Hospital Food

[blue_dolphin]

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

Good heavens! That is even worse than most of the meals I have had over the past few years in hospitals. 

Indeed - not a fruit or vegetable in sight!  
It looks like the kind of thing they might throw together when you've been admitted after meal service is over but you need a little something to tide you over for a few hours. 

[Duvel]

55 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Indeed - not a fruit or vegetable in sight!  
It looks like the kind of thing they might throw together when you've been admitted after meal service is over but you need a little something to tide you over for a few hours. 

Hey … there is a fruit yoghurt.

[rotuts]

@Duvel 

 

""  there is a fruit yoghurt. ""

 

indeed

 

and the glycemic index and glycemic load 

 

on that was ? 

 

what ?

[CaliPoutine]

When I had my hysterectomy in 2012 at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, I was expecting better food since its a "wealthy" hospital and a Jewish hospital.  The food was terrible. 

[Shelby]

20 minutes ago, CaliPoutine said:

When I had my hysterectomy in 2012 at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, I was expecting better food since its a "wealthy" hospital and a Jewish hospital.  The food was terrible. 

Cali!!!!  I've --and we've missed you!!!  Unless I've just not seen where you're posting .  So great to see ya.  

[TicTac]

1 hour ago, CaliPoutine said:

When I had my hysterectomy in 2012 at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, I was expecting better food since its a "wealthy" hospital and a Jewish hospital.  The food was terrible. 

Because they preform a lot of circumcisions?   

 

At the very least some matzah ball soup....!

 

[weinoo]

I think classically, after a bris, one would be indulging in appetizing.

 

And @CaliPoutine, what makes you think "Jewish" food is good?

[Katie Meadow]

Why would anyone expect hospital food to be good? You are lucky if it is edible. First of all, they want you to have lots of reasons to get the hell out of there. And given hospital budgets, would you rather they spend their money on meal service or on good doctors and nurses? I want my surgeon to have steady hands, an up to date license and be well paid for good work. @liuzhoufound an excellent solution with takeout. The next best solution is to have your loved ones bring you food. When my husband had surgery years ago the hospital was a 45 minute drive from home. My daughter and I discovered a pretty nice Viet restaurant near the hospital where we ate lunch most days and then brought back something yummy for him at the hospital.

 

@weinooin the days when you got meals on planes I seem to vaguely remember people saying that you should indicate ahead if you need a special meal, and the general feeling was that specifying a Kosher meal would often result in better food. I did it once, but of course can't remember anything . But then nothing about flying has ever seemed enjoyable to me. Except when we flew during the pandemic we had racked up some miles and splurged on first class seats. Masks were required in those days, the seats were roomy, no stranger to climb over and the bathroom never had a line. I was surprised to find that on a 4.5 hr flight they actually fed you in first class. What they brought us was unidentifiable and inedible. 

[Anna N]

23 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

Why would anyone expect hospital food to be good?

Good? Most of us would settle for edible. But why shouldn’t hospital food be good? There was a time when it certainly was at least in my experience.
Not everyone has the means to ensure an adequate intake of food when hospitalized, perhaps far from home or when they are elderly and have a little or no family left.
 

2 to 3 days in the hospital most of us can tolerate but when it becomes weeks and perhaps months…

As someone else has noted, food in the hospital serves much more than just nutritional needs. In a long often boring day punctuated only by unpleasant procedures, meal time is something of an oasis. There is no reason it couldn’t be made much better than it is in most hospitals now. 

[kayb]

Two places which traditionally serve horrible food are hospitals and school cafeterias. I have seen exceptions to both, in small towns in the South.

 

in West Memphis, AR, where I lived for a time, the hospital hired a local African American woman who had run a restaurant and done catering. I regularly ate lunch at the hospital on Tuesdays, the day she made chicken and dumplings. To this day (well, until five years ago when I was diagnosed with celiac disease), I have not had better chicken and dumplings.

 

A school cafeteria in an even smaller town 25 miles away was one of two eating establishments in town. When the restaurant closed, those who wanted to eat lunch would do so at the cafeteria. I think the cost was $1.50, several years ago, for those who walked in off the street. They made rolls to die for.

[Kim Shook]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

Good? Most of us would settle for edible. But why shouldn’t hospital food be good? There was a time when it certainly was at least in my experience.
Not everyone has the means to ensure an adequate intake of food when hospitalized, perhaps far from home or when they are elderly and have a little or no family left.
 

2 to 3 days in the hospital most of us can tolerate but when it becomes weeks and perhaps months…

As someone else has noted, food in the hospital serves much more than just nutritional needs. In a long often boring day punctuated only by unpleasant procedures, meal time is something of an oasis. There is no reason it couldn’t be made much better than it is in most hospitals now. 

YES!  And many people don't have someone to bring them delicious, home-cooked meals.  Or have the finances or availability to be able to order outside food.  

Edited November 3, 2022 by Kim Shook (log)

[weinoo]

I was kinda pleasantly surprised, when I was at HSS overnight last year...

