The 2025 Health Care Culinary Contest will run from October 1-November 30, 2025.

7 winning chefs, 100+ delicious recipes, & 1 remarkable contest
Every year, health care culinary professionals across the country take their menus to new levels in creativity and flavor, all powered by plants.
Health Care Without Harm and Practice Greenhealth team up with Menus of Change, an initiative of The Culinary Institute of America, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the College of Food Innovation & Technology at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island to host our Health Care Culinary Contest.
Participate
Elevate your hard work and creativity while spotlighting your hospital’s plant-forward commitment to a national audience.
Join the VIC list
The contest may be over but the fun has just begun. Want the latest contest tea, tips from former competitors, recipe ideas, and all the updates? Then sign up for our exclusive VIC list (Very Important Chefs) and we'll dish it up regularly throughout the contest and beyond.
Why plant-forward?
Hear first-hand why your fellow chefs and food service pros are embracing the Plant-Forward Future.
Plant-Forward Future resources
Check out our Plant-Forward Future resources that help health care facilities set a plant-forward goal, menu and market plant-forward dishes, and track progress.
Inspiration from 2024
"Food can foster a sense of connection and healing, and I hope this dish offers a taste of home, honoring our shared cultural heritage while promoting plant-based eating for better health.” – Chef Luis Santos
The grand prize winner of the 2024 Health Care Culinary Contest was
Keck Hospital of USC’s deconstructed Honduran tamale
Chef Luis Santos was celebrated at CleanMed 2024, where his winning meal was served to attendees. He will also be honored at the Culinary Institute of America’s Menus of Change Leadership Summit.
Get to know our winning chef and his recipe
A round of applause for our finalists:
Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center's pesto bulgur bliss bowl
Nebraska Medicine's vibrant veggie power bowl
UW Health's farm-to-fork stuffed peppers with roasted red pepper & zucchini enchilada sauce
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital's campanelli à la norma
Celebrating past winners
Our recipes
Download, create, and enjoy recipes from past winners and finalists.