Burgers with a Conscience
There is a profound shift in consumer behaviour. The world is witnessing an increase of “mindful” consumers – the health-conscious and environmentally “woke” who choose to be more informed about sustainable, healthier, and ethical food practices – who, consequently, are more savvy purchasers.
Consumers are demanding food and services providers to offer options aligned with their values. Plant-based products have been gaining momentum of late – plant-based burgers, especially. These meatless burgers have been touted as sustainable, environment-friendly alternatives to beef or poultry burgers, without compromising one’s recommended protein consumption.
What is Sustainable May Not Always be Pocket-Friendly
The protein content of the currently popular meatless burgers compares with the protein derived from beef and poultry. With the premium price tag of these plant-based burger alternatives, it is challenging for us to offer it to the school community at a reasonable cost.
A Sustainable, Economical Solution: I Am Possible Burgers
The United World College South East Asia (UWCSEA) kitchen in SIngapore was where it all began. UWCSEA, a steadfast champion of a sustainable future, has constantly challenged Sodexo to come up with sustainable offers. Although the meatless burger concept is not a novel concept, our own meatless burger recipe was conceived with the UWCSEA community’s particular ethos and requirements in mind: all-natural, sustainable ingredients at a price that is affordable to everyone in the community. Thus, the “I Am Possible” burger was born.
Made entirely in-house, the variety of patties consist of vegetable trimmings from potatoes, carrots, onions, yellow squash, zucchini, and broccoli, and enhanced with fat-free refried beans, couscous, cornmeal, cumin, and other natural ingredients. The buns are baked fresh at the UWCSEA on-site bakery, with the following main ingredients to choose from: olive, wholemeal, beetroot, quinoa, hotdog, oatmeal, and green garden broccoli. The topping options include sautéed mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, coleslaw, lettuce, and wilted onions.
All the components of I Am Possible burgers are made in-house – from scratch – which is why a full set (comprising of the burger and one side dish) is sold at only $5.50. A price that the community can afford. Other than being an alternative source of protein, the burgers are also cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat.
Healthy Indulgence in the Middle of a School Day
Students and faculty alike were excited to try out the burgers. The burgers were sold out on the day of the launch. The community expressed delight in having a wide variety of options, from the buns to the toppings. The burger is a healthy, colourful indulgence and caters to a wide variety of palates – vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
The clients were equally pleased. Simon Thomas, director of operations and facilities at UWCSEA, found the I Am Possible burger hard to resist, “…then I saw this burger. And this is, to be honest, a temptation.”
Aman Singh, head of operations and facilities at UWCSEA, was pleased to see the community indulging in comfort food, a brief respite, notwithstanding the short lunch period, “So, burgers are generally described as not very healthy food, but tasty of course. But if you have come up with something [like this] … it’s spinach. I don’t think I’ll be eating spinach otherwise. Look at the patties, vegetarian patties. Freshly-sautéed onions, some tomato. [The onion rings] might not be the healthiest, but you do need some tasting accompaniments. And having said that, the overall engagement with the idea and the food is fantastic in my view. Thank you very much for bringing it to the community.”
Better Tomorrow 2025: Provide and encourage our consumers to access healthy lifestyle choices
For us at Sodexo, food choices matter for our health, the environment, and for the people who prepare it for the community. Which is why we are committed to offering healthy lifestyle options for 100% of our consumers daily by 2025. I Am Possible burgers are aligned with our pledge to ensure that the food we serve to the community is nourishing, responsibly sourced and of great quality – without compromising taste.
Learn more about our nine (9) commitments for a Better Tomorrow.