1,000 Aramark Chefs are About to Be Trained in Plant-Based Cooking!

Currently, over 30 percent of the main dishes offered by Aramark chefs — who serve millions of meals every day in schools, workplaces, and hospitals — are vegan or vegetarian as part of its Healthy for Life 20 By 20 commitment with the American Heart Association.

Considering that one in ten Millennials identifies as vegan or vegetarian these days, Aramark’s partnership with HSUS is a desired and important first step toward paving the way to a more sustainable future foodscape.

“As part of our broad and ongoing commitment to health, wellness, and sustainability, we continue to work towards offering more plant-forward menu options and alternate protein sources to Aramark guests,” said Dan Wainfan, who leads health and wellness at Aramark. “We are proud to work on culinary training and menu innovations which provide important health benefits to consumers while minimizing our environmental impact.”

Aramark’s current menu includes such items as vegan beef chili, vegan chicken jambalaya, vegan Thai curry, and vegan chicken and kale penne, among other options.

Make Your Own Vegan Meals at Home!

As we wait to see what new vegan dishes Aramark begins offering upon its chef’s completion of the program, we’re eager to taste test some of the vegan meals Aramark has been serving successfully now! We browsed through our Food Monster App to find recipes similar to the ones already on Aramark menus. Check them out and let us know which one was your favorite!

This Easy Cajun Jambalaya by Crazy Vegan Kitchen is an easy and flavorful one-pot meal.

Loaded with tomatoes, celery, onion, Cajun seasoning, paprika, thyme, sweet peppers and jalapeños, this Cajun jambalaya is delightful. Since most Cajun jambalaya recipes call for a medley of meat products, this recipe features vegan sausages instead to add heartiness and umami to the dish. Feel free to sub those or leave them out if you’d like the recipe to be gluten-free.

This Thai Green Vegetable Curry With Zoodles by Niki Webster is both light and satisfying.

This is a bit of a lighter take on Thai green curry – spiralized zucchini noodles stand in where steamed rice or rice noodles would usually be. It’s fresh, flavorful (thanks to the homemade Thai green curry paste you’re about to learn how to make!), and full of different exciting textures.

If you’re in the mood for hearty fare, look no further than this Spicy Bean Chili With Leftover Roast Potatoes recipe by Niki Webster.

What to do with leftover potatoes? This tasty, hearty, and healthy meal is the answer! A little bit of sweetness and a touch of savory flavor make this spicy chili the perfect go-to meal for days you need some nourishing comfort.

If you’re interested in finding more vegan recipes, then we highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 8,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

Lead image source:  Syda Productions/Shutterstock