Who said hospital food can’t be crave-worthy? Med center chefs just proved it can be award-winning, too.
Chefs Joy Hadley and Matt Wehrle placed in the top five of the 2024 Health Care Culinary Contest, a national competition where heath care culinary professionals showcase their creativity and talent by creating redesigned cultural dishes that are plant-forward. More than 30 entries were submitted from health systems across the country, and Nebraska Medicine and UNMC were selected for this honor alongside Keck Medicine of USC, UW Health, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Hadley and Wehrle’s award-winning creation, the Vibrant Veggie Power Bowl, offers flavor, nutrition and sustainability. The bowl features steamed brown rice, a zesty Thai-marinated cucumber salad, pickled daikon and carrots, Kimchi-style cabbage, charred broccoli, crispy sweet Thai chili tofu, fresh herbs and creamy avocado.
“Our goal is to make healthy eating exciting and accessible, proving that nourishing food can be delicious,” Wehrle said.
The recipe was inspired by Hadley’s personal wellness journey through plant-based eating.
“For years, I struggled with chronic pain, including persistent stomach issues, debilitating migraines and body aches that sometimes left me bedridden,” she said. “I committed to a 30-day vegan challenge, not realizing how life-changing it would be. What started as an experiment became a life-altering shift, lasting six years and counting. This transformation ignited my passion for plant-based cooking.”
The recipe was selected through a collaborative process involving the LiveGreen Ambassadors Employee Resource Group, food services leaders and other health professionals and students across Nebraska Medicine and UNMC. After narrowing down eight plant-forward concepts, a tasting panel evaluated the top three based on aroma, taste, texture and creativity. The Vibrant Veggie Power Bowl emerged as the clear favorite.
To promote the dish, Hadley and Wehrle hosted a zero-waste tasting event in the student activity center, serving 40 samples in compostable containers and collecting feedback. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Due to popular demand, the bowl was featured in Nebraska Café, selling out quickly and ultimately serving 120 bowls in a single day.
“This recognition is a proud milestone in our broader efforts to integrate sustainability and health-forward thinking into Food Services,” said Julie Juddi, director support services.
This was the med center’s first time participating in the contest, hosted by Practice Greenhealth – a membership and networking organization for sustainable health care that the med center partners with.
“We’re now using tools to track and reduce food waste in our kitchens, supporting our goal of achieving net-zero waste by 2030,” said Jerrod Bley, manager for sustainability. “We’re also participating in sustainability performance benchmarking to see how we stack up against other health systems nationally.”
The Vibrant Veggie Power Bowl will return to Nebraska Café soon, and more plant-forward dishes are on the horizon.
“We’re looking forward to exploring more ways to make plant-based eating a central part of our food offerings, such as meatless Mondays at the Nebraska Café mindful station and on the patient menu, continuing to offer meals that are good for people and the planet,” Juddi said.
I’ve really been enjoying the Mindful area of the cafeteria with more veggies and whole grains. Very tasty dishes that are filling and healthy.
Love all of this Sodexo is a great partner!
I love this! In the 3+ years that I have worked here I have seen amazing changes in the food choices. As someone that follows a vegan lifestyle it is always difficult to find foods that I will eat – however, Chef Wehrle has really expanded the options (and they’re good)! Keep up the good work.