Toward a Balanced Meal Future: The Role of Procurement
Public procurement has the potential to shape dietary patterns at scale, particularly in institutions such as schools, hospitals, and military bases. While plant-based food habits are widely recognized for reducing risks of non-communicable diseases, including coronary conditions, procurement policies must also respect human rights and cultural preferences for meat consumption. This paper argues that the most fruitful pathway lies not in exclusionary approaches, but in designing procurement frameworks that promote balanced meals . Such an approach integrates the health benefits of plant-based diets with the principle of individual choice. Future research should therefore explore how procurement strategies can deliver a balanced meal future — one that harmonizes sustainability, nutrition, and human rights. It may be more fruitful to emphasize that procurement should lead to balanced meals . Plant-based food habits certainly protect people from diseases such as coronary heart con...