Rochester Institute of Technology has committed to having 50% plant-based offerings on menus by 2025, in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States.
As part of this effort, HSUS chefs provided an in-person plant-based culinary training to the university culinary staff. These events featured new Protein Foundations recipes that highlight whole food, plant-based sources of protein as center-of-the-plate menu offerings.
Additionally, chefs and representatives from plant-based product companies participated and gave RIT’s culinary team the opportunity to experiment with their products.
There is a growing demand for plant-based foods on college campuses across the country, as students seek more sustainable options on menus.
“We are excited to collaborate with the talented culinary staff at Rochester Institute of Technology to bring delicious plant-based foods to student and staff plates,” said chef Mohamed Alqamoussi of the Humane Society of the United States. “By committing to a 50% plant-based menu by 2025, RIT is ensuring that students will have the variety of options they are looking for, demonstrating a commitment to healthy, sustainable offerings and establishing RIT as a leader among colleges and universities nationwide.”
“RIT Dining is very excited for the hands-on professional development for our culinary staff and for our collaboration with the HSUS” said Chef Herlan Manurung, corporate executive chef and associate director of dining at RIT. “The HSUS will help guide us toward our goal of at least 50% plant-based entrées in four restaurants on campus by the end of 2025. We know this training will help us to deliver our message of better health, sustainability and diverse food options for our community. In addition to sharpening our plant-based culinary skills, this is a great way for our culinary team as a whole to work together.”
At the conclusion of the two days of training, Chef Herlan shared: “We all had a great time during the hands-on training! The HSUS chefs were very helpful in the process of production, with shared techniques and knowledge of the protein foundations. I am very confident that RIT Dining will be able to utilize most of the recipes on our menus.”
He continued: “The RIT chefs were excited to share and taste all the food that they made in the kitchen. They are looking forward to featuring and innovating more options from these recipes on our menus. Popular favorites were: tempeh fried rice, Korean lentil sloppy joes, red bean Swedish meatballs, shepherd’s pie, sweet potato Baja tacos, sesame tempeh and all the desserts. Bottom line, our chefs liked everything that they prepared!”