eat healthy, and be active. Reducing meat and increasing plant-based foods in your diet is one important step in lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes.
This November is Diabetes Awareness Month, so to help make the connection between diet and diabetes, we’ve introduced a new hashtag — #DontLetDietBeatUs – along with social media graphics to to increase awareness of how eating more plant-based foods and less meat can help lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. All throughout the month, we will be posting recipes, cooking hacks, and shopping tips with the hashtag #DontLetDietBeatUs to help manage and prevent a prediabetes or diabetes diagnosis. You can also download our new set of creative materials, so you can help spread the word on how a meatless diet can reduce your risk of diabetes.
We’ve also collaborated with our experts at Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future to compile a list of eating tips that can help you or a loved one reduce your risk of diabetes.
Incorporate More Plant-Based Food Choices into Your Diet
Substitute red meat with nuts, whole grains, beans, peas, lentils, legumes and other meat alternatives like tofu, and tempeh. Whole grains are especially important, as they are packed with nutrients like selenium, potassium, and magnesium, low in fat, and fiber rich. Additionally, research shows an inverse relationship between whole grains intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Don’t forget according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, at least half of your grains for the day should be from whole grains.
Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables
Here are two ideas on how to make it easy: 1) eat seasonally, when produce is fresher and lower cost, and 2) if you can’t find it fresh, frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at peak ripeness and are quickly frozen, preserving their nutrient content and flavor. Buy them when they are on sale and keep a few bags handy for stir fries, soups, quiches, or casseroles, and smoothies.
Choose Heart-Healthy Fats
Use healthy oils for cooking, like canola and olive oil. Nuts, seeds and avocado are good for an afternoon snack and best of all, they’ll keep you full when those mid-afternoon munchies strike.
Limit Fried Foods and other Foods High in Saturated and Trans-Fat
These foods are associated with a high risk of cardiovascular diseases. Saturated fats are found mostly in meats and high fat dairy. Trans-fats are common in processed foods, such as cookies and crackers.
Reduce Intake of Added Sugars
Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages such as juice, soda and energy drinks and sweets such as baked goods, candy, ice cream.
For more information on the relationship between diet and diabetes, click here.
If you’ve already been diagnosed, a couple of extra tips to manage your diabetes:
• Be active all days of the week
• Work with a health professional to manage your diabetes. Remember knowing your ABC (A1C, Blood pressure, and Cholesterol levels) of diabetes is important in helping you manage the disease successfully. To help you understand the A1C test better, click this link on the ADA website.
New York City has passed a historic resolution supporting the promotion and adoption of Meatless Monday for residents, businesses, and government organizations. The resolution encourages individuals and public and private institutions to try and provide plant-based options for their health and the environment, especially on Mondays.
New York City is already a leader in providing its residents with opportunities to enjoy plant-based meals and reduce their meat consumption, with Meatless Monday programs currently available in all public schools and public hospitals. This new resolution builds and strengthens the city’s current efforts and is part of a larger push to promote plant-based meals and reduce processed meat consumption in local restaurants, cafeterias and community organizations in all five boroughs.
Helen Rosenthal, New York City council member and lead advocate of the resolution, celebrated the victory with a post on her Facebook Page:
“Today the City Council passed my resolution which encourages New Yorkers to enjoy ‘Meatless Mondays’ so that all of us can take part in the long-lasting benefits of a plant-based diet — reduced risk of a wide range of diseases, improved overall health, and longer lives.”
The Meatless Monday team joined fellow non-profit partners and city council members in advocating for a citywide resolution in 2015. Recent public environmental concerns and scientific publications have increased momentum around interest and adoption of plant-based eating for health and environmental benefits.
Meatless Monday is a global campaign that encourages people to enjoy meat-free meals on Mondays to improve their personal and public health as well as environmental and agricultural sustainability. The resolution brings awareness to the efforts already underway in restaurants, schools, and cafeterias across the city to provide meatless meals on Mondays, and calls on an expansion of those efforts citywide.
