Sweet Earth Foods, a Nestlé Professional brand based in Moss Landing, California, has expanded its PB Triple Play100% plant-based Bac’n Cheezeburger (pictured above) and other new plant-based options for students at five universities in the United States including Notre Dame, Yale and UMass. These limited-time offerings are being served on college campuses throughout November (World Vegan Month) and will be offered as more permanent menu items in 2021.
Sixty-five percent of the Generation Z population (people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s) in the USA reportedly wants a more “plant-forward” diet, while 79% would eat meatless meals once or twice a week, according to Nestlé data. Now, as more Gen Z students demand plant-based options due to dietary choice and environmental concerns, college foodservice managers are increasingly seeking vegan options that are both plant-powered and flavorful. The PB Triple Play and other Sweet Earth foodservice product innovations are positioned to “provide a no-compromise swap for the traditional meat-based offerings that students crave.”
The Nestlé company’s World Vegan Month menu offerings include:
- UMass Amherst – PB Triple Play offered on campus throughout the month.
- Notre Dame – PB Triple Play available November 12.
- Yale – Plant-based Breakfast Biscuits featuring Sweet Earth Vegan Sausage, Bacon and Cheeze; Meatless Lasagna featuring Awesome Grounds; BBQ and Pesto Pizzas featuring Mindful Chik’n.
“Plant-based food options have played a significant role in our ‘good for people and good for planet’ menu designs,” said Rafi Taherian, Yale Hospitality’s associate vice president. “We continue to work with leading manufacturers in developing product options that meet our requirements and are delicious. Nestlé has provided us with a number of these solutions that we have since incorporated into our offerings.”
The Sweet Earth PB Triple Play recipe contains 27 grams of protein and includes three plant-based alternatives – the Sweet Earth Awesome Burger, Sweet Earth Bac’n, and Sweet Earth Cheeze. The Burger, made with textured pea protein, looks, tastes and cooks like real beef, and similarly the crisp bacon and melty cheese accentuates the authentically mouthwatering taste.
Fleur Veldhoven, Nestlé Professional’s vice president of marketing, stated: “Thankfully, plant-based dining on university campuses no longer means scraping something together at the salad bar. We are happy to be able to offer a diversity of flavorful plant-based ingredients for colleges, restaurants and retailers under the Sweet Earth brand to help increase access to high-quality culinary options that appeal to the masses.”
