Purpose Although post-secondary campus food services are promising contexts for promoting plant-forward diets, little information exists on adoption and the nature of implementation across Canada. The purpose of this study was to identify major patterns of implementing plant-forward main dishes across the institutional members of the Canadian College and University Food Service Association. Design/methodology/approach The online survey included questions on past and current offerings of plant-forward main dishes across campus food services, the timing of transitions, relevant inner and outer setting variables and facilitators and barriers to implementing plant-forward dishes. Responses were received from 34 of 85 members (40%). Findings The percentage of plant-forward to overall main dish offerings varied widely, with a median of 17% in 2018–2020, doubling to 35% in 2023–2024. When the sample was divided into three subgroups: no-meal-plan group (n = 8), late adopters (adopted 1–4 years ago: n = 13) and early adopters (adopted 5+ years ago: n = 12), the percentage of offerings had significantly risen among early and late adopters but remained low for the no-meal-plan group. While meat-free main dishes were commonly available across all the groups, a larger number of variants with partial meat substitution were available among early adopters compared to the other groups. Barriers were more variable than facilitators. Late adopters reported significantly more barriers to implementation than the other two groups on some measures; while the no-meal plan group reported the lack of infrastructure, compared to the other groups. Originality/value This study indicates substantial differences in the number and types of plant-forward main dishes currently being offered across Canada. Barriers differ among subgroups, with practical implications for further promotion of plant-forward dishes.
Yi et al. (Sat,) studied this question.