On the 1st of March 2023, the Green Deal Sustainable Care 3.0 implementation plan was published. This implementation plan sets out the following targets for nutrition:
- By 1 January 2030, the food offered in hospitals will comply with the Eating Environments Guideline issued by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
- By 2026, 50% of the protein in the food offered in hospitals will be of plant origin.
Goals regarding nutrition:
- From 2023 onwards, all university medical centres will incorporate the objectives of the Green Deal DZ into their tenders for medical and non-medical nutrition.
- In 2024, the working group will launch a joint communication programme aimed at changing the behaviour of patients, visitors and employees, focusing on promoting, and nudging sustainable and healthy nutrition (including the switch to plant-based nutrition).
- All UMCs aim to update all long-term contracts with suppliers and caterers by 2025 to include the objectives of the Green Deal DZ.
- By 2025 at the latest, all UMCs will follow all measures of the Goede Zorg Proef Je (Good Care Tastes Good) initiative of the Alliantie Voeding in de Zorg (Alliance for Nutrition in Care).
- By 2025, the food offered by all UMCs will be 100% in line with the Dutch Nutrition Centre’s Eating Environment Guidelines (Schijf van Vijf).
Lifestyle goals:
- Smoking: By 2025, all university medical centres will be smoke-free and this will be more strictly enforced. The aim is to promote the health of patients and staff by discouraging smoking and preventing the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
- Exercise: Attention to nutrition, exercise, a healthy lifestyle and underlying issues is important in the work of healthcare and welfare professionals with individuals and families where overweight or obesity plays a role.
- Alcohol: UMCs aim to stop serving or selling alcohol from 2025 onwards. By discouraging alcohol consumption, UMCs are sending a strong signal that is in line with their goal of promoting the health of patients, visitors and staff.
Getting started: Sustainable nutrition project in hospitals
In order to get started with the NFU’s Green Deal Sustainable Care implementation plan, a project group with representatives from all university centres was set up in September 2023. Over the coming months, they will be working on the following work packages.
The project will initially be implemented by the university medical centres, with the intention of expanding to all hospitals and then to other sectors of healthcare. We are seeking to collaborate as much as possible with parties such as Goede Zorg Proef Je, ToekomstProef, Milieuplatform zorgsector, de groene zorgalliantie, and others.
Workpackage 1 – Request for experiences, knowledge, and projects and dwarwing up a knowledge agenda
- Establishment of an expert group on sustainable nutrition. This group will consist of those responsible within the UMCs for achieving the objectives for nutrition as described in the Green Deal Sustainable Care implementation plan.
- Inventory of the activities of Dutch hospitals in the field of nutrition and sustainability in the areas of care, research and education.
- Drawing up a knowledge agenda for sustainable nutrition in hospitals.
Project leaders: Dr Hinke Kruizenga and Dr Nicolette Wierdsma (Amsterdam UMC)
Project group: Prof. Koen Joosten (Erasmus MC), Dr Kirsten Berk (Erasmus MC), Kevin Kap (Erasmus MC), Dr Sascha Verbruggen (Erasmus MC), Yaren Zügül MSc (LUMC), Elly Baak (LUMC), Dr Sandra Beijer (MUMC+), Dr Manon van den Berg (Radboudumc), Rianne Vehof (Radboudumc), Elitsa Noom (Radboudumc), Jaap Buis (Radboudumc), Alice Rodenburg (UMCG), Fiamma Geelhoed MSc (UMCG), Annemieke Kok MSc (UMC Utrecht), Lilian van der Ven (UMC Utrecht), Sandra Griffioen (UMC Utrecht), Hanneke Bruggink MSc (Amsterdam UMC), Sanne Wolters MSc (Amsterdam UMC)
Workpackage 2 – Development of information material for patients, informal carers (and consumers / interested parties)
- What is the optimal ratio between animal and plant proteins?
- How can you responsibly eat more plant-based foods during illness and recovery?
Where possible, these materials will be shared via existing websites (such as Goede Zorg Proef Je or Toekomstproef.nl) and will be freely available for use and adaptation by hospitals and other healthcare institutions. The materials will supplement those already available from sources such as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. Collaboration will be sought with ongoing projects at Wageningen University & Research, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and other institutions.
Project leader: Hanneke Bruggink MSc (Amsterdam UMC)
Project group: Fiamma Geelhoed (UMCG), Carmen Dietvorst (Erasmus MC), Rianne Vehof and Elitsa Noom (Radboudumc), Annemieke Kok (UMCU) and Yaren Zügül MSc (LUMC)
Workpackage 3 – Training of dietitians and other healthcare professionals
Objective: To increase knowledge and tools for composing high-quality, compact nutrition from plant sources.
- Training materials for dieticians and facility department staff (such as nutrition assistants) with the aim of building knowledge about protein quality and the use of
supporting calculation tools. The training will be offered via Voeding & Beweging NU (Nutrition & Exercise NOW). - An online tool that allows dietitians to calculate the optimal ratio of amino acids per meal by combining different protein sources. The tool will be publicly accessible without restrictions. (Developed by Amsterdam UMC and available via Voeding & Beweging NU)
Project leader: Dr Hinke Kruizenga
Workpackage 4 – Benchmark nutrition concepts for hospital and accompany toolkit for facility departments
Reassessment of benchmark nutrition concepts in hospitals
Development of a toolkit to support the implementation of more sustainable healthy nutrition and the reduction of food waste.
Project leader: Dr Manon van den Berg (Radboudumc)
With the cooperation of: Jaap Buis (Radboudumc), Lotte Vervoort (Radboudumc), Lois Voors (Radboudumc)
Workpackage 5 – Focus groups and menu choices: patients in the children’s hospital and their parents
As the generation of the future, children have a vested interest in both the sustainability and health effects of the green protein transition. However, little is known
about the motivations of children and their parents when choosing more plant-based foods. It is unclear to what extent children and their parents associate more
plant-based foods with sustainability or consider them healthy for (sick) children, and which factors determine their menu choices.
- Focus groups with children and parents
- Mapping current menu choices, current energy/protein intake from plant-based and animal-based products, and food waste (leftovers) at the patient level in
the Erasmus MC children’s hospital.
Project leader: Dr Kirsten Berk (Erasmus MC)
Project group: Prof. Koen Joosten (Erasmus MC), Carmen Dietvorst (Erasmus MC), Dr Sascha Verbruggen (Erasmus MC), Kevin Kap (Erasmus MC)
Workpackage 6 – Symposium on sustainable nutrition in hospitals
On Thursday, 21 November 2024, this project will conclude with an inspiring symposium. Short presentations will be given in TED talk format.
An extensive information market will be organised where good examples can be exchanged. Hospitals can share their successes here, companies can present their innovative products and offer samples. Software/apps for monitoring waste, for example, can also be demonstrated here. The participants in the information market are part of the symposium and the programme.
Performed by
Funded by
