The Hunger and Environmental Nutrition dietetic practice group of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) supports the HCWH Balanced Menus Challenge and has posted information on the program on their website at>

By taking the HCWH Balanced Menus Challenge, participating hospitals commit to making  a permanent 20 percent reduction in meat and poultry purchases within a 12-month period.  Encouraging a reduced and sustainable meat diet is part of a primary prevention agenda to reduce the nation's skyrocketing rates of diet-related disease, and also contributes substantially to climate mitigation, cleaner air and water, and protecting the effectiveness of antibiotics.  Almost 300 hospitals have taken the HCWH Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge, which is a commitment to sourcing a broad range of foods produced under sustainable practices, and are demonstrating their leadership on sustainable food procurement to the marketplace. Information on the Balanced Menus Program is available at noharm/us_canada/issues/food/menus.php.

In addition to reducing meat as part of the Balanced Menus approach, hospitals are sponsoring farmers' markets on hospital grounds, and negotiating with suppliers for more locally produced foods and foods raised without pesticides, non-therapeutic antibiotics, growth hormones or genetic modification.

SOURCE Health Care Without Harm