Operational Research Publications
The Menus of Change website hosts an array of resources, which can be found here, and the Collaborative is pleased to provide both academic research publications and the following operational research publications for foodservice professionals within and beyond university settings:
Food Waste Reduction
Repurpose with a Purpose Operational Toolkit
Repurposing—transforming overproduced food into fresh, innovative dishes—calls for a mindset shift across all levels of operations. This practical toolkit offers actionable, crowdsourced strategies from MCURC institutions to drive food waste reduction; from menu planning and production to daily operations, the toolkit offers solutions to fostering a culture of repurposing as a winning strategy for foodservice.
Repurpose with a Purpose Operational Research Project Report
A report showcases comprehensive findings from an MCURC chef-led research sprint, offering innovative, cost-effective, plant-forward strategies and recipes to reduce food waste by repurposing high-quality prepped ingredients. Developed alongside an actionable toolkit for foodservice operators, the report emphasizes the financial, environmental, and social benefits of creative and impactful repurposing solutions.
Repurpose with a Purpose Digital Recipe Collection
This recipe collection showcases the chefs' creativity in transforming surplus food and usable trimmings into sustainable, cost-effective dishes. Explore the Repurpose with a Purpose project recipes or download a printable packet of the full Repurpose with a Purpose Recipe Collection.
Plant-Forward Diet Promotion
2024 MCURC Collective Impact Report
MCURC Collective Impact is a strategic initiative of data collection and impact analysis that empowers members by enhancing the understanding of their institutions’ protein portfolios and the collective impact of the MCURC’s combined protein purchases. The initiative is led by the R&DE Stanford Food Institute, whose experts collect, analyze, and communicate findings annually.
2024 Plant-Forward Opportunity Report
A Datassential Plant-Forward Opportunity report created in partnership with The Culinary Institute of America, Food for Climate League, and the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative that takes a look at the pulse of consumers on the topic of plant-forward eating through the exploration of sentiments and behaviors concerning plant-based foods, plant-forward menus, sustainability, health, and more.
MCURC Collective Impact Initiative: 2020 Early Learnings Report
This report highlights key insights from the early phases of MCURC’s Collective Impact initiative, and it outlines potential paths to progress as we move towards our ambitious target of a 25 percent reduction in food-related GHG emissions by 2030. In our case, we track our member institutions’ combined protein portfolio over time, but we hope this document is a helpful tool for any organization pursuing the power of collective impact.
The (Almost) Perfect Plant-Forward University
This beautiful, insights-packed publication offers a framework for stakeholder engagement, along with inspiration, recipes, and practical strategies, all in the name of working toward an optimally plant-forward dining hall and learning community on your campus.
DISH Study Executive Summary
People think healthy foods are depriving and bland, and emphasizing the healthy attributes can lead people to avoid them. Describing healthy food with indulgent and fun language, on the other hand, can positively influence people’s mindsets and expectations, leading them to eat more healthy food and enjoy it. This toolkit gives users the resources they need to add edgy descriptions to dishes that can benefit most from indulgent language.
Globally-Inspired, Plant-Forward Recipes and Inspirations
MCURC Executive Chefs Committee has published this collection of plant-forward recipes to help bring the delicious flavors and influences from around the world to your dining program. This mouthwatering collection of recipes will inspire you to get creative, and share new dishes from every corner of the globe with your students and customers.
Protein Flip Strategies for College and University Foodservice
This resource provides insights and menu ideas to empower campus dining chefs to implement the concept of The Protein Flip, which is a hybrid infographic/white paper produced by The Culinary Institute of America in collaboration with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health--Department of Nutrition to illustrate the urgency from a human and planetary health standpoint for "flipping" the role of protein on Menus. The full Protein Flip resource can be found here.
Menus of Change Principles Resources
Faith in Fat Executive Summary
Fat still has a bad reputation in most eaters’ minds. Based on this observation, the MCURC Research Working group built on a Rutgers University students pilot project to evaluate the perception of fat among university students. This Executive Summary offers a unique perspective on the MCURC research model, as well as opportunities for impact to promote a healthy approach to nutritional education on fat within colleges and universities.
Olive Oil and the Plant-Forward Kitchen
This report is a joint project of The Culinary Institute of America and The Menus of Change University Research Collaborative with the support of the International Olive Council. It involved more than 30 members of the MCURC Executive Chefs’ Committee who set out to uncover the most-promising, lesser-known olive oil-based sauces that could easily be adopted by their dining operations. This project shines a bright light on a collection of dishes and flavor strategies that deserve wider recognition within campus dining and beyond.
MOC Principles Implementation Schedule
This tool will help foodservice professionals, food literacy leaders, nutrition/health/sustainability educators, and others in college and university foodservice settings educate your communities about the Menus of Change Principles of Healthy, Sustainable Menus by integrating activities into existing campus events as well as seasonal and holiday tie-ins.
Menus of Change in Action: MCURC Culinary Operations Best Practices
MCURC chefs, operators, and directors are applying a number of different Menus of Change principles, and they all have unique challenges and traction at different rates based on various factors. With that come patterns about how best to operationalize the principles and where the greatest barriers and opportunities lie. Leverage the findings in this resource in order to learn from the best practices, challenges, and success stories.
Gap Analysis Tool
This resource equips any operator looking to implement Menus of Change Principles of Healthy, Sustainable Menus to conduct a self-assessment of both areas to improve and areas to celebrate with regard to offering healthy, sustainable menus. It also helps users develop an action plan for addressing the areas most in need of improvement.
Related Website Resources
Edgy Veggies Toolkit
This resource helps restaurant managers, chefs, and parents incorporate taste-focused labeling to encourage healthy eating. By describing the tasty and enjoyable attributes of healthy foods, people are more likely to choose them. Vegetables and plant-based foods help fight chronic disease and support sustainable planetary health.
Training for Food System Transformation
A resource website designed by a former MCURC graduate student fellow to help academic instructors of university food systems courses prepare students to take action for just, healthy, and sustainable food systems. The website features a public collection of open-access syllabi from undergraduate food systems courses taught in recent years at 21 land-grant universities across the United States, including MCURC institutions.