Imagine an extended hospital stay. You may imagine needles, shared rooms, backside-baring gowns and a general sense of not wanting to be there at all. But there is another thing patients can’t help but think about: the food. Typically bland and unappetising, hospital meals are often high in fat, sugar, salt and cholesterol. The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine published a 2011 report that found many hospitals are serving foods “high in calories, sodium and processed meats.” And while fast-food chains like Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s are often right next door to a hospital, these items do not make up the nutritious, well-rounded meals recovering patients require.
The good news is that some hospitals are taking steps to improve their menu offerings. A growing number are hiring classically trained chefs who can use their training to rework recipes and create new ones that are healthier but still tasty (and a lot less expensive than the junk food that often fills cafeteria lines). Some are even changing their kitchens so they operate more like room service, where people can order what they want when they want it.
Chefs at the Valley Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey recently took top honors—and a lot of attention—in a competition sponsored by the Association for Healthcare Foodservice. The chefs used recipes that lowered the fat content, while adding flavor and variety to the traditional menus served to patients and staff. They also introduced more fresh fruits and vegetables, which can boost a patient’s immune system and help fight infection.
Several years ago, a woman in Sweden named Pnina Peled won fame after she whipped up dishes that looked more like the kind of meals that would be served at a fine restaurant than a hospital cafeteria. She used her skills to whip up a pasta carbonara made with low-fat milk and turkey bacon, black beans and chips styled after Moe’s Southwest Grill, and other meals for cancer patients who were on restricted diets. She knew that she was transforming more than just patients’ stomachs.
Hospitals around the country have started to realize that the food they serve has a direct impact on how well their patients recover. Many are now revamping their menus with new cooking methods and better ingredients. For example, Sodersjukhuset in Stockholm stopped relying on bulk-bought cook-chill meals six years ago and now makes its own dishes on-site, which are then rapidly chilled. They are then ready to be heated in the wards as and when needed—they last for up to 10 days without losing their flavor or texture.
Other hospitals are using hi-tech ordering systems that allow patients to order their meal through their room TVs. Some, like Fauquier Hospital in Virginia, are growing their own herbs and veggies on campus, while other locations of Cancer Treatment Centers of America try to source as much locally grown organic produce and antibiotic-free meats as possible. In addition to improving the quality of food, these initiatives have helped to lower costs, since a happier patient and staff are generally a more efficient operation.