Aladdin’s Vegebond Takeovers boost plant-forward eating on campus

Aladdin Campus Dining has created a Vegebond Takeover program to boost healthful, plant-forward eating among college students.

The program is designed to pop into an existing college dining station or cafe, providing an easy way for foodservice teams to create veggie-centric dishes. Choices range from cauliflower tacos to plant-based chorizo nachos, broccoli cheddar melts, butternut squash toast and a miso salmon fried grain bowl.

Some of the dishes are completely meatless, while others spotlight plants but also include small amounts of lean proteins, such as salmon and turkey. Many of the Vegebond recipes also meet the guidelines of Aladdin’s BeWell platform.

Broccoli Cheddar Melt at Savannah State University/Photo courtesy of Aladdin Campus Dining

“We bring life to Vegebond by creating a super simple concept to implement by placing a culinary twist onto everyday food we are already using—like carrots,” Aladdin Corporate Executive Chef Chris Caracciolo said in a news release. “Students accustomed to fried chicken every Wednesday at Savannah State University were pleasantly surprised when we replaced it with Vegebond. The Beyond Burger with carrot bacon rivaled fried chicken—our biggest seller. The carrot bacon is colorful, crunchy and has a salty taste which appeals to students.”

Vegebond has been especially attractive to smaller colleges with limited dining programs. The turnkey implementation allowed Roosevelt University in Chicago to offer plant-forward items without overtaxing staff, according to Aladdin District Manager Donato Guida, who noted that cash sales increased 25% during the takeover.

Butternut Squash Toast served at Roosevelt University/Photo courtesy of Aladdin Campus Dining

The program is an extension of Aladdin’s partnership with Terrence J. Earlier this year, the foodservice contractor enlisted the actor and TV personality as a spokesperson to promote healthier eating at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) where dining is managed by Aladdin.