A coalition of leading health and environmental organizations have endorsed Meatless Monday as one of the easiest actions that mayors and city officials can take to improve their community’s health and achieve their climate goals. Major cities including Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Cleveland, and many others have all committed to some iteration of the program.
Do you want to keep the Meatless Monday movement growing? Click here for five simple ways to implement Meatless Monday in YOUR community.
We’re all familiar with the four basic tastes — sweet, salty, sour, and bitter — but umami, the mysterious “fifth taste,” remains an enigma. Umami is responsible for giving foods their deep, savory flavor. When used properly, umami adds a pleasant richness to plant-based meals, balances the natural bitterness of nutrient-dense vegetables, and simplifies cooking by reducing the need for salt and other flavor-enhancing ingredients.
Umami can be found in everything from corn, tomatoes, and mushrooms to aged cheeses, nori and soy sauce. While it’s easy to find foods that contain umami, it’s not always as simple to coax that savory flavor out of them, which is why umami remains an underutilized culinary tool in many home kitchens across America.
That’s why the team at Meatless Monday was so thrilled to work with Yondu Vegetable Umami to develop a free, downloadable e-cookbook complete with umami-rich plant-based recipes. When scrolling through the recipes, you’ll see the breadth and versatility of this one simple ingredient.
But tasting is believing.
For starters, try this super simple 3-Minute Veggie Soup, which includes aromatic leeks, sugary snap peas, cool slices of fennel, and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable umami. At only 54 calories per serving, it’s a nice, light way to open a meal. Catering to a crowd? Pulse together a creamy Minted Pea and Walnut Dip in a matter of minutes. Have some leftover cauliflower? A spattering of chili flakes and lemons zest, along with a drizzle of olive oil and umami will transform this simple vegetable into a Quick Roasted Cauliflower worthy of any restaurant menu.
To celebrate the cookbook release, Yondu is giving away 50 free bottles of their vegetable umami. All you have to do is click the link HERE and sign up, but move quick — it’s first come first serve. And if you missed the giveaway, Yondu is also offering a coupon code for 50% off your order! Use code: 50umamimeals.
Download your free copy of the e-cookbook HERE and click over to Amazon to purchase a bottle of Yondu, $8.99 (lasts quite a while).
Thanks to Yondu’s vegetable umami, you can effortlessly add a richness to any of your Monday meals. Need more inspiration? Check out Yondu.Us for more recipes.
Tag @MeatlessMonday and @Yondu.USA in your umami food posts and share the e-cookbook link with friends and family to inspire easy Meatless Monday meal ideas.
Halloween season is here, so it’s time to bust out the bloody bandages, clean out the old cast-iron cauldron, and study up on your seances. And there’s no better way to honor the scariest holiday of the year than with a proper Halloween bash (or monster mash, or graveyard smash)?
Whether it’s a spooky soirée for you and your friends or a party for some little monsters, the focal point of the celebration (as with all parties) is the finger food — minus the fingers, of course.
You can always go with the traditional frightening fare — candy apples, ants-on-a-log, popcorn balls, “devil’s” food cake — but we wanted to offer some more imaginative options that are not only tasty, easy to make, and freaking cute, but they’re also better-for-you!
Check out the list below for some hauntingly yummy Halloween treats.
With sunflower-seed teeth and a strawberry tongue, these gremlin-looking green apples are the perfect snack for guests who are scared of eating too much sugar. Photo courtesy of @nutriacure.
Ghostly red peppers, Frankenstein kiwis, and cantaloupe tombstones make for a very frightening fruit platter. Photo courtesy of @foodbites.
These are not your ordinary cupcakes. Tucked away within each fluffy chocolate cake is a hint of tangy guava and sweet beet puree. Topping each cupcake is a crown of coconut-milk frosting. Drizzle some thinned out guava juice over the top for an even more ghastly effect. Photo courtesy of Goya.
These jalapeño poppers are almost too cute to eat… almost. Photo courtesy of @thepurplepumpkinblog.
These are almost as scary as someone with a gluten intolerance eating a piece of bread. Made primarily from dates, peanut butter, and oats, these zombie fingers are easy to assemble, and they most definitely look the part. Photo courtesy of Recipes from a Pantry.