 

 

 

It was edible (except for the probably unused ranch dressing).

[Katie Meadow]

I totally agree with everyone that an improvement in hospital food would be a very good thing. It's about money. I just don't believe that most hospital budgets have that flexibility. Hospitals have been closing across the country, especially in smaller cities and towns. So getting care itself is hard for many, let alone better food. Perhaps I am unnecessarily pessimistic about this. But I don't see accessible health care for all Americans as being a priority among many of our politicians. 

 

And I also agree that many people who spend time in hospitals don't have the luxury of ordering out or of friends and relations bringing in something. I've been there myself, several times when I was younger. I wish it were otherwise, believe me. 

[Kim Shook]

On 11/3/2022 at 2:30 PM, Katie Meadow said:

I totally agree with everyone that an improvement in hospital food would be a very good thing. It's about money. I just don't believe that most hospital budgets have that flexibility. Hospitals have been closing across the country, especially in smaller cities and towns. So getting care itself is hard for many, let alone better food. Perhaps I am unnecessarily pessimistic about this. But I don't see accessible health care for all Americans as being a priority among many of our politicians. 

 

And I also agree that many people who spend time in hospitals don't have the luxury of ordering out or of friends and relations bringing in something. I've been there myself, several times when I was younger. I wish it were otherwise, believe me. 

I agree with you, Katie.  Should hospitals offer good quality meals?  Yes, of course.  Will they?  Probably not -at least in the US.  It's too bad.  Good food can do so much for one's health.  Bad food is depressing.  And being depressed can lengthen recovery times.  It would actually benefit the patient, the healthcare facility and even the insurance companies.

 

[liuzhou]

Well, I have had a setback and am back in hospital. A brand new one. I'm told things are better and will be trying the food at least for a day or two.  First up was this lunch. I didn't choose the first meal, but will be able to in future.

 

 

It wasn't pretty and very vegetable* heavy, but there was some pork lurking underneath. They had managed to season it.

 

* Dried daikon radish, carrot, onion, cucumber, black woodear fungus,bamboo, tofu skin, rice.

 

In the evening, I chose this rather tasty duck noodle dish.

 

 

The food comes from what they describe as the "health food court". I'm not sure about that.

Edited November 7, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[SusieQ]

5 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Well, I have had a setback and am back in hospital. A brand new one. I'm told things are better and will be trying the food at least for a day or two.  First up was this lunch. I didn't choose the first meal, but will be able to in future.

 

 

It wasn't pretty and very vegetable* heavy, but there was some pork lurking underneath. They had managed to season it

 

* Dried daikon radish, carrot, onion, cucumber, black woodear fungus,bmboo, tofu skin, rice.

 

In the evenin I chose this rather tasty duck noodle dish.

 

 

The food comes from what they desribe as the "health food restaurant". I'm not sure about that.

Oh dear, I'm really sorry you're back in a hospital. Here's best wishes for a speedy return to your home.

That 2nd noodle dish does look tasty. 

[KennethT]

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Well, I have had a setback and am back in hospital. A brand new one. I'm told things are better and will be trying the food at least for a day or two.  First up was this lunch. I didn't choose the first meal, but will be able to in future.

 

 

It wasn't pretty and very vegetable* heavy, but there was some pork lurking underneath. They had managed to season it.

 

* Dried daikon radish, carrot, onion, cucumber, black woodear fungus,bamboo, tofu skin, rice.

 

In the evening, I chose this rather tasty duck noodle dish.

 

 

The food comes from what they desribe as the "health food court". I'm not sure about that.

I second @SusieQ - sorry to hear you're back there.  Hopefully this won't be for a long duration.

[Katie Meadow]

@liuzhouso sorry to hear you are back in hospital. Many wishes for a quick recovery.

[Anna N]

5 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Well, I have had a setback and am back in hospital.

Oh no. That is not the news I and many others wanted to hear. The food certainly looks and sounds miles ahead of what you might get in my new ultramodern hospital five minutes from where I sit. Wishing you a short stay and a speedy return to your home.

[Kim Shook]

I'm sorry to hear you are back in the hospital, @liuzhou!  I join everyone in wishing for a quick recovery!  

[FauxPas]

I'll join the others in hoping that this is a just a brief visit! 

[kayb]

Add my sentiments to all the wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Shelby]

NOOOOO!  Sigh.  I'm so sorry to hear this.  Do I need to pack a bag and come over and bust you outta there???

[MaryIsobel]

I hope your re-admittance provides a solution and in any case is short lived. If you were in hospital here, you would have likely received mystery meat with some kind of brown sauce and instant mashed potatoes or something masquerading as macaroni and cheese - some type of canned veg and jello for dessert.

[liuzhou]

I have just had a half-hour tutorlal from three nurses and a random visitor on how to access and navigate the cellphone app containing the hospital's full menu and how to place my orders which will be delivered to my bed.

 

I'll try to grab and post some screen shots over the next however long I'm here. A whole new adventure! And they have luosifen on the menu. Here is part of the breakfast menu.