Are healthier burgers, desserts and other foods the key to more healthy and sustainable food choices

Making the tempting option more healthy and more sustainable for the environment could be the most effective way to move the needle in our American diet, according to experts in the eleventh annual Menus of Change conference at The Culinary Institute of America

When it comes to eating a diet that’s healthier for the earth and our own health, there are many boxes that many of us are aware of and should be checking more frequently. Consuming more plant-based foods and less animal proteins. Eating less processed foods and taking a more diverse selection of food items that benefit the environment and nutrition. On paper, eating a healthy and environmentally-friendly diet sounds simple. However, in reality, it’s more complex. Cost, geographical location, and other factors can make it difficult, if not impossible, for a lot of people to find nutrient-rich foods that have a low impact on the climate. There is also the issue of flavor. When we open the menu or go through the aisles of our grocery store, most of us are likely to still choose the burger or even put cookies in the cart.

Making the tempting option smaller amount healthier and more beneficial for the environment could be an important factor in moving the needle in your American diet, as experts suggested during the annual 11th menus of Change conference at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. This past week.

“People don’t care about the numbers when it comes to food. It should be delicious,” said Spike Mendelsohn, chef and co-founder of Eat the Change, during an event on how to make an improved hamburger.

This is evident by this report ” 2023 Plant-Forward Opportunity Report,” that discovered that just 11 percent of US people surveyed would be more likely to select an option that is plant-forward from the menu if it came with less carbon footprint as opposed to 46% who stated that they would be encouraged to choose a plant-friendly dish when they were served flavors they enjoy.

Reduced “risk” by using familiar flavours and formats is crucial in attracting diners to purchase food that is plant-based, according to Marie Molde, head of marketing for products at Datassential which developed the annual report along in conjunction with CIA, Food for Climate League and the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative.

The process of creating a better hamburger

There’s probably no food that is more popular with American customers than hamburgers, and it’s the perfect choice to push consumers to eat healthier and more sustainable eating.

“The average American consumes three burgers per week with 71% of the beef consumed commercially comes as a form of burgers or cheeseburgers. If we want to change the world in the world, a hamburger is an excellent first step,” said Pam Smith, a nutritionist in the culinary field and the founder of the Shaping America’s Plate.

The Culinary Institute of America made an important breakthrough in the search for a better burger a few years ago when the Healthy Menus Research and Development Collaborative collaborated together with The Mushroom Council to develop a blend of mushrooms and meat dubbed “The Blend,” which numerous restaurants and foodservice businesses have included in their menus. The Seasons 52 as well as The Cheesecake Factory have included blended burgers in their menus as well as Sonic has offered an exclusive blended burger known as the Sonic Slinger numerous times since the launch in 2017..

In 2015 in 2015, in 2015, the James Beard Foundation created the Blended Burger Project to encourage chefs to design the most perfect blended burger. Restaurants across the nation submit their entries, and a large portion of the blended burgers will be featured available on menus.

“I kind of fell in love with the concept of the blended burger competition because we started Burgh’ers to create a healthier option for food that everyone can relate to,” said Fiore Moletz, Chef and president of Burgh’ers Brewing, located in Pittsburgh and whose recipe was awarded the competition in 2018.

Moletz stated that swapping a bit of the meat for mushrooms can provide flavor benefits as well as the climate and health advantages of consuming less meat. “The mushroom blend that we used really added a depth to the hamburger that we couldn’t get with just beef,” Moletz explained.

A majority of the burgers served from Moletz’s establishment are mixed or completely plant-based, which is significant considering Burgh’ers claims to be an ordinary hamburger joint.

Mendelsohn, whose growing PLNT Burger chain has a full range of plant-based options, believes that bringing a taste-worthy vegan food to the masses is crucial to “democratizing the availability of plant-based food. It is only possible to bring about huge changes when we make these items accessible to everyone.”

Don’t skip dessert

The importance of putting taste first when it comes to creating food items that are more healthy and durable is well-known to this point, but despite the recognition that it is essential to serve food that people are willing to eat, there’s very little discussion of desserts.

“While we don’t need dessert to survive, people are going to eat dessert and it’s a huge industry…If we want to have impact, we need to talk about desserts,” said Lauren Haas, a professor at the Culinary Institute of America’s School of Baking and Pastry Arts.