{"id":122675,"date":"2025-06-04T01:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T06:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=122675"},"modified":"2025-06-03T11:50:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T16:50:49","slug":"big-flavors-big-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/06\/04\/big-flavors-big-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Big flavors, big win for two med center chefs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Who said hospital food can\u2019t be crave-worthy? Med center chefs just proved it can be award-winning, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chefs Joy Hadley and\u202fMatt Wehrle placed in the top five\u202fof the\u202f2024 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\u2019s Medical Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hadley and Wehrle\u2019s award-winning creation, the\u202fVibrant 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur goal is to make healthy eating exciting and accessible, proving that nourishing food can be delicious,\u201d Wehrle said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recipe was inspired by Hadley\u2019s personal wellness journey through plant-based eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor years, I struggled with chronic pain, including persistent stomach issues, debilitating migraines and body aches that sometimes left me bedridden,\u201d she said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To promote the dish, Hadley and Wehrle hosted a\u202fzero-waste tasting event\u202fin 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 Caf\u00e9, selling out quickly and ultimately serving\u202f120 bowls\u202fin a single day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis recognition is a proud milestone in our broader efforts to integrate sustainability and health-forward thinking into Food Services,\u201d said Julie Juddi, director support services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the med center\u2019s first time participating in the contest, hosted by\u202fPractice Greenhealth \u2013 a membership and networking organization for sustainable health care that the med center partners with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re now using tools to track and reduce food waste in our kitchens, supporting our goal of achieving\u202fnet-zero waste by 2030,\u201d said Jerrod Bley, manager for sustainability. \u201cWe\u2019re also participating in sustainability performance benchmarking to see how we stack up against other health systems nationally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vibrant Veggie Power Bowl will return to Nebraska Caf\u00e9 soon, and more plant-forward dishes are on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re 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 Caf\u00e9 mindful station and on the patient menu, continuing to offer meals that are good for people and the planet,\u201d Juddi said.<\/p>\nsclKyb tDv PwgvM<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chefs Joy Hadley and\u202fMatt Wehrle earned national recognition for their plant-based culinary innovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":122678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"63202,29910,52068,52535,119286,73091","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","topic-wellness","department-unmc-today-todays-headlines","author_override-aimee-grindstaff-nebraska-medicine"],"yoast_head":"\nBig flavors, big win for two med center chefs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" 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