"My biggest takeaway [was] learning that [plant-based] meals can really be creative, fun, healthy and easy to make".
The Humane World Foundation’s Forward Food program recently collaborated with the City of Toronto, the Scott Mission, and the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank to deliver hands-on culinary training for cooks working across Toronto’s charitable food sector. Generously supported in part by Pulse Canada, who provided the canned pulses used throughout the day, the initiative equipped cooks with both the skills and inspiration needed to offer more plant-rich and nourishing meals to their communities.
Forward Food is a free culinary resource program that helps foodservice teams across Canada create more sustainable, compassionate, healthy and cost-effective menus by incorporating more tasty plant-based dishes into their daily operations.
On August 21, 2025, Forward Food ran a culinary education session, led by plant-based expert and nutrition researcher, Chef Amy Symington. More than 20 cooks from five charitable food organizations across the Greater Toronto Area took part, joining together in the kitchen to explore why and how to serve more plant-rich meals.
Participants prepared a wide range of flavourful recipes, including Caesar salad with tempeh bacon, sesame-fried millet, lentil Bolognese, Kuku Paka vegetable stew, okra mushroom gumbo, and desserts such as raspberry bars, oatmeal cookies, and silken chocolate mousse. The dishes prepared during the session were then served to approximately 500 patrons of The Scott Mission.
The training received excellent feedback from participants, who shared that they felt more confident using plant-based ingredients in the kitchen. One training participant expressed:
"My biggest takeaway [was] learning that [plant-based] meals can really be creative, fun, healthy and easy to make".
Staff and patrons also responded positively to the meals. Forward Food is proud to continue supporting food operations in making plant-rich eating more accessible, delicious, and impactful for communities.
About Forward Food:
Forward Food is an innovative culinary resource program that helps the foodservice industry – foodservice management companies, large-scale institutions such as universities and hospitals, restaurants, food distributors, and other operations – to put plants at the centre of the plate. The program offers culinary training, recipes, menu development support, guidance on marketing and communications, educational sessions, and greenhouse gas impact assessments to help foodservice professionals meet the increasing demand for delicious, accessible plant-based options. Forward Food provides services free of charge, and asks those they work with to sign the Forward Food pledge to make their menus or food purchasing more plant-based.
Ready to bring Forward Food to your food service operation? Contact us to learn more!