Wins That Made 2025 a Breakthrough Year for Fiber and Plant-Forward Meals!
- Alice Coleman
- Dec 30, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 31, 2025
If 2024 was the spark, 2025 was the surge! With partners, school nutrition leaders, policymakers, and families, we turned research into recipes, awareness into action, and pilots into scalable programs.
Here are the highlights we’re celebrating—and the momentum we’re carrying forward!
A Year of Fiber Awareness
Our Focus on Fiber public awareness campaign, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg American Health Initiative, reached 65,000+ people during our "15 Days of Fiber" launch in 2024, and our fiber content across Balanced's socials since the kick-off has surpassed 345k+ overall reach!
The interest was clear: people want simple, credible ways to get more fiber on their plate.
That demand set the stage for one of our proudest moments: presenting at the 2025 Bloomberg American Health Summit about the campaign’s impact and the practical tools it inspired.
Since publishing our Fiber White Paper in 2022, we have doubled down on our commitment to high-quality fiber research! We are on track to publish our first-of-its-kind research on nutrition composition in school meals, using a nationally representative dataset of school foods to determine if school meals are adequate in dietary fiber and how menu changes might increase fiber content.
To make fiber-rich meals accessible at home, we launched the Fiber-Rich Meal Guide: 30+ recipes from registered dietitians, nutritionists, doctors, and chefs, plus a weekly meal planner and hydration tracker.
It’s free to download and available in print, because healthy, delicious recipes should be as easy to access as they are to enjoy.
From Awareness to Action in School Food
Families activated, districts engaged
In 2024, we co-led the More Plants on Plates IL public awareness campaign to educate students and their families about the passing of Illinois' “upon request” law, expanding access to plant-based school meals. Families used our digital tool to send over 1,020 requests, engaging 285 school districts (~30% of the state). Building on that success, we expanded the effort nationally by launching More Plants on Plates USA this year.
Professional learning and hands-on support
We also taught the ICN course “Integrating Plant-Based Meat Alternates in the CACFP,” and presented to 600 leaders at the National Head Start Association on the benefits of adding plant-based meals in Head Start programs.
Our Institutional Support team represented Balanced at School Nutrition Association conferences across South Carolina and Massachusetts and at the National Conference in San Antonio, advancing engagement with industry leaders on nutritious, plant-based meals.
Pilots that prove what’s possible
Through our 10-week IL Plant-Based Pilot grant program, we provided eight school districts with microgrants for plant-based product purchasing, menu analysis and redesign, marketing resources, and hands-on support, resulting in 200,000+ plant-based meals served in the 2024–25 school year alone. One district transitioned 75% of its menu to being plant-based, on its way to its 100% goal.
The success of our pilot demonstrated that with the right support, fiber-rich, plant-forward school meals can be both practical and popular. In 2025, we scaled this work by launching a six-month Plant-Based School Lunch Cohort with districts across Illinois and Michigan.
Procurement that sticks
To make adoption easier and stickier, we upgraded our Plant-Based Vendor Directory featuring 315+ vetted products, helping districts streamline procurement and secure dozens of long-term supplier contracts.
Our Fall 2025 sampling initiative brought 13 vendors to 17 schools (50 samples per school), resulting in 11,000+ plant-based meals served.
And for menu planning, our dietitian-approved Balanced Lunch Tray recipe bank keeps growing with tested, K-12-ready dishes.
Policy Momentum for Lasting Change
Massachusetts leadership
We supported the Massachusetts Healthy School Lunch Act and were appointed to the School Meal Nutrition Standards Commission. Through the MA Healthy School Lunch Coalition, we helped shape the Commission’s recommendations—calling for clearly labeled vegetarian/vegan entrées, beans and lentils 3+ times per week, and reduced ultra-processed items—improving standards that touch the trays of roughly 900,000 students!
Building the Field—and the Future
We expanded youth advocacy, internships, and fellowships, investing in the next generation of public health leaders.
Internally, we sustained high staff retention and a strong, values-aligned culture—because consistent teams build durable movements.
What These Wins Add Up To
Evidence + Tools: From the Fiber White Paper to the Fiber-Rich Meal Guide and Balanced Lunch Tray recipe bank, we’re translating science into everyday meals.
Capacity + Community: We have empowered advocates, students, and school nutrition teams to focus on health and well-being on every lunch tray.
Proof Points: Districts across the Midwest are showing that plant-forward meals can be affordable, kid-approved, and operationally feasible.
Policy Momentum: Our programs are making a tangible difference that makes the healthy choice the easy choice!
How You Can Support Our Work
Thank you to every student, parent, educator, food service professional, researcher, policymaker, vendor, and donor who made these wins possible! You have fueled our hope.
We would be honored to be included in your giving plans as you make your final donations for 2025.
Your gift keeps the momentum going—propelling evidence into everyday meals and policy into practice.
Together, we’re nourishing the next generation with fiber-rich, plant-forward school meals—an impactful and meaningful path to healthier kids and healthier communities.
Make a tax-deductible gift by midnight, 12/31!
