Forward Food, a program of Friends of HSI and Humane Society International/Canada, continues to collaborate with Toronto Shelter and Support Services (TSSS) to increase the availability of compassionate, healthy, and sustainable plant-based dishes at city-run shelters across Toronto.
On September 19, 2024, Forward Food hosted a hands-on culinary training event for 14 cooks from various city-run shelters in Toronto, ON. This followed Toronto Shelter and Support Services (TSSS) signing of the Forward Food pledge in early 2024, committing to making their food offerings at least 20% more plant-based. This significant shift to serving more plant-based foods not only enhances the well-being of TSSS’s clients but also helps reduce the number of farmed animals used in foodservice and minimizes the agency’s environmental footprint.
Led by the talented Chef Amy Symington, Forward Food’s culinary specialist, and with support from the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank, the one-day session equipped participants with the skills needed to prepare a variety of delicious plant-based dishes, demonstrating how flavourful and accessible plant-forward meals can be.
The dishes made throughout the training highlighted various plant-based proteins and ingredients, including creamy corn chowder with tofu chorizo, sweet potato and tahini soup, Caesar salad with tempeh bacon, curried chickpea salad sandwiches, jalapeño cornbread, and more.
Recognizing the diverse cultural backgrounds of the shelter clients, many of whom have origins outside of Canada including north, west and east Africa, Forward Food collaborated with a Toronto-based chef of African heritage with extensive knowledge of cuisines from the continent, to highlight traditional plant-based recipes as well. These included Molokhia (jute mallow) with chickpeas, Shiro Stew, Kuku Paka Vegetable Stew and Ghanaian Red Red Stew. By integrating these culturally significant dishes into TSSS’s offerings, their menus will better reflect the heritage of their clients.
In the afternoon, three TSSS staff members conducted their own culinary demonstrations, showcasing additional plant-based African dishes. They shared recipes such as Misir Wat, African Bean Pudding (Moimoi), and Fufu with their colleagues, passing on their culinary expertise while celebrating their own food traditions.
All of the food prepared during the training was served at the Junction Place shelter for both lunch and dinner, allowing clients to try the new dishes. The overwhelmingly positive feedback, particularly for the soups, stews, and creamy kale Caesar salad, showed how satisfying and enjoyable plant-based meals can be.
This culinary training, which was the second one we have held with TSSS, was more than just a learning experience—it was an opportunity to collaborate, celebrate cultures, and build new skills. TSSS’ cooks left with increased confidence and expertise, ready to continue offering nutritious, plant-based meals to their clients while contributing to a more compassionate, healthy and sustainable food system.
About Toronto Shelter and Support Services (TSSS)
Toronto Shelter and Support Services directly operates and also funds community agencies that deliver:
- Emergency shelter, 24-hour respite and drop-in programs
- Wrap-around support services
- Street outreach
The Division’s top priority is to ensure that those experiencing homelessness have access to temporary accommodation when they need it, as well as wrap-around and housing-focused supports to help ensure homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring. To do that, the Division works with community partners and stakeholders to deliver person-centered, outcome-focused services to help improve the overall well-being of individuals experiencing homelessness and help connect them with housing.
About Forward Food
Forward Food is an innovative culinary resource program that helps the foodservice industry – foodservice management companies, large-scale institutions such as universities and hospitals, restaurants, food distributors, and other operations – to put plants at the centre of the plate. The program offers culinary training, recipes, menu development support, guidance on marketing and communications, educational sessions, and greenhouse gas impact assessments to help foodservice professionals meet the increasing demand for delicious, accessible plant-based options. Forward Food provides services free of charge, and asks those they work with to sign the Forward Food pledge to make their menus or food purchasing at least 20% more plant-based.
Ready to bring Forward Food to your food service operation? Contact us to learn more!