WWF and Sodexo - An appetite for change through Green & Lean

28 Nov 2016 01:11 PM

WWF-UK has partnered with global catering provider Sodexo to reduce the environmental impact of the meals they serve by creating healthier and more sustainable menu choices. By combining WWF’s LiveWell principles with Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow ethos, Sodexo has created a range of meals called “Green & Lean”.

The food we eat has a huge impact on the health of our planet and our own wellbeing. Intensive food production is a major driver of habitat destruction and climate change and now accounts for up to a third of our global greenhouse gas emissions.

Our own Western diets high in meat, dairy and processed foods mean nearly two billion people globally are overweight or obese. At the same time access to food remains tragically unequal with approximately 1 billion people undernourished.

Nick Hughes, Food Sustainability Advisor at WWF said:

“The way we currently produce and consume food is negatively impacting our own health and the health of the planet. If we're to achieve a future where people and nature thrive together, we need to reconsider the types of food we eat in the UK and where and how our food is produced.”

Green & Lean meals are based on the idea that by making simple switches, such as serving more wholegrains, vegetables and pulses, using dairy products lower in fat, and adding sugar and salt sparingly, we can deliver meals that are better for our health. And by selecting seasonal fruits and vegetables and sourcing certified and sustainable meat and fish we can serve up food that is better for our planet too.

Green & Lean meals will launch across over 40 independent schools in England in an effort to improve children’s diets by providing healthier school meals that reduce the impact on the environment. The roll out follows a successful pilot in eight schools in November 2015 in which almost 20,000 meals, containing more than a tonne of extra vegetables, were served to pupils.

A number of schools, including Emanuel School have already started serving Green & Lean meals to students, and by January 2017 all independent schools served by Sodexo will be serving at least one Green & Lean meal per day.

Phyllis Street, Catering Manager for Independents by Sodexo at Emanuel said: 

“I thought the Green & Lean recipes were excellent.  They were very tasty and colourful which is a great advantage, on top of that they were healthy and nutritious so the fact that they are also good for the environment means it is a winning combination.  The pupils and staff really enjoyed the Lean & Green recipes at lunch and using recipes like this supports the school’s ‘green’ initiatives as well.  Encouraging children to eat more pulses and vegetables is not always easy, so by including them in tasty main courses is a great way to achieve this”.  

For more information, please contact: Jonathan Jones, WWF-UK

email: jjones@wwf.org.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1483 412241 | M: +44 (0)7824 416735

Notes to editors:

‘Independents by Sodexo’ provide the catering for the 40 schools independent schools where Green & Lean will be introduced.

About WWF-UK

WWF is one of the world's largest independent conservation organisations, with more than five million supporters and a global network active in more than one hundred countries. Through our engagement with the public, businesses and government, we focus on safeguarding the natural world, creating solutions to the most serious environmental issues facing our planet, so that people and nature thrive. Find out more about our work, past and present at wwf.org.uk

Sodexo in the UK and Ireland 

Sodexo employs around 34,000 people, and delivers services that improve the quality of life to clients at some 1,850 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, justice and defence sectors.

With an annual turnover of more than £1.6bn, Sodexo delivers a range of services ranging from catering, cleaning, reception to asset management, security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling clients to focus on their core business.

Sodexo Benefits and Rewards Services in the UK provide benefit and reward services such as SayShopping vouchers; public benefits; and employee benefits such as childcare vouchers and engagement surveys.

About Sodexo

Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in services that improve Quality of Life, an essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in 80 countries, Sodexo serves 75 million consumers each day through its unique combination of On-site Services, Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Through its more than 100 services, Sodexo provides clients an integrated offering developed over 50 years of experience: from foodservices, reception, maintenance and cleaning, to facilities and equipment management; from Meal Pass, Gift Pass and Mobility Pass benefits for employees to in-home assistance, child care centers and concierge services. Sodexo’s success and performance are founded on its independence, its sustainable business model and its ability to continuously develop and engage its 420,000 employees throughout the world.

Sodexo is included in the CAC 40 and DJSI indices.

About Green & Lean

Developed by expert nutritionists and environmentalists, Green & Lean meals are a range of healthier and more sustainable menu choices that bring together WWF’s LiveWell principles and Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow ethos.

Green & Lean meals are: