'Food is medicine': Health care provider nationally recognized for plant-forward meal

PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO THE REGION. NOW, ALONG WITH UNMC, THEY’RE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR FOOD. NEWSWATCH 79TH MARY REGLI DIGS IN AND TELLS US ALL ABOUT IT. JUST BUILDING LAYERS OF FLAVOR ON HERE. EXECUTIVE CHEFS JOY HADLEY AND MATTHEW WORLEY TAKE TO NEBRASKA MEDS KITCHENS WITH A MANTRA IN MIND FOOD IS MEDICINE. IT FUELS THEIR MINDSET AS THEY SERVE UP DELICIOUS MEALS FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS. AGAIN, JUST KIND OF LAYERING FLAVORS ON TOP. IT’S ALL ABOUT HAVING A BALANCED DIET. MEAT AND POTATOES IS GREAT, BUT LET’S EAT SOME MORE VEGGIES AND SOME MORE. LET’S GET SOME PROTEIN FROM OUR PLANTS. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S ON THEIR MENU. EVERY MONDAY, A MEATLESS MEAL THAT TASTES JUST AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS. THEY GOT THE CHANCE TO PUT THEIR CREATIVITY TO THE TEST WITH A NATIONAL PLANT CULINARY COMPETITION FOR HOSPITALS. NEBRASKA BEING, YOU KNOW, JUST MEAT AND POTATOES. MATT AND I, WITH OUR LOVE OF FOOD, WE’RE LIKE, WELL, WHY NOT? THIS WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES. AND, YOU KNOW, GET PLANT BASED FOODS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A BUZZ AROUND THAT. UNMC STUDENTS TASTE TESTED AND CHOSE THE BEST PLANT BASED CREATION, COMPLETE WITH PICKLED VEGGIES, CRISPY TOFU AND AVOCADO ON A BED OF BASMATI STEAMED RICE. THE RESULT? A VIBRANT VEGGIE POWER BOWL THAT PACKS A PUNCH. YOU CAN ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, JUST GET ALL THOSE DIFFERENT FLAVORS INTO EVERY SINGLE BITE WHEN YOU EAT IT. THEIR DISH MADE IT BIG, RANKING IN THE TOP FIVE AMONG HOSPITALS COMPETING ALL OVER THE NATION. THAT NEWS CAME AS A SHOCK. I’M NOT GOING TO LIE. I WAS LIKE, WAIT, HOLD ON. IS THIS SERIOUS? BECAUSE IT’S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’RE COOKING AND YOU DO THINGS, EVEN THOUGH IT’S A COMPETITION, YOU’RE NOT REALLY DOING IT TO NECESSARILY WIN. YOU’RE DOING IT BECAUSE IT’S FUN. WITH EASILY ACCESSIBLE AND CUSTOMIZABLE INGREDIENTS, THEY HOPE THE POWERBALL WILL INSPIRE NEBRASKANS TO BRING PLANT BASED COOKING INTO THEIR OWN KITCHENS. EATING FROM THE EARTH IS SO ESSENTIAL TO OUR MOODS. HOW YOU WAKE UP, HOW YOU FEEL. SO THAT'

Updated: 4:10 PM CDT Jul 6, 2025

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'Food is medicine': Health care provider nationally recognized for plant-forward meal

Updated: 4:10 PM CDT Jul 6, 2025

Editorial Standards ⓘ

Nebraska Medicine is known for the comprehensive care that it provides.Now, it and the University of Nebraska Medical Center are nationally recognized for something a little bit different — their food. Executive chefs Joy Hadley and Matthew Wehrle take to Nebraska Med's kitchens with a mantra in mind: Food is medicine. It fuels their mindset as they serve up delicious meals for patients and providers."So it's all about having a balanced diet. Meat and potatoes is great, but let's eat some more veggies and some more. Let's get some protein from our plants," said Hadley. That is exactly what is on their menu every Monday — a meatless meal that tastes just as good as it looks. They got the chance to put their creativity to the test with a national plant-based culinary competition for hospitals. "With Nebraska being, you know, just meat and potatoes, Matt and I, with our love of food, were like, 'Why not?' This would be a great opportunity to challenge ourselves and, you know, get plant-based food, you know, kind of a buzz around that," said Hadley. UNMC students taste-tested and chose the best plant-based creation, complete with pickled vegetables, crispy tofu and avocado on a bed of steamed brown rice. The result? A vibrant veggie power bowl that packs a punch. "You can actually just get all those different flavors into every single bite when you eat it," said Wehrle. Their dish made it big, ranking in the top five among hospitals competing all over the nation. That news came as a shock to Wehrle and Hadley."I'm not going to lie. I was like, 'wait, hold on. Is it serious?' Because it's like, you know, when you're cooking and you do things, even though it's a competition, you're not really doing it to necessarily to win, you're doing it because it's fun," said Hadley. With easily accessible and customizable ingredients, they hope the power bowl will inspire Nebraskans to bring plant-based cooking into their own kitchens. "Eating from the earth is so essential to our mood. How you wake up, how you feel, so that's definitely important," said Hadley.

Nebraska Medicine is known for the comprehensive care that it provides.

Now, it and the University of Nebraska Medical Center are nationally recognized for something a little bit different — their food.

Executive chefs Joy Hadley and Matthew Wehrle take to Nebraska Med's kitchens with a mantra in mind: Food is medicine.

It fuels their mindset as they serve up delicious meals for patients and providers.

"So it's all about having a balanced diet. Meat and potatoes is great, but let's eat some more veggies and some more. Let's get some protein from our plants," said Hadley.

That is exactly what is on their menu every Monday — a meatless meal that tastes just as good as it looks.

They got the chance to put their creativity to the test with a national plant-based culinary competition for hospitals.

"With Nebraska being, you know, just meat and potatoes, Matt and I, with our love of food, were like, 'Why not?' This would be a great opportunity to challenge ourselves and, you know, get plant-based food, you know, kind of a buzz around that," said Hadley.

UNMC students taste-tested and chose the best plant-based creation, complete with pickled vegetables, crispy tofu and avocado on a bed of steamed brown rice.

The result? A vibrant veggie power bowl that packs a punch.

"You can actually just get all those different flavors into every single bite when you eat it," said Wehrle.

Their dish made it big, ranking in the top five among hospitals competing all over the nation.

That news came as a shock to Wehrle and Hadley.

"I'm not going to lie. I was like, 'wait, hold on. Is it serious?' Because it's like, you know, when you're cooking and you do things, even though it's a competition, you're not really doing it to necessarily to win, you're doing it because it's fun," said Hadley.

With easily accessible and customizable ingredients, they hope the power bowl will inspire Nebraskans to bring plant-based cooking into their own kitchens.

"Eating from the earth is so essential to our mood. How you wake up, how you feel, so that's definitely important," said Hadley.

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