Meal replacement was the heart of the Green Plate Initiative in its first year, 2024–25. 2024–25 was the first year of the Green Plate Initiative. The focus was building the foundation: engaging institutions, introducing meal replacement, educating students and building public awareness of sustainable food choices.
Year one in numbers
- 5,112 meals replaced
- 5,059 students educated on sustainable food choices
- 5,059 offline pledges collected
- 15 institutions reached
- 91,311 people reached through newspaper coverage
- 5,024 people reached through online news portals
- One institutional partnership established
Plant-Powered Thursdays
The key milestone of the year: Pathshala High School introduced Plant-Powered Thursdays, aiming to replace about 7,200 meals a year with sustainable alternatives.
How meal replacement works in a school
We agree with each school which meals can be swapped for healthier, more sustainable alternatives that suit local tastes and budgets. Students learn why the change matters, take a pledge, and see it on their own plates. Nothing is forced, and local food traditions are respected.
Plant-Powered Thursdays at Pathshala High School
The milestone of the year was Pathshala High School introducing Plant-Powered Thursdays: one day a week of sustainable meals, aiming to replace about 7,200 meals a year.
What year one led to
The first year built the base for 2025–26, when meal replacement grew to 17,023 meals and 9 school MoUs. Since 2024, the Green Plate Initiative has replaced 22,135 meals.
Frequently asked questions
Is meal replacement the same as stopping school meals?
No. Meals are swapped for healthier, sustainable alternatives; students still eat a full meal.
How can a school start meal replacement?
Send a school enquiry and we will visit to plan it with your staff.
How you can help
- Donate to Green Plate: any amount, with an 80G receipt if you add your PAN.
- Volunteer with us in Bajali and Barpeta.
- Companies can fund Green Plate through CSR.
About the Green Plate Initiative
The Green Plate Initiative (2024–2027) promotes healthier, sustainable food choices in schools through meal replacement, student learning and partnerships with institutions in Bajali and Barpeta.
It follows seven principles: healthier, sustainable options; respect for local food traditions; institutional partnerships through MoUs; interactive learning; trained facilitators and canteen staff; student leadership through APP Clubs; and support for schools to keep the change going.
Since 2024 the programme has replaced 22,135 meals and signed 10 school MoUs, and four APP Clubs were formed in 2025–26. See the Green Plate Initiative.
About Jan Briddhi Foundation
Jan Briddhi Foundation is a registered Section 8 not-for-profit company in Bajali, Assam, working since 2022 where help is hardest to reach: brick-kiln camps, flood-hit villages and rural schools. It runs four programmes: the Green Plate Initiative, Puhor, Disaster Relief and NearBlood. It holds 12AB and 80G registrations, so donations are tax-deductible for donors who add their PAN, and is CSR-1 registered. Read our impact reports.
Support Green Plate. Read more about the programme, or help it grow.
