1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:I agree, good food can have a tremendous impact on wellbeing but in addition to what @Katie Meadow said, I suspect a good percentage of US hospital patients are more like the seniors that @CaliPoutinewas cooking for back in this topic than like eGullet members. They were happy with canned, processed, premade everything and squawked when she tried to offer freshly prepared, well-seasoned fare.
One - Hospital stays are minimized due to $$$ concerns so kind of suck it up. My focus is more on post discharge - teaching nutrition that people will stick with cuz it tastes good.
Two - money is always the bottom line. People lower on the social economic scale will not get the higher better food.
Hospitals in US have to employ degreed dietitians and they have to follow a formula. Change - as in everything is hard - unless ya throw $ at it. Which in link I shared earlier they do but not in a public county hospital.
Bit off topic - my fave public hospital - now moved - but this retrospective is touching. I spent lots of hours there. For US soap opera fans it is the opening shot of General Hospital. There ae some scenes of the kitchens https://www.kcet.org/shows/visiting-huell-howser/episodes/county-usc-medical-center just pasr minute 30
