Pinnacle Foods’ Food Service Group announced today that is launching a year-long initiative with its gardein™ plant-based protein brand in cooperation with the Meatless Monday organization. The goal of the program is to help restaurants and food service operators (companies that provide food to cafeterias, industrial caterers, hospitals and nursing homes) meet consumer demand for more plant-based dishes by providing menu ideas and promotional materials.
A study of restaurant-goers found that 79% eat vegetarian items more than once a week1. By adding more plant-based items to a menu, restaurants can capture additional traffic and revenue from patrons seeking vegetarian options and reduce its environmental impact because plant-based protein uses significantly less water and fossil fuel (oil, natural gas and coal). The meat-like texture and taste of Gardein plant-based protein products can replace chicken, beef or fish in most recipes, which provides restaurants with center-of-the-plate options that are 100% plant-based.
Pinnacle’s initiative includes offering restaurants and food service operators point-of-sale materials and a year’s worth of Meatless Monday menus. “We are proud to partner with Meatless Monday and offer our customers a way to meet their patrons’ health and wellness needs, help the environment, and increase profits by adding 100%plant-based protein to their menus,” says Tom Meyers, Vice President of Food Service for Pinnacle Foods.
“Gardein products are a great choice for consumers practicing Meatless Monday and everyone who wants to start the week eating healthier. Pinnacle’s turnkey menu and promotional resources make it easy for restaurants and food operators to implement Meatless Monday programs, which can attract new diners and meet existing customers’ demand for healthier options,” said Peggy Neu, President of The Monday Campaigns/Meatless Monday.
More information on the program can be found at gardeinmeatlessmonday.com or by calling (866) 816-7313. Customers can connect with Pinnacle Food Service @pinnaclefoodservice on Instagram and Facebook.
About Pinnacle Foods Inc.
Pinnacle Foods Inc. (NYSE: PF) is a leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products with a mission of unleashing brand potential. With annual sales in excess of $3 billion, the portfolio includes well-known brands competing in frozen, refrigerated and shelf-stable formats, such as Birds Eye, Birds Eye Voila!, Duncan Hines, Earth Balance, EVOL, gardein, Glutino, Hungry-Man, Log Cabin, Udi's, Vlasic and Wish-Bone, along with many others. The company is headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., and has nearly 5,000 employees across the U.S. and Canada.
About Meatless Monday
Meatless Monday is a public health initiative of The Monday Campaigns, a nonprofit organization working in association with The Lerner Centers for Public Health Promotion at Johns Hopkins, Columbia and Syracuse universities. The campaign seeks to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer and conserve valuable environmental resources by encouraging the public to cut back on meat consumption one day a week. The campaign is founded on research that demonstrates that Monday is the day we are most primed to start and sustain a healthy new behavior. Since its launch 13 years ago, Meatless Monday has become an international movement with support from schools, celebrities, restaurants, and organizations around the world. For more information on Meatless Monday, go to www.meatlessmonday.com.
1 MenuMonitor 2015, Center of the Plate: Seafood and Vegetarian Consumer Trends Report