Serve Vegetarian Meals

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Affordability

Vegetarian or vegan meals are generally less expensive than meat, although prices do vary. Most caterers offer some vegetarian options and can easily supply more choices. Check menus with your food providers and caterers to find lower-cost non-meat options.

Cost savings

Healthy employees are more productive and fewer workdays are lost to illness. Showing you care about employees' health can also help make your organization a workplace of choice.

Environmental considerations

Work with your food providers to:

• Source food locally to reduce the distance that ingredients travel to get to your plate.
• Explore switching to organic for much of the food you serve employees to cut back on pollutants and chemicals used in food production.

What you need to know

• Eating a vegetarian diet means eating plant-based foods while avoiding meat. Some vegetarians include non-meat animal products such as eggs, cheese, butter and yogurt in their diet. Vegans only eat plant-based products.
• Vegetarian choices that are rich in protein include soy products such as tofu and tempeh, cooked beans, peas and lentils, grains such as millet and quinoa and most nuts and seeds.
• The prevalence of nut allergies in Canada may require that your workplace avoid nuts such as peanut butter. Check your workplace policy. There are many nut and seed butter alternatives to peanut butter, such as almond butter.
• Other protein options include eggs (also rich in zinc and iron) and milk and cheese (high in zinc). Whole grains and some vegetables also provide protein and are great sources of minerals.
• Cutting out meat and replacing it with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans means the body takes in less saturated fat, more fibre and more antioxidants. Many simple combinations of cooked whole grains combined with legumes (beans) offer a complete protein meal.
• Vegetarians are at no more risk of iron deficiency than meat eaters. Good plant sources of iron include dark green leafy vegetables, dried beans or legumes, iron-enriched products and dried fruit.
• The Dieticians of Canada have produced a vegetarian and vegan version of the food guide that may be a useful resource for your food supplier and person in charge of office purchasing.
• Tell your employees about the benefits of consuming less meat so they will be more likely to choose vegetarian options.
• As both a benefit and an incentive, you can offer fresh local fruits and vegetables as snacks at meetings or in the lunchroom. This can increase productivity by energizing your workforce by avoiding the fats and sugars in more traditional office snacks such as muffins, danishes and cookies. Seek a grocery supplier that will deliver and set up a regular weekly delivery of appropriate produce.
• Many omnivores looking to reduce their global footprint and to upgrade their food protein sources have discovered the advantages of free-range and wild meat. This meat is more ethically produced and is free of pharmaceutical residues and other chemical additives. Grass-fed, or pastured, meats are richer in important omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed animals. Free-range and wild options are available at many natural food stores.

FAQ

Do I need to completely eliminate meat in the food I serve employees to see benefits?
No. By offering choices and encouraging your employees to consume less meat, you help reduce the amount of energy required to produce the total amount of food consumed in your workplace and reduce your organization's carbon footprint. Offering more vegetarian choices will please not only employees who don't eat any meat but also those employees opting to make healthier food choices.