Veg-Curious Co-Workers? How One Advocate Designed a Vegan Lunch-and-Learn Series!

Goals

• Gather data about people’s interest in plant-based eating.
• Create a workplace program that people would want to join.
• Empower people to eat more plant-based foods.

Brian gathered preliminary data from co-workers in a survey to gauge interest (116 responses):

He learned that most folks want help finding alternatives for meat and dairy and that most people’s top concern about going plant-based is whether they’ll be able to find or prepare food that is satisfying for the whole family.

Approach

Brian’s intention was to create a group for his colleagues within CDPHE, but he also nurtures a vision that plant-based education could eventually be part of department programming to serve Colorado citizens. Education and support through schools and parents can reduce illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.

In Colorado, the animal agriculture industry is ingrained in the culture, but many folks are interested in eating vegan. Brian Stafford’s co-workers wanted to move toward plant-based diets for both health and environmental reasons (apropos to the department they work for!). But they thought it sounded difficult, so Brian wanted to support them.

Networking with Food for Life

Brian’s wife is double board certified in preventive and lifestyle medicine and a major in the U.S. Airforce, working to influence food choices within the military industrial complex. Through her network, they were able to reach out to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, who connected them with a Food for Life instructor in Denver. For Brian, this connection meant that he would be able to use existing curriculum and materials from the Physicians Committee instead of reinventing the wheel!

VegFund partners with Food for Life to grant awards to its instructors. The instructor that Brian met suggested that he apply for a grant. Through a Special Project Grant, VegFund covered the instructor’s services as well as incentives and giveaways for participants (cookbooks, books, a Vitamix, gift cards to vegan restaurants in Denver, etc.).

Designing Plant-Based Power Up

Brian knew that during the pandemic, many employees were experiencing Zoom fatigue, so he created a program designed for easy participation. Instead of a longer course spanning several weeks, he proposed two lunch-and-learn virtual sessions that CDPHE employees could attend while on the clock. (The department allows for one 45-minute lunch break and two 15-minute health and wellness breaks for walks, bike rides, etc.)

The lunch-and-learn sessions featured cooking demonstrations of easy meals and practical advice on finding ingredients so that families could try the recipes at home. The instructor provided science-based information and pointed folks to resources where they could continue to learn at their own pace.

Brian created an intranet page using Google Suite tools already available within the company. Employees could reference materials on the page, such as peer-reviewed studies. The page also features recipes of the month, success stories, blog posts, and discussion boards, as well as data on health, the environment, and even business trends favoring plant-based diets.

FAQs

Here’s how the Plant-Based Power Up sessions addressed participants’ top three questions.

• Is it expensive?  People associate being vegan with shopping at specialty stores, which they consider expensive. The sessions offered tips on finding affordable ingredients at any grocery store.
• Will my family and I enjoy it?  Folks worry that they may need to cook two meals a night if not everyone in their families is on board with a plant-based diet. The instructor was able to speak to being a vegan parent who experienced a vegan pregnancy and has vegan children. The conversation covered fun vegan comfort foods such as mac & cheese and burgers.
• Where can I find more recipes?  Families need a repertoire of recipes that are easy to make. Brian and the instructor spoke about buying in bulk and doing food prep (such as cooking a big meal on Sunday that can be reheated during the week). They also recommended cookbooks such as Plant-Based on a Budget by Toni Okamoto.

Challenges

The main challenge was not being able to share food in person due to the pandemic. The sensory experience of smelling and tasting the food can be the most persuasive aspect of a plant-based program. However, the visual experience on a video platform generated plenty of enthusiasm!

Folks had the usual questions about protein and B12. Others shared that the animal agriculture industry is part of their livelihood. Pushback can be a good thing! Brian acknowledged that people need to provide for their families, but he also emphasized the significant effects of animal agriculture on the climate crisis. He also noted that there are experts who support those who want to transition their work from animal agriculture to growing crops for plant-based textiles, for example.

Brian facilitated dialogue and met people where they were in their thoughts about plant-based eating, without judgment. And the result was that even people who were there to disagree with the premise of the program tried the food, liked it, and said they would be happy to eat plant-based food once a week!

Watch our interview with Brian, in which he shares more effective strategies for vegan activists!

Results

People appreciated socializing with their colleagues and learning the science-based reasons to go vegan. Post-event survey data suggests that participants felt better equipped to eat more plant-based foods.

Survey of participants after the lunch-and-learn sessions (127 responses)

• The majority said that the primary reason for attending the Plant-Based Power Up program was “all of the above”: environment, health, and fun.
• The most attractive features of participating were:
  • Recipes
  • Learning about the science that supports plant-based eating for health and the environment
  • Connecting with fellow employees who are eating plant-based
• Participants consider themselves:
  • 40% regularly eat meat and dairy
  • 38% flexitarian
  • The rest were pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, etc.
• Hesitations they have about going plant-based:
  • 49 respondents said they have no hesitation.
  • 49 said their top hesitation is whether they will be satisfied with the food.
  • The rest noted stigma, family, cost, or social reasons.

Anecdotal results

One family replaced sausage on their pasta night with Field Roast, and their kids loved it! The parents appreciated that the meal had enough protein, as well as additional fiber, for their athletic children.

Another participant took vegan brownies to a potluck and reported that there were no leftovers.

Several participants were concerned about having to cook twice as many meals if not everyone in the family enjoyed the plant-based meals. A family that tried the beluga lentil tacos recipe was pleased that everyone was satisfied! What’s more, the lentils cooked faster than meat.

Many participants appreciated having access to the resources on the website. They were glad that they didn’t have to buy expensive ingredients and that they could actually save money on a plant-based diet.

More Tips

Brian shared additional tips from his experience.

• Planning a workplace program is a commitment. It was more work than Brian anticipated, but it was manageable and very rewarding.
• It’s good to have a partner or a team to prevent burnout. People have jobs, families, and other commitments, and sharing the work is helpful.
• Recruit a handful of vocal advocates of your work who can help boost enthusiasm.
  Make use of technology (sites, email, video calls, newsletters, social media). People need to hear a message a few times on different channels before it sticks.
• Be equally welcoming to everyone. Brian won over detractors by listening to their concerns and meeting them where they were. After all, if they participated in the program, on some level they are curious!
• Brian’s success suggests that there is an appetite for programs like his for people who are curious about eating more plant-based foods.
• Although the topic is serious, some people are attracted by the social aspect of an event. Don’t forget to inject your personality into your presentation.

Recommended Reading:

Persevering in the Pandemic: Advice from Activists

Climate-Friendly Food: Vegan Education for a Healthy Planet

What Will You Do? World Vegan Day (and Month)!

What’s next?

Brian can’t wait to host in-person sessions and win people over with food tastings! He’s also working on updating the website (new recipes, new peer-reviewed science) to keep the content timely. For example, last winter, he shared information about how plant-based eating helps protect against some of the high-risk conditions for COVID such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, etc.

As new employees join CDPHE, Brian is looking forward to reaching out and learning from younger people. They often have different perspectives, having grown up with more positive societal attitudes toward plant-based eating.

Finally, Brian hopes to enhance the program with new activities through grants and funding.