The Health and Climate Benefits of the Integration of Plant-Based Nutrition in One Inpatient Hospital Setting: Applying Publicly Available Tools

Climate change is a threat affecting public health and healthcare systems, and the health sector accounts for nearly 10% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) in the United States, including through food services. Reducing meat consumption in healthcare institutions presents solutions to reduce food-related GHGEs and provide health benefits to patients. However, challenges in quantifying these benefits present barriers for implementation. We aimed to use publicly available tools to quantify the magnitude of climate, economic, and health benefits associated with integrating a plant-based protein “swap” of current menu options at one hospital institution. On average, modeled plant-based protein swaps cost $0.159/ounce less, reduce trans fats (0.102 g/ounce) and cholesterol (19.0 mg/ounce), and decrease 721 g of CO2/ounce compared to meat-based counterparts. However, the swap analysis yielded variable results on meal protein content and caloric intake that require additional consideration. If plant-based alternatives were implemented across half of the inpatient dining service at this institution, equivalent to 206,000 meals annually, there could be a potential annual value of $920,240 in food cost savings and $973,028 in avoided GHGEs. Healthcare decision-makers can leverage publicly available tools to implement evidence-based climate change mitigation solutions, helping hospitals battle climate change and reduce the burden of chronic disease.