Duke University Adds Nadura’s Plant-Based Meat Across Campus Dining Menus

Building on its plant-forward pledge, Duke University’s dining programme has partnered with Nadura Foods to introduce plant-based meat products to its menus across the campus from the Fall 2026 semester.

Duke University has taken a sizeable step in its bid to make campus dining more plant-forward, teaming up with Dubai-based Nadura Foods to add a host of meat alternatives on its menus.

Beginning with the Fall 2026 semester, the North Carolina-based university’s foodservice programme, Duke Dining, will offer Nadura’s range of meat-free proteins, including beef, chicken and kebabs made from rice and pea protein, to students across the campus.

It builds on the university’s existing goal to expand plant-forward menu options. “This collaboration gives Duke Dining another versatile way to bring plant-forward and protein-rich options into everyday menus while continuing to expand the variety and quality of our offerings,” said Grayson Crabtree, programme director of Duke Dining.

“Most importantly, it allows us to provide choices that we believe our students and the broader Duke community will genuinely enjoy.”

Duke Dining hails versatility of Nadura’s meat alternatives

Nadura was launched in 2024 as a subsidiary of Emirati legacy manufacturer Food Specialties Limited. It makes burgers, ground meat, nuggets and kebabs that are free from preservatives or artificial flavours, presented as clean-label alternatives to the ultra-processed foods typically found on the market.

The range has specifically been designed for foodservice and hospitality professionals, aiming to address many of the practical limitations that chefs encounter when trying to offer plant-based proteins at the centre of plates.

Nadura co-founder Neha Jamani, a culinary medicine chef, said the products provide culinary teams with consistency, while still allowing chefs to apply their own recipes, sauces and regional flavour profiles.

“We began with the realities of a professional kitchen,” she explained. “Chefs need ingredients that are convenient, consistent and adaptable. Nadura* gives them a versatile, protein-rich foundation for recreating familiar dishes in plant-based formats while preserving their own culinary identity.”

Nadura’s line of plant-based proteins can be used across a broad spectrum of dishes and flavour profiles, including bowls, wraps, curries, and pastas. They offer 12-25g of protein and 2-3g of fibre per 100g depending on the product (except for the nuggets, which have less than 1g of fibre per 100g).

Crabtree noted that the versatility of Nadura’s products enabled the culinary team to incorporate them into existing menus easily and develop appealing new dishes that can complement current options.

That is reflected in the dishes developed by Duke Dining, which span crepes, pizzas, pastas, ramen, dosas, and chorizo-based options, each incorporating different Nadura proteins.

Nadura eyes more foodservice partnerships across the US

The Nadura partnership supports Duke Dining’s published pledge to make plant-forward meals available, visible and appealing. It has committed to educating the university’s community about the positive impact of plant-based diets on human and planetary health, and promised accountability by setting measurable goals to encourage greater adoption of these proteins.

Don Qualls, VP for university dining development at Brenen’s Restaurant Group, which entails Duke Dining locations Sazón, Il Forno, The Chef’s Kitchen, Sub Central and Breezy Beverage Company, called the partnership a “gamechanger” for the culinary team and diners alike.

“Nadura gave our chefs the freedom to create plant-forward dishes that are satisfying and fully integrated into the dining experience, rather than simply offered as an alternative,” he said.

Crabtree suggested that adding Nadura’s products to the menu reflects Duke Dining’s broader commitment to nutrition, sustainability and enhancing the campus dining experience, emphasising the importance of thoughtfully sourced ingredients that respond to students and faculty seeking cleaner-label options.

“Nadura gives foodservice operators a practical way to diversify protein choices and expand plant-forward menus,” said Nadura co-founder and executive director Dhruv Dhawan.

“Duke Dining is showing how a leading university can meet the needs of vegans and vegetarians while also appealing to the broader flexitarian audience seeking familiar flavours, satisfying meals and strong protein content.”

The company’s plant-based meat alternatives are available to foodservice operators in the country through Sysco and US Foods, and it is now expanding its distribution network with more universities, healthcare providers, contract dining operators, and corporate dining programmes that are looking for practical solutions to advance plant-rich dining.