The ideal non-dairy frozen treat for your guests. Not too messy, these popsicles will be gone so fast you’ll begin to wonder if they ever existed at all… Photo courtesy of Well Plated.
These have the candy-corn look, but with added tropical flavor. Just layer some pineapple, tangerine, and a shot of whipped cream to capture the aesthetic of classic candy corn. Photo courtesy of Family Fresh Meals.
All you need is 20 minutes, a microwave, and a mixing bowl to put these scary snacks together. These ones are just as fun to make as they are to eat. Photo courtesy of Chelsea’s Messy Apron.
Rushing to complete the Halloween party preparations? These tangerine pumpkins don’t require much assembly: Just peel and pop a little wedge of celery on top to give them that pumpkin look. Photo courtesy of Bren Did.
For some, nothing is scarier than a platter of roasted vegetables, but we think these spooky shaped beets, carrots, and squash are just devilishly delightful. Photo courtesy of Live Eat Learn.
Making one of these creepy creations? Tag @meatlessmonday and we’ll repost the scariest photos (and maybe the cutest).
Fast-food and quick-service restaurants all across the country have recognized that customers want to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet. And we’re thrilled! Today, it is easier than ever to join the Meatless Monday movement.
Last week, McDonald’s announced their plan to test their own version of a meatless burger in collaboration with Beyond Meat. They join a growing list of chains offering some sort of plant-based alternative to their menu.
And while plant-based burgers are getting all of the media attention, many national chain restaurants are serving a variety of meatless veg-forward options that deliver that same fast-food flavor using grains, legumes and fresh vegetables.
For all of you looking to go meatless on Monday, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular national chain restaurants that are offering plant-based options on their menus.
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Bareburger has your favorite, whether it’s the Beyond Burger, the Impossible Burger or a veggie packed black bean or sweet potato burger, they serve them all. The restaurant chain also serves plant-based eggs, tempeh bacon and the Beyond Bratwurst. It’s pretty much plant-based heaven here.
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When the news first dropped that Burger King launched its very own Impossible-Burger-Based Whopper, it became the largest chain to embrace plant-based meat – over 7,000 locations nationwide. And, at least according to this video taste test, self-proclaimed carnivores are just as wild about the plant-based option. The Impossible Whopper is served with tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun.
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Who would have thought that the Cheesecake Factory would be a pioneer in meatless dining? Well, the chain has quite the selection of non-meat alternatives — vegan Cobb salad, avocado toast, roasted artichokes, falafel salad, super antioxidant salad, and their version of the Impossible Burger (note: this one is not vegan because of the cheese and brioche bun, the latter is typically made with egg and butter).
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Although the chain is more-or-less confined to the East Coast, Chopt has wooed diners looking for a more diverse array of meatless options. They offer a long list of preconceived salad concepts, but they also give you the ability to customize your own. Choose from one of their classic salad and grain bowl combinations, or just let your inner chef guide lead the way.
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An early adopter of Beyond Meat’s plant-based crumbles, Del Taco offers a comprehensive list of meatless options that includes burritos, tacos, bowls and even a crunchy tostada. Looking for something a little more traditional? Try a bean burrito or black bean bowl.
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Besides their newly launched Beyond Meat breakfast sandwich, Dunkin’ offers a number of vegetarian options including a veggie egg white wrap and an egg and cheese sandwich on an English muffin.
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In September, Just Salad announced a partnership with Beyond Meat that brings Beyond Beef Meatballs to the menus of all 40 of their locations. But Just Salad is taking their meatless commitment one step further by removing all forms of beef from their menu. For Meatless Monday, try their Keto Zoodle Bowl, which contains Beyond Beef Meatballs, zucchini noodles, grape tomatoes, and roasted balsamic mushrooms.
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It’s plant-based pie paradise at Mellow Mushroom. Their meatless pizza options include dairy-free cheese, Follow Your Heart brand, and plant-based proteins, such as tofu and tempeh… plus every veggie topping you could possibly imagine. DIY your pie or opt for one of their curated specialty pizzas.
