The resources in this section support implementation of various aspects of values-aligned food purchasing and service (e.g., vendor solicitations, food waste reduction, cost management) at the institutional level. This section is most applicable to government and institutional food procurement and food service practitioners.

Best practices

Sample Solicitation Language for Cafeteria and Food Services (n.d.) | U.S. General Services Administration Public Building Service: The U.S. General Services Administration created several resources to support federal procurement officials in incorporating health and sustainability considerations into solicitations for food services in federal facilities. Please note these resources refer to the 2011 Health and Sustainability Guidelines for Federal Concessions and Vending Operations, which have been replaced by the 2017 Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities.
Solicitations Toolkit (2022) | Center for Good Food Purchasing: This toolkit was developed to empower institutions to use solicitation documents and strategies to further the goal of creating a transparent and equitable food system that supports the health of people, animals, and the planet. It is designed for institutional food procurement specialists who have already committed to using solicitations to increase their values-based food procurement, and particularly for institutions enrolled in the GFPP. The toolkit offers a variety of customizable solicitation language and tools as well as examples from real institutions participating in the GFPP.
Advancing School Food Procurement: Driving Values-Based Purchasing through Competitive Solicitations (2022) | The Common Market: This resource is intended to inspire and support schools interested in shifting toward or growing opportunities for values-based procurement through expert key findings, tangible tips, case studies, and real-world competitive solicitations and contract examples. Many of the recommendations and language are applicable to non-K-12 institutions as well.
Setting the Table for Success: A Toolkit for Increasing Local Food Purchasing by Institutional Food Service Management (n.d.) | Farm to Institution New England: This toolkit was designed to help institutional staff understand the process to request proposals from and negotiate contracts with food service management companies in order to maximize opportunities to incorporate regional food. These tools are also applicable to: self-operated facilities for use in setting internal goals and contracting with group purchasing organizations or directly with suppliers, values-aligned procurement efforts that encompass more than local economies, and stakeholders outside of New England.
A Roadmap for Regional Good Food Purchasing (2023) | SPUR, Center for Good Food Purchasing: The San Francisco Bay Area Local Food Purchasing Collaborative is a partnership of 12 institutions that together spend more than $40 million annually on food. SPUR worked with the collaborative to prepare this roadmap and toolkit of resources to assist policymakers, implementers, and advocates interested in approaching values-based procurement as a region. It charts a vision forward for the Bay Area and can serve as a model for other regions. The State of Good Food Purchasing in 2022 report provides additional context.
Organic School Food Roadmap (2021) | Friends of the Earth: This resource is a practical “how-to” guide, developed to help California school food service teams make organic purchasing decisions and overcome key challenges when buying organic foods. The insights captured from school districts’ experience are applicable to other institutional sectors as well.

Sustainable Eating: Pulling the Levers in Food Service (2024) | World Wildlife Fund, Sodexo: This report identifies the most impactful actions that contracted food service providers can take to deliver the planning, production, and uptake of more sustainable meals.
Playbook for Guiding Diners Toward Plant-Rich Dishes in Food Service (2020) | World Resources Institute: This playbook outlines effective behavior change strategies that food service companies can use to serve up sustainable food options diners will want to buy. These strategies are based on up-to-date evidence from behavioral science research combined with expert input from the food service industry.
Greener by Default Resource Guide (n.d.) | Greener by Default: A Greener by Default menu features plant-based meals as the default, while giving diners the choice to opt into meat and/or dairy. This resource guide presents the evidence for going Greener by Default and explains how to implement the concept in any dining setting.
Plant-Forward Future (n.d.) | Practice Greenhealth: This is the landing page of a set of curated resources from Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm, and partners that will help health care facilities set a plant-forward goal, menu, and market plant-forward dishes, and track their progress. The three main subpages include a high-level how-to guide, the case for plant-forward from the viewpoint of different stakeholders, and an extensive library of additional resources to support implementation, marketing, and tracking.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans and Older Adults: Toolkit for Senior Nutrition Programs (2023) | Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: This toolkit is designed to help senior nutrition programs develop nutrition policies that meet the Older Americans Act requirements to align with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Cultural Preferences in Food Service (2022) | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: This information was developed to help public health professionals understand the importance of providing culturally preferred foods, suggest ways to collaborate with vendors and other partners, and offer guidance on how to support implementation of cultural preferences in food service.
Forward Food On-Demand Resources (n.d.) | Forward Food: Forward Food compiled its on-demand resources for plant-based food service, including toolkits, how to host your own culinary training, and lists of plant-based options for meats, cheese, butter, eggs, and more.
Menus of Change Resources (n.d.) | Culinary Institute of America, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Menus of Change is an educational initiative designed to help chefs and the foodservice industry stay ahead of health and environmental issues and trends that are reshaping the future of our industry, our consumers and our planet. This page includes helpful resources such as the latest data on consumer trends in plant-forward eating and strategies to diversify protein options on your menu.