PHILADELPHIA–Just in time for Earth Day (April 22), Aramark, the largest U.S. based food service company, is putting a twist on comfort food, with the launch of its first dedicated plant-forward dining concept, The Twisted Beet.
Proof that eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring, The Twisted Beet’s plant-forward comfort food menu puts a healthy spin on dishes like meatball subs and mac and cheese, and emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, but still offers a proportionately small quantity of animal protein.
Aramark research shows that 60 percent of consumers want to reduce their meat intake and 62 percent want to eat more vegetables. In response to growing demand, Aramark has expanded its menu selections to ensure it’s providing the choices that meet individual lifestyle and dietary preferences.
“While our menu-development process has always had a focus on health and wellness, plant-forward is now a key focus for Aramark,” said Heidi Hogan, who leads product development and menu innovation for Aramark. “No matter where consumers fall on the spectrum of trying plant-forward foods, we strive to provide a range of high-quality and delicious options, to make it easier for them to take a plant-forward adventure. The Twisted Beet introduces hearty, plant-forward takes on familiar favorites that also indulge comfort food cravings.”
The Twisted Beet menu includes:
- Signature Plates: Eggplant Meatball Sub, Chick’n Tenders and Fries, Chicken and Chickpea Hummus Bowl, Creole Beyond Sausage®
- Sides: Caesar Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Beet Slaw, Avocado Kale Salad, Dukkah Spiced Broccoli
- Create Your Own: Choose a base, protein, two sides and a selection of sauces and toppings
- Dessert & Beverage: Strawberry Chia Shortcake, Kale and Pineapple Smoothie
As part of the company’s groundbreaking Healthy for Life® 20 by 20 collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA), Aramark launched a major plant-forward1 initiative to elevate the role of fruits, vegetables and whole grains on its menus2. The collaboration introduced innovative recipes and aligned with existing efforts to accelerate climate-healthy menus. Currently, approximately 30 percent of the main dishes Aramark serves across its college and university dining, hospital café and workplace locations, are vegan or vegetarian.
To build consumer awareness about plant-forward eating, Aramark recently added an icon to easily identify plant-forward menu items and engage guests with onsite digital communications, posters and social media content.
The Aramark mission to deliver experiences that enrich and nourish lives aligns with a long-standing commitment to advance sustainable practices that minimize impacts to people, animals and the environment. By acknowledging consumer preference for increasing daily consumption of plant-forward meals, that include a wide array of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, but do not eliminate animal products, Aramark is championing a climate-healthy menu and inspiring consumers to eat healthier.
**Photos of The Twisted Beet menu items can be downloaded here**
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, state-of-the-art healthcare providers, the world’s leading educational institutions, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world. Our 270,000 team members deliver experiences that enrich and nourish millions of lives every day through innovative services in food, facilities management and uniforms. We work to put our sustainability goals into action by focusing on initiatives that engage our employees, empower healthy living, preserve our planet and build local communities. Aramark is recognized as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE, as well as an employer of choice by the Human Rights Campaign and DiversityInc. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
1 Plant-forward is a style of cooking and eating that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, but may contain a small amount of animal protein.
2 Available on colleges and universities, hospital cafés and workplace location menus.
