Plant Forward Dining on Campus

At Wake Forest University, we take pride in offering our students high-quality, nutritious meals made from responsibly sourced ingredients. As part of our commitment to health and sustainability, we’ve expanded our support for Plant-Forward dining, encouraging our community to explore healthier, environmentally friendly meal options across campus.

“Plant-forward” is a dietary approach that emphasizes plant-based foods, while still allowing for some animal products in smaller portions. The goal is to make fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds the main components of our meals, promoting a balanced and varied diet that benefits both personal health and the health of our planet.

With climate change at the forefront of global challenges, adopting plant-rich diets is one of the most effective ways to reduce our environmental footprint. Experts agree that plant-based foods—like vegetables, beans, and whole grains—have a significantly lower environmental impact than resource-heavy animal products. At Wake Forest, we’ve embraced this approach, constantly innovating our recipes to create plant-based dishes that are not only nutritious but also exciting and full of flavor.

Our menus and dining stations are designed to showcase a wide range of plant-based options, while still offering the option to include animal-based proteins. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are available at every campus restaurant, and residential dining halls lead with plant-forward choices. Additionally, we’ve made it easier for you to find exactly what you’re looking for by providing our user-friendly menu filter on our website, which allows you to see vegetarian, vegan, and Coolfood-certified meals at any given location.

Our commitment to plant-based meals extends to every corner of campus, from The Pit to Hilltop Market and all our retail dining venues. We offer complete-protein vegan options at every meal, and we’ve even put a sustainable twist on familiar favorites. One example is our plant-forward beef patties, made with a 70% beef and 30% mushroom blend. This not only reduces the environmental impact of the meal, but it also helps minimize food waste by using vegetables that would otherwise go unused due to cosmetic imperfections.

We want to ensure that you have full transparency and accessibility when it comes to your meal choices. Our online menu system makes it easy for you to filter dishes based on your dietary preferences and needs, empowering you to navigate campus dining with confidence.

By prioritizing plant-forward dining, we’re making a positive impact on both your health and the health of the planet. As we continue to innovate and develop new plant-based recipes, we invite you to embrace these exciting, nutritious options—knowing that each meal you choose is helping to create a greener, more sustainable future for us all.