Bringing food to hospitals

[Marlene]

Ok, there may be a relevant thread here but I can't find it. I'm going to be spending a lot of time visiting someone in a hospital over the next several weeks. He is already gagging on hospital food and so isn't eating very much.

I've just made a lovely batch of chocolate chip cookies to take tomorrow, but that's hardly nutrition oriented! They do have a small fridge and microwave just off their room so I can take single servings of things and put them in the fridge for him to warm up. So what should I make?

Lasagna is a given I think. We'll want to stay away from anything too spicy for now. What else transports well in single servings?

[Mayhaw Man]

Fried Chicken. It might not cure your friend, but it sure will cheer him up. Can't go wrong with fried chicken.

[glossyp]

Having just gone through a month where my fil was "incarcerated" (his term not mine) at the hospital I know how depressing the food can be for the patient. Take the patient's likes and dislikes into consideration of course but things that worked very well for us were:

Fresh fruit salads

Homemade smoothies made with fresh juices and chunks of fruits we cut up and froze so we didn't need to use ice (which dilutes the flavor) or an ice cream-like product (unless he can have that). If it needs to travel quite a distance, you can freeze the smoothie prior to transport and by the time you reach the hospital it will be just right.

Sandwiches made with soft multi-grain bread and various fillings including curried tuna, turkey salad with cranberry compote and smoked ham with a fresh mango cream cheese spread

A particular favorite was a ham hock lentil soup with rolls made from the aforementioned multi-grain bread dough

Roasted veggies including green beans, bell peppers, squash and mushrooms

Linguini tossed with sundried tomato pesto, steak tips and asparagus

Another thing which will help make him comfortable is to bring a setting of flatware to keep for his personal use in the room. You or the staff can wash it and store there. The utensils that come with hospital food are not substantial and annoying to use.

I'm sure you'll get plenty of great suggestions from others as well. I hope your friend does well and recovers quicky!

Edited May 11, 2005 by glossyp (log)

[Daniel]

Ok, there may be a relevant thread here but I can't find it.  I'm going to be spending a lot of time visiting someone in a hospital over the next several weeks.  He is already gagging on hospital food and so isn't eating very much.

I've just made a lovely batch of chocolate chip cookies to take tomorrow, but that's hardly nutrition oriented!  They do have a small fridge and microwave just off their room so I can take single servings of things and put them in the fridge for him to warm up.  So what should I make?

Lasagna is a given I think.  We'll want to stay away from anything too spicy for now.  What else transports well in single servings?

←

Too bad about the spicy.. I was in the hospital a couple of years ago with legionaires disease and my mother brought me thai food every other day.

[Marlene]

Ok, there may be a relevant thread here but I can't find it.  I'm going to be spending a lot of time visiting someone in a hospital over the next several weeks.  He is already gagging on hospital food and so isn't eating very much.

I've just made a lovely batch of chocolate chip cookies to take tomorrow, but that's hardly nutrition oriented!  They do have a small fridge and microwave just off their room so I can take single servings of things and put them in the fridge for him to warm up.  So what should I make?

Lasagna is a given I think.  We'll want to stay away from anything too spicy for now.  What else transports well in single servings?

←

Too bad about the spicy.. I was in the hospital a couple of years ago with legionaires disease and my mother brought me thai food every other day.

←

We'll add spicy in a few weeks.

[emsny]

Rice-based dishes often reheat well in the microwave. I certainly brought risottos to my hospital-incarcerated wife last year; make them a little on the loose side, or you can add a bit of liquid to them. But pilafs, etc., should be fine without extra liquid.

[mizducky]

Ok, there may be a relevant thread here but I can't find it.  I'm going to be spending a lot of time visiting someone in a hospital over the next several weeks.  He is already gagging on hospital food and so isn't eating very much.

I've just made a lovely batch of chocolate chip cookies to take tomorrow, but that's hardly nutrition oriented!  They do have a small fridge and microwave just off their room so I can take single servings of things and put them in the fridge for him to warm up.  So what should I make?

←

First, a bit of a downer note: you may want to discreetly inquire about how "safe" it is to leave food in that fridge. It is my sad experience, when bringing food or personal items to family members in hospitals, nursing homes, etc., that too many of these items have an unfortunate habit of growing legs and walking off. I don't like contemplating who would be so low as to pilfer things from people too sick to notice (staff? other patients?!? yikes!!!) but it happens, and I'd hate to have you go through the effort of making a whole bunch of lovingly prepared home-cooked food only to see it vanish without your loved one getting to enjoy it.

