A week of entirely plant-based hospital menus designed by researchers at Amsterdam UMC met clinical protein requirements, offering healthcare institutions a working template as Dutch facilities face binding targets to shift their protein ratios.
The study (published in the European Journal of Nutrition and authored by M A van Bree, H M Kruizenga, B C Schouten, and M R Soeters), responds to a policy shift from the Dutch government with its Green Deal Sustainable Healthcare plan, in which hospitals are expected to reach a 40/60 animal-to-plant protein ratio by 2030, with some institutions targeting fully plant-derived offerings. Meeting that goal inside clinical nutrition standards has been difficult in practice, because hospital patients often have suppressed appetites and fixed portion sizes leave little room to add volume.
Between April and December 2025, a group of 16 experts, including hospital and company chefs, dietitians, a physician, facility staff, and industry product specialists, developed and tested recipes against six criteria: protein quantity, protein quality, palatability, portion size, cost, and preparation feasibility. Forty recipes were cooked and scored in tasting sessions, with the 30 highest-rated dishes refined into seven daily menus.
The finished menus delivered 90 to 97 grams of protein per day, of which an estimated 77 to 84 grams was digestible. All essential amino acid scores exceeded the FAO adult reference pattern, and overall protein quality scores stayed above the 0.75 threshold the team set as indicative of good quality. Soya, lentils, grains, and nuts supplied most of the protein. Minimally processed whole foods were the starting principle, but fake meats and dairy alternatives earned their place to boost nutrients.
Daily menu costs ran from €10.50 to €12.30, remaining within the hospital’s roughly €12 per patient per day food budget. The authors of the study said that their evidence indicates that “nutritionally adequate plant-derived menus can be implemented without increasing costs.”
