Sustainable Meals & Low-Carbon Food Services

Healthy and sustainable meals are not just environmentally friendly, they are tasty and nutritious whilst also generating fewer carbon emissions per plate. Our chefs and dieticians work on more than 27,000 client sites around the world. They help 80 million employees, students and patients make informed meal choices every day.

climate-friendly food

Serving more sustainable meals

To support our client site teams, 70% of our main dish recipes will be ‘good for the planet’ by 2030.

Our development chefs and dieticians are creating these low-carbon meals. Our ‘Good for the planet’ dishes will contain less than 0.9kg CO2e per dish. The carbon emissions of our recipes are measured by third party solutions such as Eaternity.

How to reduce the environmental footprint of a meal

The key is finding the right balance. Through small changes to ingredients, we make climate-friendly food which is also delicious and nutritious.

Low impact animal protein

Some animal protein ingredients have a lower carbon impact, such as fish from sustainable fisheries which also support biodiversity. Choosing these types of animal protein is a great way to reduce the average carbon footprint per meal.

Expanding plant-based foods

Plant protein, legumes, fruits and vegetables all reduce the carbon footprint of a meal whilst being rich in protein and fiber. Sustainable menu development means including more of these ingredients in our nutrient-dense dishes.

Building a company full of sustainable chefs

Creating delicious and nutritious low carbon meals is not enough.

Our chef training programs give our culinary teams the skills and knowledge to serve the best sustainable food. Cook for Change! our annual sustainable chef challenge, showcases the exceptional skills of our chefs serving great food all over the wor

Learn more

Competitions like Cook for Change! our sustainable chef challenge, local culinary events and the sustainable eating module in our chef academy help ensure that our menus are prepared perfectly around the world by chefs who are fully invested in sustainable cooking.

Lloyd MannGlobal Executive Chef 

Industry leading research in sustainable food

Investing in industry leading global research is part of our role as a global leader in sustainable food. We want to know how people feel about climate-friendly food. This will help us adjust the menus we serve to clients and consumers worldwide. Our latest research included more than 7,000 interviews. We spoke with people in Brazil, France, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Learn more

Sustainable food brands

Our food brands provide our clients and consumers with delicious and climate-friendly food. For example, Modern Recipe menus blend health, flavor, sustainability, and affordability into every dish. Our Modern Recipe chefs love to use the whole ingredient and seasonal produce to create delicious low carbon meals.

Discover Modern Recipe

of our main dish recipes will be low carbon by 2030
Dieticians
Sodexo is the world’s largest employer of dieticians
consumers served globally each day

Sustainable food in action

Sustainable meals FAQ

Sustainable meals support an organization’s sustainability strategy by reducing the environmental impact of food services. They can lower food-related emissions, reduce waste, improve ingredient sourcing, and make better use of seasonal and plant-forward menu options.
They also turn sustainability goals into visible daily actions. When sustainable meals are part of workplace dining, hospitality, or customer food services, they can support ESG priorities, employee wellbeing, resource efficiency, and more responsible procurement.
Organizations can measure the environmental impact of meals by tracking carbon emissions, food waste, water use, ingredient sourcing, and the share of plant-forward meals served. These metrics show how food choices affect resource use and environmental performance.
Useful measures may include carbon per meal, waste by site, seasonal ingredient use, and compliance with responsible sourcing standards. Regular reporting helps teams compare menus, identify high-impact ingredients, and monitor progress against sustainability targets.
Organizations can balance sustainability, nutrition, and cost by planning menus that are healthy, appealing, and efficient to produce. Seasonal ingredients, responsible sourcing, portion control, and plant-forward recipes can reduce environmental impact while supporting good nutrition.
Cost control often comes from reducing waste, improving procurement, and using menu data to understand demand. This helps organizations avoid overproduction, protect food quality, and offer sustainable meals without making price or nutrition the only priority.
Organizations can encourage sustainable meal choices by making them easy to find, appealing to eat, and clearly explained. Menu placement, attractive descriptions, visible labelling, and a good range of plant-forward options can influence everyday food decisions.
The goal is to make sustainable meals feel like a normal, enjoyable choice rather than a compromise. High-quality recipes, familiar ingredients, and clear information about sourcing or impact can improve participation while supporting wellbeing and environmental goals.
Organizations should look for a sustainable meal programme or partner with clear expertise in nutrition, responsible sourcing, menu design, waste reduction, and impact reporting. The partner should be able to show how meals are planned, sourced, measured, and improved over time.
A strong programme should also fit different dietary needs, workplace settings, and operational budgets. Useful partners provide practical data, scalable food service processes, and meals that support both sustainability goals and a positive dining experience.

Serving more sustainable meals

How to reduce the environmental footprint of a meal

Low impact animal protein

Expanding plant-based foods

Building a company full of sustainable chefs

Industry leading research in sustainable food

Sustainable food brands

Partnering with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Sustainable food in action

Healthcare

Whitepaper: The role of clinical nutrition in hospital care

Food

The New Rules of Workplace Hospitality: Key Findings from the 2026 Report

Food

Supporting local growers in partnership with Dole Foodservice

Food

Food As Medicine: How Data, Science and Behavioral Design Are Turning Nutrition into a Clinical Lever

Sustainable meals FAQ

Sustainable meals which taste delicious

Serving more sustainable meals

How to reduce the environmental footprint of a meal

Low impact animal protein

Expanding plant-based foods

Building a company full of sustainable chefs

Industry leading research in sustainable food

Sustainable food brands

Partnering with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Sustainable food in action

Healthcare

Whitepaper: The role of clinical nutrition in hospital care

Food

The New Rules of Workplace Hospitality: Key Findings from the 2026 Report

Food

Supporting local growers in partnership with Dole Foodservice

Food

Food As Medicine: How Data, Science and Behavioral Design Are Turning Nutrition into a Clinical Lever

Sustainable meals FAQ

How can sustainable meals support an organization’s sustainability strategy?

How can organizations measure the environmental impact of meals?

How can organizations balance sustainability, nutrition, and cost?

How can organizations encourage people to choose more sustainable meals?

What should organizations look for in a sustainable meal programme or partner?