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We bet you never thought you’d see McDonald’s on this list, but the Golden Arches have finally decided to try their hand at plant-based meat. McDonald’s recently announced that they would be testing a P.L.T (plant, lettuce and tomato) in 28 locations in and around London, Ontario starting this week and lasting through the end of the year. Beyond Meat will be supplying the “burger,” but the sesame seed bun, tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayo-style sauce, ketchup, mustard, and a slice of processed cheddar cheese will be classic McDonald’s. As the world’s largest chain and one of the largest buyers of beef globally, the P.L.T. addition has enormous potential to positively impact the environment.
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Panera Bread has always been ahead of the pack when it comes to vegan and plant-based options, but they’ve upped their game in recent years as the call for meatless options has gotten louder. Panera Bread has gone as far as launching an entire plant-based menu that lists a Greek Salad, a Modern Caprese Sandwich, a Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich, a Ten Vegetable Soup, and a variety of smoothies.
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Following in the footsteps of other major quick-service chains, QDOBA has launched new vegan and fajita bowls in conjunction with Impossible Foods. But even without the plant-based beef, it’s easy to go meatless at Qdoba; try one of their tacos, burritos, or bowls with black or pinto beans, brown or cilantro-lime rice, and grilled veggies. And you can always add guac or salsa on the side.
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Red Robin has two options for meatless burger seekers. Their veggie burger is a mixtape of culinary inspiration — cool avocado, Swiss cheese, roasted garlic aioli, and tomato bruschetta sit atop an ancient-grain veggie patty. If you’re looking for a more traditional burger experience, you can swap in the Impossible patty on to any traditional Red Robin burger.
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Until recently, Subway’s plant-based options were limited to a simple veggie sandwich and salad. But they’ve seriously upped their veg game with the addition of the Beyond Meat Meatless-Meatball Marinara – which boasts 24g of protein for a 6” sub. Leave off the cheese and pack it with veggies for an even more substantial plant-based lunch or dinner.
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At participating TGI Friday’s, the Beyond Burger comes grilled and topped with white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and Friday’s sauce. Of course, you can also order it in place of other burgers. Check out Meatless Monday’s visit to TGI Friday’s as they launched their Beyond Burger.
Are you looking for more meatless dining options? Check out our list of best plant-based burgers.
Meatless Monday is a global movement, followed by millions, with a simple message: one day a week, cut out meat for personal health and the health of the planet. To find out more, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram!
MBJ staff with HSUS Forward Food chefs
With the growing popularity of plant-based foods, colleges and universities are adding more vegan and vegetarian dishes to their culinary repertoire. Plant-based menus are especially popular with younger Americans. It’s estimated that 63% of millennials and 65% of Gen Z Americans are trying to incorporate more plant-forward foods into their diets. Concerns for their personal health and the health of planet Earth are key drivers.
To meet this demand, foodservice companies are adding a tempting variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes to their menus, and chefs and staff are learning about new ingredients and techniques to create palate-pleasing, plant-based dishes.
HSUS Forward Food Jenn with MBJ kitchen staff member
This is where the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) plant-based training initiative comes in. Since 2015, the HSUS has provided plant-based training to more than 10,000 dining directors and chefs at major food service institutions across the country. The HSUS’s team of professional chefs and registered dietitians design menus, train chefs, lead plant-based leadership summits and partner with hundreds of individual institutions on creating plant-based food initiatives. In turn, those trained provide more plant-based menu items to millions of patrons.
The team at MBJ Cafeteria Corp in New York City is ramping up its plant-based menu. The MBJ staff participated in a free plant-based culinary training event at John Jay College to become educated on plant-based techniques and meals in order to increase their offerings at John Jay College and their other City University of New York (CUNY) contracts. Some of the delicious dishes they learned how to prepare for students included buffalo cauliflower wings, fire roasted corn chowder, chickpea and walnut pesto with penne pasta, and garbanzo bean sliders.
MBJ kitchen staff consult HSUS Forward Food Chef Amy (second from right)
“MBJ is taking a deep dive into plant-based fare and HSUS is excited to help train their staff on plant-based meals and techniques,” says Stefanie Heath, manager of food and nutrition for the HSUS.
