Ghent, Belgium has turned Veggie Thursdays into a citywide routine. On Thursdays, schools, community centers, care homes, and many workplaces and restaurants serve meat-free meals as part of an official city effort. The change follows a sharp shift in eating habits: in 2014, 13% of the city’s residents described themselves as flexitarian, while this year that share rose to 83%, according to Business | The Guardian.
At BS De Stadspoort primary school, children arrive for lunch and readily take bowls of chicory soup before moving to mains such as falafel, Mediterranean vegetable tagine, and couscous, with fruit for dessert. Identical meat-free menus appear in other schools and nurseries, plus community centers, care homes, and assisted living facilities across the city. Thursday in Ghent is officially “Veggie Day,” with residents encouraged to avoid meat and fish.
Key Facts
- Ghent, Belgium designated Thursday as “Veggie Day” with meat-free meals.
- Schoolchildren eat meat-free lunches including falafel, tagine, and couscous.
- In 2014, 13% of Ghent residents were flexitarian; this year that share rose to 83%.
- Meat-free meals appear in schools, community centers, care homes, and workplaces.
- The effort seeks to convince residents to eat plant-based foods willingly.
How did Ghent turn Veggie Thursdays into habit?
The shift did not happen overnight. Over roughly a decade, the share of Ghent residents describing themselves as flexitarian climbed from 13% in 2014 to 83% this year, Business | The Guardian reports. That tenfold increase signals a broad cultural change within a single generation. The official “Veggie Day” on Thursdays anchors the change, giving residents a predictable weekly rhythm tied to public policy rather than individual choice alone.
By embedding meat-free menus in schools and nurseries first, the city reached children directly. Pupils at BS De Stadspoort and similar sites line up for bowls of chicory soup, then plates of falafel, Mediterranean vegetable tagine, and couscous, finishing with fruit. Removing meat from these meals daily, and especially on Thursdays, normalizes plant-based eating for young people before habits harden. The same menus extend to community centers, care homes, and assisted living facilities, so the practice spreads across age groups.
What happens next for Ghent’s plant-based push?
The program now reaches far beyond cafeterias. Many work canteens and restaurants in Ghent also participate in Veggie Thursdays, widening exposure and making plant-based options routine rather than niche. This expansion suggests the city views dietary change as both a public health and an economic signal, reinforcing a local market for vegetarian and vegan goods.
Whether the trend continues depends on whether residents keep choosing plant-based foods outside the weekly event and whether businesses sustain the menus. Business | The Guardian frames the story as a case study in how municipal policy can reshape eating culture, though long-term adherence remains an open question.
What We Know — and What We Don’t
Verified by the source:
- Thursday is officially “Veggie Day” in Ghent, Belgium.
- Meat-free meals are served in schools, nurseries, community centers, care homes, and some workplaces and restaurants.
- At BS De Stadspoort primary school, children eat chicory soup, falafel, vegetable tagine, and couscous on Thursdays.
- In 2014, 13% of Ghent residents were flexitarian; this year, 83% are.
- The city encourages residents to avoid meat and fish on Thursdays.
Still unconfirmed:
- No official city data or dates verify the 13% to 83% flexitarian figures.
- The reporting period and sample size behind the statistics are not stated.
- Names and exact numbers of participating schools, care homes, or restaurants are not listed.
- No health, environmental, or economic outcomes from the program are reported.
- It is unclear how many residents maintain plant-based eating beyond Thursday.
Why It Matters
Ghent’s approach shows how a mid-sized city can use routine public meals and a weekly theme to nudge large numbers of residents toward plant-based eating. As climate and health pressures mount, Veggie Thursdays offers a replicable model linking municipal policy, school meals, and consumer behavior. Learn more about related policy moves in our economy and markets coverage. For broader environmental angles, see climate and environment.
What To Watch
Future reporting should compare long-term participation rates against the 83% flexitarian figure and track whether meat-free menus persist beyond Thursdays. Officials have not commented on plans to expand or adjust Veggie Thursdays in coming years.