Hospitals In Portugal To Expand Plant-Based Menu Options

In addition to reducing carbon emissions and promoting healthy eating, the initiative could also cut costs

20th July 2025

3 Minutes Read

Four major hospitals in Lisbon, Portugal, will provide more plant-based meals in their cafeterias as part of a groundbreaking national program that aims to promote sustainable and healthy eating.

The initiative is part of the Sustainable Meals program launched by the Portuguese branch of the food awareness organization ProVeg International.

As part of the program, ProVeg Portugal has partnered with leading caterer ITAU to train hospital catering teams to improve and expand plant-based meal options. Nutrition experts will develop tailored plant-based recipes specifically for hospital cafeterias. Lisbon has a thriving plant-based scene, and was recently named one of the most vegan-friendly cities in the world.

A key objective of the agreement is to raise awareness among cafeteria managers, healthcare professionals, and customers, about the environmental and health impacts of dietary choices.

Plant-based meals result in significantly lower carbon emissions than those containing animal protein, which makes such programs critical to combatting climate change, according to ProVeg Portugal.

Colorful houses and doors on a Lisbon street with a yellow tram going down the road — Adobe Stock Lisbon has a thriving plant-based scene

“By introducing plant-based meals in hospitals and other institutions, we are showing how food and public procurement can be a powerful lever for climate action while promoting healthier lifestyles,” said Joana Oliveira, Country Director of ProVeg Portugal.

In 2017, Portugal became the first country in the world to legally require all of its public canteens in schools, hospitals, universities, and prisons, to serve plant-based meal options. This followed a campaign and petition launched by the Portuguese Vegetarian Association, which went on to become ProVeg Portugal.

Following in New York’s footsteps

New York City’s health system led the way with plant-based meal programmes, when plant-based meals became the default option offered at 11 public hospitals in 2022. Towards the end of that year, patient satisfaction of the meals was more than 90 percent.

By 2023, the switch had led to savings of 59 cents per plant-based meal and a reduction of 36 percent in carbon emissions. Now, more than 100 US hospitals offer similar plant-forward menus.

Earlier this year, it was announced that hundreds more hospitals across that US would be getting plant-based meals by 2026. Greener By Default, which spearheads initiative, said at the time that the program had been a “remarkable success.”