After the two-day HSUS training, Aldana Vasques Williams, Vice President, MBJ Cafeteria Corp, said, “The hands-on training event motivated our team to imagine new ways to create delicious plant-based meals that are cost-effective and sustainable. We’re excited to apply our learnings in developing a plant-based menu that we’ll launch in January in conjunction with Meatless Monday.”
Display of plant-based dishes MBJ staff created with HSUS Forward Food chefs
Squash come in many different shapes and sizes, with each possessing their own unique composition, color, taste, and nutritional profile. Some are ideal for savory sides, salads, and appetizers (squash blossoms, chayote, pumpkin); others are destined for a long, slow roast in the oven (acorn, butternut, delicata), while a select few can even replace our favorite carbohydrate — noodles (spaghetti squash, zucchini).
But what these recipes all share in common is that they are the perfect accompaniment or star of your Meatless Monday menu.
So whether you’re a loyal Meatless Monday fan or a new adopter, we’ve compiled a list of some undeniably dynamite seasonal squash recipes that will have you running/driving/rollerblading to the nearest farmer’s market.
Swapping spaghetti squash for ramen noodles adds extra veggies to this flavorful dish, which also features crispy pan-fried tofu, caramelized onions, broccoli, mushrooms and fresh ginger.
Need something festive for the changing of the seasons? Pairing the tart pop of pomegranate seeds with the inherent creaminess of butternut squash makes for a dish fit for any holiday table.
Your grill may be closed for the season, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a delicious meatless burger! These baked burgers combine the sweet and savory flavors of autumn produce for a comforting seasonal dish.
No gluten is required to create this luscious bowl of pasta. Strips of zucchini replace traditional noodles, while diced golden peppers are used instead of the classic canned tomato. The result is a burst of light and bright flavors.
Delicata squash is just as its name suggests; its delicate exterior makes for a tender and creamy bite that is both rustic and decadent. These roasted delicata squash boats are the perfect vehicle for tender mushrooms and hearty stalks of kale.
Coziness in a bowl. Hot cereal is simmered with cinnamon, dates, and maple syrup for a combination of flavors that just scream autumn. Pumpkin’s earthiness is a great match for the porridge grain farina. This breakfast will undoubtedly keep you full until lunch.
If you think you’re looking at an ooey gooey cheese sauce, look again! That luscious coating is made from a combination of butternut squash, olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon juice, and a dash of dried sage. This one is truly an Alfredo fit for fall.
Invite your friends and family to try the flavors of fall with these plant-based recipes. If you’re looking for other meatless recipe inspiration, check out our recipe gallery.
Meatless Monday is a global movement, followed by millions, with a simple message: one day a week, cut out meat for personal health and the health of the planet. To find out more, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram!
Dr. Kristi Funk is a board-certified breast surgeon and co-founder of the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Los Angeles. She helps her patients, including Sheryl Crow and Angelina Jolie, prevent and navigate breast cancer. Her science-backed strategy for cancer prevention includes whole food plant-based eating and starts with Meatless Monday.
She explains that consuming a plant-based diet protects the body from cancer cells, noting that over millennia, plants have developed weaponry to ward off disease and other predators. “Let me ask you this: if you were to eat plants, would their protective powers extend to you as a human? Of course they would!”
Dr. Funk prescribes Meatless Monday because small changes translate into long-term health benefits.
Last year, we had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Funk and ask about her thoughts on Meatless Monday and how reducing meat consumption promotes an overall healthy lifestyle. And since October is breast cancer awareness month, we feel it is the right time to reiterate Dr. Funk’s message.
Watch Dr. Funk’s video below to learn about why Meatless Monday matters.
Let us know your thoughts! Tag us @MeatlessMonday and use #MeatlessMonday when sharing on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Facebook has always been a pioneer in the world of technology, but thanks to Anthony Moraes, Head Wellness Chef at Facebook’s headquarters in New York City, the company is now a shining example of how plant-based eating can be integrated into corporate dining services.
