While plant-based menus started as a health-conscious option, they’re now becoming a staple at restaurants, cafes, and office lunch tables. With favorites like tacos and pizza getting a meatless makeover, it’s clear that going meat-free isn’t just a fleeting fad. In the workplace, it’s an opportunity to transform lunch breaks into value-packed learning sessions that help protect the planet. And what better way to do that than with Meatless Mondays?
Meatless Monday is a plant-based movement that lets you introduce plant-based food on a weekly basis — which is infrequent enough to please even the mightiest meat-eaters. Let’s dive into the benefits of plant-based catering and explore some Meatless Monday ideas that will bring a whole new vibe to your office dining experience.
Benefits of plant-based catering
Going meatless even one day a week creates benefits for your employees and the planet. Here’s a look at some of the ways vegetarian lunch options can make life healthier and the workplace more inclusive (not to mention super delicious).
Environmental impact
Choosing plant-based meals has a positive impact on the planet — and even small changes can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. In fact, skipping one serving of beef a week for a year reduces emissions equal to driving 348 miles in a car.
Employee health
Plant-based foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber and are typically low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Eating more veggies and whole grains can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, increase energy, improve digestion, and support overall well-being.
Menu diversity
Exposing your team to diverse, global plant-based cuisine opens the door for them to discover new flavors. Tacos, curries, grain bowls, and other plant-based dishes take boredom off the menu and make each mealtime an exciting adventure.
Increased inclusion
Plant-based meals can accommodate a wide range of dietary needs, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and kosher. It’s an easy way to improve workplace inclusivity.
The origin of Meatless Monday
Wondering where the idea for Meatless Monday meals first started? It was first introduced during World War I as a way to encourage lower meat consumption and support the war efforts. Meatless Monday was revived in 2003 as a non-profit public health initiative, and today, is a global movement followed by millions.
The beauty of Meatless Monday is its simplicity — you don’t have to go full vegetarian, just take baby steps. Dedicating one day a week to plant-based dishes makes meatless eating easy, and planning ahead gives you plenty of opportunities to make it fun.
To get your team engaged, consider hosting a friendly recipe swap or potluck where everyone can share their favorite plant-based dishes. Or, gather the gang for a team-bonding cooking class, where they can learn to make meals like tasty veggie tacos, pasta primavera, or veggie stir-fries.
6 exciting meatless Monday ideas
Now that you know all about Meatless Monday, it’s time for the fun part — the food. When implementing plant-based catering, you’ll need mouthwatering options tempting enough to get carnivores, pescatarians, and herbivores all on board.
The key is picking truly crave-able dishes that will have everyone focused on the flavor rather than the lack of meat. Need some inspiration? Check out these six binge-worthy Meatless Monday ideas.
1. Mediterranean feast
Offer a lavish spread of Mediterranean foods like falafel, hummus, tabbouleh, and grilled veggies for a fresh twist on meatless meals. Consider setting up a build-your-own falafel bowl station or individual boxed lunches with ingredients like mini falafel patties, warm pita wedges, Israeli salad, and tzatziki sauce.
2. Build-your-own tacos
Who says Taco Tuesday has to be the only day for tacos? Turn Meatless Monday into a fiesta with vegetarian taco catering. Make it an engaging event by setting up a taco bar with plant-based fixings like black beans, grilled mushrooms, and avocado. Encourage everyone to get creative by offering unique toppings like vegan cheese, lime-cilantro rice, pickled onions, salsa, hot sauce, and more.
3. Plant-based grain bowls
Plant-based grain bowls are a great way to put a vegetarian twist on a tasty food trend. Try offering a protein-packed spread of plant-based grain bowls taking inspiration from around the globe. Build a base with rice noodles, quinoa, or whole grains like farro, freekeh, or brown rice.
Top your grain bowls with smoked tofu, chickpeas, or edamame for a pop of plant-based protein. Then pile on the veggies. Broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes, beets — the possibilities are endless. Finish each bowl with mouthwatering sauces and spices like peanut sauce, red curry coconut milk, or cilantro jalapeño pesto.
4. Veggie-packed pizza
Bring out everyone’s inner kid with a decadent Meatless Monday pizza party. It might surprise you to learn that veggie pizzas are one of the most popular pizza options across the country. Order yours topped with colorful, flavor-packed toppings like spinach, artichokes, mushrooms, peppers, vegan cheese, fresh herbs, and more.
Or, take things to a whole new level with mini veggie-focused pizzas in a variety of global flavor combos. Try options like white pizza with vegan ricotta, fig, and arugula; Mexican street corn pizza topped with grilled corn, cotija cheese, cilantro, and lime; or Greek pizza with hummus sauce, roasted eggplant, olives, tomatoes, and crispy chickpeas.
5. Salad bar reimagined
Give your workplace salad bar a Meatless Monday makeover by transforming ordinary veggies into a hearty plant-based meal. Offer a bed of mixed greens and proteins like quinoa, chickpeas, tofu, or beans. Then load up the toppings with veggies like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and brussels sprouts as well as unique additions like beets, cauliflower, edamame, and artichoke hearts.
Don’t forget to choose a variety of dressings and add some crunch with seeds, nuts, and vegan croutons. If you’re catering to carnivores, you can make lunch salads for work more satisfying by adding hot toppings like roasted vegetables, sautéed peppers and onions, or faux meat. Just remember that you may need to adjust your portion sizes when serving veggie-based meals.
6. Vegan sweet treats
End your plant-powered feast on a sweet note by ordering indulgent vegan dessert catering. Wow the team with a spread of scrumptious treats like vegan chocolate cake, fruit sorbets, or coconut milk ice cream.
For an extra special treat, consider adding a sundae bar with all the vegan fixings. Offer rich coconut or cashew-based ice creams in flavors like chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla. Top with whipped coconut cream, chocolate sauce, chopped nuts, sprinkles, and maraschino cherries. Or, for those seeking fruitier fare, create a build-your-own açaí bowl station loaded with goodies like fresh bananas, berries, chia seeds, toasted coconut, and cacao nibs.
Take the work out of your veggie-based perk
Meatless Monday meals can energize the office, opening up a world of global flavors for your team to explore. And while the environmental and health perks are nice bonuses, going meatless can simply be more fun.
Dreaming up plant-powered dishes that delight carnivores and herbivores alike can be challenging on your own. But ezCater can handle the heavy lifting for you. Our team will take care of the food sourcing and logistics, so you can continuously surprise your crew with a rainbow of meatless cuisines.
We have everything you need to make Meatless Monday a new favorite office tradition. Visit ezCater.com now to get started.