Federal facilities almost doubled the plant-based or vegetarian options they offer workers and visitors than last year, a new EWG survey finds.
Almost 90 percent of federal facilities provided a plant-based option more than three days a week, the minimum voluntary standard for federal facilities, compared to last year, when we found that was true of just 49 percent of facilities surveyed.
The federal government spends billions supplying nearly half a million meals annually to visitors, workers, inmates and patients, so even modest changes in meal patterns can produce major health and environmental benefits. Research shows that more options can lead to healthier choices by consumers. and these choices can help lower risks posed by high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and certain cancers.
EWG’s survey, from July, shows that about nine in 10 federal domestic dining facilities that responded offered plant-based choices five or more days a week. That represents 380, or almost 88 percent, of the 432 facilities reviewed. The facilities included federal prisons, parks, hospitals, museums and government buildings.
Voluntary federal guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest the facilities provide plant-based or vegetarian dining options at least three times weekly. As part of the 2022 White House National Strategy on Hunger, Health and Nutrition, President Joe Biden pledged to increase the availability of such options at federal facilities as part of an effort to create a healthier food environment.
For the new survey, EWG reviewed menus or called food service professionals at dining facilities, finding that a plant-based or vegetarian entrée option was offered:
- Never at just three locations, down from 30 in 2023.
- Fewer than three days a week at 13 locations, down from 69 in 2023.
- Three days a week at 28 locations, down from 292 facilities in 2023
- More than three days a week at 388 locations, up from 236 in 2023.
Of the facilities offering these choices more than three days a week, 380 provided it five or more days a week. The biggest change was facilities moving from offering such an option from three days a week to five.
Defense Department installations and national parks improved their menus the most, the survey finds. The number of DOD locations with a plant-based or vegetarian option more than three days a week rose, from 48 to 125. The number of national park facilities making this option available more than three days a week went up, from 26 to 76.
Following Biden’s pledge, more than 50 members of Congress, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), pushed federal agencies to expand the healthier options.
While the number of facilities offering these options soared, EWG found many of the choices had limited nutritional value, or minimal variety, such as routinely offering a black bean burger, grilled cheese sandwich or a cheese pizza as the only menu items.
For the health benefits of people working at or visiting federal facilities, continuing to increase the amount and variety of plant-based and vegetarian menu choices is the right move. This survey once again demonstrates how capable the federal government is of expanding choices and can continue to improve.
