Plant-Based Meals for University Foodservice: A Pilot Study of Production Feasibility and Consumer Acceptance

Increased interest in the sustainable, protein-rich and plant-based foods has been driving university dining centers to explore innovative plant-based menu options. However, scaling up recipes from benchtop to institutional dining centers presents practical challenges that require a systematic pilot evaluation before conducting a full-scale validation study. This pilot feasibility study evaluated two plant-based meals developed through an academic and dining services partnership at a large public university. The meals were a vegan sunrise bowl and a plant-based lasagna. Both used textured soy protein (TSP) as the main protein, and the Sunrise Bowl also used bulgur wheat as a whole-grain base. Three categories were evaluated including production scale-up, functionality, and preliminary consumer acceptance. Both meals were scaled to institutional batch volume and cooked with institutional kitchen equipment. TSP had a high water-uptake capacity, absorbing 184-196% of its dry weight, while bulgur wheat absorbed 124%. The lasagna had a high-protein, high-fiber profile, supplying 59 g of protein and 15 g of dietary fiber per serving. Using a 9-point hedonic scale, the overall liking for lasagna was 7.89 (n=48), while for the sunrise bowl was 7.37 (n=42). Because the samples were independent convenience panels, these results are descriptive. Based on the observed response variances, we estimate that a definitive study would require roughly 80 to 200 respondents per product. Overall, both meals proved feasible to produce and serve in a university dining setting. These findings justify a confirmatory study. They also offer a reproducible model for academia and foodservice to develop plant-based menus.