Greener canteens for a greener future

At Dyrenes Ambassadør, we have teamed up with several plant-based organizations and companies that share our goal of accelerating the transition to plant-based diets in canteens in Denmark. Read more about our partners here.

Why plant-based?

There are many reasons to offer more plant-based dishes in canteens. Here are some of the biggest reasons:

Health and wellbeing Dietary guidelines state that we should eat many more plants than we do today, and it's important that children and young people learn good eating habits at an early age. Serving them plenty of vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and fruit will ensure they get all their needs met while learning that healthy food can be delicious!

Climate and biodiversity Over a third of Denmark's CO2 emissions come from agriculture, and 80% of Danish agriculture consists of animals. This also means that half of the land is used to grow feed for livestock, putting enormous pressure on nature and biodiversity. We have a duty to teach the next generations how to take care of the planet and nature - and it starts on our plates.

Inclusion Many people live with food allergies, with some of the most common in Denmark being of animal origin (shellfish, milk, fish and eggs). Many others are lactose intolerant, others choose to avoid some foods for religious reasons (mostly animal-based), and others choose to eat vegan or vegetarian for ethical, health or climate-related reasons. Plant-based cuisine is inherently inclusive of all these people.

Taxes Did you know that plant-based food is often cheaper than the animal-based alternative? We know that every institution has a budget to stick to and that the fear of choosing plant-based options is often based on the perception that they are more expensive. However, this is mostly a misconception, as several studies point to the vegan diet as the cheapest!

The animals The animals we eat are sentient and sentient beings, produced under conditions of captivity, oppression, violence and pain. In Denmark, most parents teach their children that it is not okay to mistreat other animals - but at the same time, it has become normalized that non-human animals are mistreated and killed so that we can eat their meat and drink their milk. But with the knowledge we have today about animals, diet and health, there is no doubt that you can thrive without animal products in your diet. By eating vegan, you are helping to reduce the suffering of others, while also speaking out against the industries that profit from the exploitation of non-human animals.

Free workshops for canteen staff

While all of the above are good reasons to move in a more plant-based direction, we know that change is not always easy. That's why, together with our partners, we offer free workshops for canteen staff, where we share recipes and information on plant-based dishes, among other things.

The workshops are offered by both Organic Plant Food and Plant Growth, depending on their availability, location and number of registrants. They both have a lot of experience running workshops for canteen staff and have had great results. Their workshops are partly theoretical, where you learn about the benefits of increasing your intake of plant-based foods, and partly practical, where you learn how to use different products and get inspired with delicious plant-based dishes (the canteens are responsible for purchasing the food themselves).