Meatless Monday had the opportunity to speak with Chef Moraes about Facebook’s fully plant-based café, Ceci et Cela, and how people simply can’t stop talking, tweeting, and Instagramming about the innovative meatless meals he and his team are cooking up.
What was the motivation behind having an entirely plant-based cafe in Facebook’s HQ? Do other cafes at Facebook also serve vegetarian options?
The motivation for having an entirely plant-based café came from our desire to provide interesting and innovative plant-based concepts that complement our “mainstream” cafes. We always have our finger on the pulse of what is happening in the world of food and drink, and as more people switch to alternative diets, we wanted to accommodate those preferences by creating a place that offers food that is healthy, cutting edge, and suitable for all eating lifestyles. Our daily menus incorporate vegan, vegetarian, Meatless Monday, keto, paleo, juicing, and healthy-living options.
How have employees reacted to Ceci et Cela?
Ceci et Cela opened up to rave reviews from our employees, and it continues to receive amazing feedback after nearly two years in operation.
How do you entice employees to choose a plant-base option over a meat-centric dish?
We post some mouthwatering pictures of the food on our internal Facebook page, and these photos tend to draw in both plant-based diners and meat eaters, but most of the time it’s word-of-mouth that gets the line started.
What’s the most popular dish at Ceci et Cela?
It’s hard to say, since our menu changes weekly and we try to never repeat a dish. But I guess if we had to pick, there is one salad that I created for our opening menu that is so immensely popular that someone created a Fan Page for it; it’s called “All Hail The Kale.” Lol… It has many followers. So funny…
Plant-based has become more popular, what plant-based cuisine trends or insights can you share from your success with Ceci’s? Have you seen more traffic on Mondays?
Running a plant-based café allows us to be creative, but it also enables us to see which types of plant-based foods outshine the others. Currently, there’s a trend towards trying different varieties of nut milks. We make all of our own nut milks in-house, and I’ve noticed a growing interest in other plant-based milks beyond the common almond and soy. Oat milk has grown in popularity, but we also experiment with walnuts, macadamia nuts, various dried legumes, and seeds.
I also see that more people are concerned with their gut health. We offer kombucha on tap as well as house-made probiotic foods and drinks.
As for a traffic boost on Mondays, we do have a healthy Monday service due to our steady flow of plant-based eaters and our committed Meatless Monday diners. Ironically, we see an even bigger spike on Tuesdays, as all of our Monday guests go back and tell their friends and co-workers about their incredible meal at Ceci et Cela.
A third trend that started off as more of a feeling is the correlation between clean nutrition and beauty (I believe they’ve coined a word for it now, “Nutraceuticals”). So, I put together a “Beauty Bar” within our café that is set up like a makeup station complete with a lighted mirror, compact cases, perfume bottles, blush brushes, etc. But instead of makeup, I filled all of these cases and jars with superfood additives like, acai powder, maca, chlorella, camu-camu, pine oil, and matcha so that guests can come up to the bar and add an extra boost of super foods to their food or drink. At the Beauty Bar, I’ve also included a nicely-framed legend explaining what additives are good for your hair, your nails, your skin, eyes, etc… It has become immensely popular and is a very “Instagram-able” station.
Have employees started eating more plant-based meals as a result of trying new foods at Ceci’s? Any stories you can share?
There are so many stories of employees coming to us and thanking us for re-introducing them to the delicious potential of vegetables. Our team does such an incredible job at making all of our offerings attractive and appealing to everyone, not just the vegans and vegetarians. I am grateful for the many stories and accolades we receive each week. One employee came to me and said that he has strictly only eaten at Ceci et Cela for the past 6 months and lost 30 pounds. A few employees have brought in their personal trainers and nutritionists to see everything we do. Another employee said that Ceci et Cela was an official part of her wedding plan this summer!
Follow the Facebook plant-based food trends via Chef Anthony Moraes on Instagram. Keep us posted on your #MeatlessMonday meals by posting your favorite plant-based dishes and tagging @MeatlessMonday.
Meatless Monday is a global movement, followed by millions, with a simple message: one day a week, cut out meat for personal health and the health of the planet. To find out more, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram!
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