Now ... having gotten that unpleasantness out of the way ... what you should make really seriously depends on the condition of the patient. Some conditions and medications really mess with a person's appetite and taste perceptions. When my mom was in the hospital with cancer, we were going nutz trying to find things that would induce her to eat. Fresh melon cut into chunks wound up being the winner. When my dad was in with kidney failure, I had to navigate his depressed appetite and diabetes as well as non-existent kidney function--for him, low-carb diabetic-safe cranberry juice really worked. I'm guessing your loved one is in better shape than either of these examples if he's mobile enough to access that fridge around the corner. But his appetite might still be extremely variable, depending on what he's dealing with (and the wretchedness of the hospital food might be masking an underlying temporary appetite issue...)

So--all other things being equal, I'd tend to go with nutrient-dense but still relatively easily-digestible foods that can be easily broken into small portions to suit a variable appetite. The proverbial Jewish penicillin and other soups would fit the bill. Some really luscious fruit. Cheese and crackers. Mixed nuts (go easy on the sodium if there's any concern about blood pressure/fluid intake). And hey, nothing wrong with some cookies (as long as he has no blood sugar issues)--if he's stuck in the hospital, he's totally entitled to a few indulgences to take the sting out of the stay.

Anyhow, that's what I'd do.

[Holly Moore]

I second chicken soup with a good rich chicken broth.

[wesza]

I second chicken soup with a good rich chicken broth.

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I have found thru experience that the best food to bring and keep available in the room [with fridge] or nurses station is some Chinese comfort Foods.

Rice Gruel or Porrigage better known as Congee is perfect. It may be prepared with Fresh Sliced Fish Filets, Shrimps/Prawns, Chicken, Veggies or other items is soothing, easily heated in microwave and can be kept refrigerated for several days.

Another item is "Suey Kow" dumplings made from Shrimp, Lean Pork, and Veggies cooked and quikly served in a excellent Clear Both.

I have found that having these dishes labled in my Refrigerator as a alternate for Hospital Meals a good solution, plus if you have caregivers that treat you nicely I find that offering some as a treat makes you into a special popular patient, especially at odd hours when the kitchen is closed.

Irwin

[Pan]

I, too, was going to recommend chicken soup. Congee is also a great idea. But it might be even better to bring something your friend is craving.

[Genny]

It's not food but... his own pillow from home and possibly a lap blanket. That always makes someone feel better.

Food wise, vegetable soup, miso soup is a personal favorite comfort food of mine but I'm not so sure it travels well. How about mac & cheese? Travels great and is generally a super comfort food to eat now or when your appetite returns.

Best wishes for your friend's quick recovery!

[Fat Guy]

I have a fantasy that someday, when we are a larger organization, our members will support one another by bringing them and their loved ones home-cooked food during hospital stays.

In the meantime, let me offer this advice: Unless there's some very specific nutrition regimen that stems from the person's medical condition, don't even think about nutrition. Not for one second. When somebody is in the hospital, what you want to focus on is getting the person to eat. Anything. It's the calories that matter most, not whether they're from fresh vegetables or chocolate chip cookies. The body needs fuel to heal, and the mind needs flavor for comfort. If cookies, brownies and candy bars are what's working, do not hesitate for an instant to provide them three meals a day.

[Marlene]

There are no dietary issues that I'm aware of. He can have whatever he wants to eat, which yesterday, was a quarter pounder with cheese .

He isn't mobile, or at least not very. One of the other guys in the room or the nurses or his girlfriend or me get this stuff for him usually. He's just had surgery and really does need to build his strength up as he'll likely be up for chemotherapy once he's gained some strength from the operation. Having said that, I hear what you're saying Steven and it occurs to me you're bang on. Calories are key here. He's lost 45 lbs over the course of this illness and he needs to put some of that back on.

If he eats anything nutritious, bonus as far as I'm concerned, but I'll feed him pretty much anything he wants to eat!. Mizducky, we are fairly fortunate in that the room with the fridge and micro is in a little alcove attached to their room. The only ones who have stuff in there are the people that share the room. So far, nothing has grown legs and walked away.

I've got stock in the freezer, so I'll make chicken soup definately. Lazagna. Mac and Cheese is a great idea. Roast beef sandwiches and cookies today. The bring your own silverware is a great idea. I'll throw some in my bag for him.

Keep the ideas coming. I can't make him better, but damn it, I can cook for him!

[bleudauvergne]

A nice lemon pie might hit the spot.

[ChryZ]

Stamina food, like ginseng/garlic chicken soup.

