Palomar Health, an eight-unit healthcare system in the San Diego area, already boasts a menu that’s about 25% to 28% plant-based, says Jim Metzger, director of hospitality. But he’s got a loftier number in mind—60%, by this summer.
The health profile of Palomar’s patients and employees was a big factor in the decision to go plant-heavy. In northern San Diego County, 57% of deaths can be linked to obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer, Metzger says. “What are we doing to help prevent that based on the food we serve, and making the public more aware?” he says. “When we look at our mission statement to promote health in the community we serve, promoting health is really saying, ‘We prevent disease.’” Here are some steps Palomar is taking toward meeting its plant-based goal.