Giving Compass' Take:

• Chef, entrepreneur and co-founder of Tender Greens, Erik Oberholtzer, wants to create more access to healthy and biodiverse ingredients as viable alternatives to fast food. 

• What are the barriers in accessing healthy and organic foods? How can donors get involved in improving the food system? 

• Understand more about the opportunities that we have to improve the food system and form impactful partnerships. 


On “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg,” chef, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Tender Greens Erik Oberholtzer talks about bringing innovative and healthy ingredients to every eater. “I want to bridge the gap between fine dining with slow food and the very accessible fast-food world that we all know—but [causes us to be] sick and overweight.”

At Tender Greens, Oberholtzer leads 30 fast-casual locations in creating high-end foods—like steak and seared tuna—at affordable prices. “Through price, speed of service, and relatability of menu, we take what is sometimes in food business considered a bit elitist and we’re making it more accessible,” says Oberholtzer.

And through Tender Greens’s Sustainable Life Project, Oberholtzer offers young adults who have grown out of foster care the chance to complete six-month culinary internships. With these mentorships, the youth learn how to cook in a professional kitchen with field trips, classes, and workshops. “We thought through mentorship and the team and family environment of the restaurant and access to good food, that we could change the path of these kids’ lives,” says Oberholtzer.

As the co-founder of Tender Greens and as a Food Forever Champion, Oberholtzer strives to introduce his clientele to new and unfamiliar ingredients, exploring the range of biodiversity the planet has to offer.

Read the full article about healthy food ingredients by Katherine Walla at Food Tank.