[dans]

My mother had been sick over the last few years. In and out of the hospital and rehabilitation. While she was never a gourmet cook, she did enjoy good food. Nothing that would come out of these intitutional kitchens was very good. I'm sure that it was nutritous, but it simply didn't looked or tasted good.

My wife and I would always try and bring something with us when we went to visit. We would always try and bring something she liked and enjoyed. Sometimes I'd make a stew, sometimes I'd bring takeout from a local restaurant (Logal Seafood - she loved fried oyusters and Il Capricio in Waltham, MA - My wife says the are doing apublic service).

I always tried to keep in mind her diet, but when it came right down to it, if she wasn't eating she would never get better. My thoery was that if she would eat something, it was better than the alternative. I was only questioned once and that was half-hearted. Blood sugar can be maintained a lot easier than supplying basic nutrients.

Dan

[Genny]

I recently had lunch with some friends, one of whom has cancer and had lost a great deal of weight. He had no real appetite and ate about 1/2 of his lunch which was actually an appetizer portion. I talked him into sharing a milk shake with me and he was able to polish that off. It wasn't much but it was packed with calories!

I find that when I'm tired, eating is a chore. I want something I don't want to chew so soup, soft foods like pastas or something to drink like a shake/fruit smoothie with protein powder would likely be good solutions for your friend. I've not tried them but Campbell's Soup makes a to-go soup in a cup that may work to leave in his room so he could zap something while you aren't there if nothing fresh made isn't there either.

Good luck and best thoughts for your friend!

[Lone Star]

Creamy potato soup

Chicken and dumplings

[Jason Perlow]

While I agree with Steven you should bring him ANYTHING he wants, I highly suggest Kasha Varnishkes with caramelized onions. Or a nice minestrone or pasta/bean soup. MMMmmmm.

[Badiane]

Please check with his doctor to be sure there are no potential food conflicts with his meds. For instance, with some things, you can't have a lot of green leafy stuff because the Vitamin K interferes. Sometimes citrus can be an issue etc. It sounds like you are probably okay, but the Doc will appreciate you checking just in case. I doubt he's going to want a salad with grapefruit dressing, but hey, you never know what lurks, right?

And best wishes for him feeling better, and a speedy return home!

[kitchenmage]

Don't forget aromas--for good or ill. If he is not bothered by the aroma of food, use it as a way to entice him to eat. There's nothing like a good hit of vanilla (or chocolate or cinnamon or garlic or ...?) wafting up to make eating sound good again.

A good friend of mine was mostly not eating post-surgery until I placed a baked potato dripping with garlic butter in front of him. He still talks about it a decade later.

Also, dense calories are good. Think of everything he hasn't eaten because it's fattening and get/make it...lots of it.

[Behemoth]

What I crave when I'm sick: Drain whole milk yogurt to make labneh -- you can add salt and black pepper. That keeps well in the fridge, and with some sliced bread or pita makes a refreshing snack.

How about little cups of custard, rice or bread pudding? Also keep well in the fridge, and make good snacks.

[snowangel]

A nice lemon pie might hit the spot.

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I am reminded of taking things to two different chemo patients, when they felt like crap, and were nauseous.

I ended up taking little bits of lots of things. The little lemon tarts were a big hit. I remember taking salty snacks, as well, little salads with little containers of balsamic vinegarette, deviled eggs (another big hit), little pots of rice pudding. Soups of all varieties (a cream of spinach with dijon was another big hit). And, often these patients don't know what will taste good until they taste it!

Neither of these people seemed to want to eat much, and they most certainly were happier with things that weren't too bland. I know that when my mom had radiation, she was happier eating food that wasn't too much work to digest, and meat, for that reason, was not particular appealing.

[chefzadi]

I have a fantasy that someday, when we are a larger organization, our members will support one another by bringing them and their loved ones home-cooked food during hospital stays.

Fantastic idea!

It just gave me another idea. Volunteering to teach some classes at local hospitals. The cooking with disabilities course is so valuable for this.

I also agree, it's important to take something that tastes good. My wife's parents totured her with vats of seaweed soup when she was in the hosptial after giving birth. It used to be one of her favorites, but not even the site of it sometimes makes her gag.

I'd like a big sausage sandwich or mayb pastrami. A steak sounds good too. Or something along the lines of pot au feu or kalbitang.

[helenjp]

You might want to think about taking your lunch/dinner too and sharing the mealtime, even if you are not eating exactly the same menu. Eating alone, or worse, being fed alone, is not an appetizing way to eat.