Vegetarian nudge gets students to choose plant-based food in large-scale pilot project: How non-radical vegan food made kids in Sweden go plant-based overnight

Vegetarian school meals are in the spotlight! When Swedish school children are given the choice, they choose plant-based tacos, poké bowls and noodle woks over meat. One of Europe's key players in healthy and sustainable food, the Swedish company Greenfood, has succeeded in inspiring thousands of kids to eat vegetarian food for lunch, with a modern food concept that brings street food into the school canteen. A nudge that has generated 700 000 vegetarian meals. Now, the experts behind the concept share their key insights.

To reach the UN's Global Goals, we need to change our eating habits – and in particular, eat less meat. What future generations put on their plates can be crucial to our success. So, how can we encourage children and young people to go vegetarian more often?

This was the question posed by one of Europe's key players in healthy and sustainable food, Greenfood, together with its group company Ahlströms. The solution? A modern food concept that brings street food into the school cafeteria, named Street Food Weeks.

School lunches are served in many countries, but the Swedish school meal model is unique. Free meals are served to all children in the ages 7-16 and to most students aged 16-19, on an everyday basis. A great arena for a pilot project such as Street Food Weeks.

The concept has now been tested in 47 Swedish cities since its launch in 2019, and 700 000 vegetarian portions (which would normally have consisted of meat, fish or poultry!) later, it is clear: it is possible to get children and young people to eat more plant-based.

Burger Tuesday, Let's Wok Monday or Mexican Friday – the concept is that students are served a weekly menu of tasty, trend-setting dishes created with their taste buds in mind. The food is presented in an appetizing setting, where everything from cool signs to ab inviting presentation enhances the experience.

During the weeks, the school chefs collect statistics to see how many kids that are choosing vegetarian options. On a typical school day, around 10% of the students eat a plant-based lunch. During Street Food weeks, more than half of the pupils choose to skip meat. In some municipalities, as many as 77% of students eat vegetarian during the theme week.

Every day, more than a million school lunches are served in Sweden – and while surveys show that students are positive towards vegetarian food, most of the meals served are still animal-based. The insights from the Street Food Weeks are an important piece of the puzzle in getting more young people to eat vegetarian food.

“Our theme weeks have taught us that the future of plant-based food is fun, stylish and trendy. With the right implementation, it is completely possible to get young people to broaden their horizons, try new dishes and eat more plant-based! From 10% plant-based - to 77% in a single week! Fantastic!" says Jacob Ahlström, CEO of Ahlströms.

Three key insights on how to get children and young people to choose vegetarian.
Vegan specialists in Sweden tried to get kids to choose from the veggie section in their school cafeteria. Here is what they learned:

1. Veganize their favorite foods
Kids are picky, we know that. So instead of serving them complicated options that they don't recognize, we offer food they actually like – but plant-based! In this way, it’s not hard to get them to taste the food. The world's easiest nudge! Here are the students' top three favorites during the theme weeks: Tacos, noodle wok and nuggets.

2. Make it look good
There is a Swedish saying: “You eat with your eyes.” And it’s true! When food is presented in an appetizing way, more people are willing to try it. For example, it is wise to divide the ingredients and let the kids choose what they want to taste. We've also found that cool signs and menus that evoke a cool street environment make the kids more likely to like the concept.

3. Don't rub it in
Inspiration Week is indeed vegetarian – but that's not something to advertise. Instead, we find fun ways to describe the food that will spark students' curiosity. Burger Tuesday, Let's Wok Monday or Mexican Friday, for example! Kids love nuggets, but honestly, they don't care if it's chicken.

Behind the concept is Ahlströms and their plant-based food experts, a company that has been developing the vegetarian range in Swedish stores and restaurants since 2010. Ahlströms is a part of Greenfood Group, a Swedish company that has worked with healthy and sustainable food for decades. Today, the group's range consists of 90 percent vegetarian products and 70 percent vegan products.

"You might think that we are acting on our own behalf when we try to get more children and young people to eat plant-based food, but the fact is that it is a crucial issue for the future. We all need to eat more vegetarian, for our own sake, and for the sake of the environment. Presenting tasty, fun and delicious school meals that are also sustainable is one example. Our role, as one of Europe's leading groups in healthy and sustainable food, comes with great responsibility. The more people we motivate to choose food that does good, the greater the difference!" says David von Laskowski, CEO of Greenfood Group.

Top 3: School children's vegetarian favorites
1. Tacos
2. Noodle wok
3. Nuggets