The quality of hospital food is legendary… legendarily BAD. But patients at the Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston, Oregon have fallen in love with the hospital food. Even after their stay at the medical center is over, patients are coming back to eat again.
What makes the food at Good Shepherd Medical Center so special? Let’s take a look at some of the menu offerings:
- Wild salmon
- Local organic produce
- Cherry pie
- Lean bison
- Pasta primavera with fresh vegetables
Everything is cooked from scratch, and the menu is packed with healthy choices. In just a year, the director of nutrition services has been able to eliminate trans fats and major additives from the hospital’s offerings. And nobody needs to make a special meal for sodium or fat restrictions; all the meals are healthy for everyone. That means patients, visitors, and staff. But Good Shepherd Medical Center is just one of many hospitals across the United States offering better, healthier food.
Some hospitals are turning to chefs and former restaurant professionals to run their kitchens. Others have opened up onsite farmers’ markets so staff and patients can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables at the hospital or at home. California-based Kaiser Permanente has been welcoming farmers markets’ since 2003; thirty-one Kaiser Permanente medical sites now have regular farmers’ markets.
Other hospitals are making sure their food practices are environmentally friendly. Catholic Healthcare West in Santa Cruz, California grows its own produce. Fletcher Allen Healthcare in Vermont composts food waste on site. Some hospitals have done away with Styrofoam containers and now use biodegradable containers made from sugarcane. Others are buying and serving organic fair trade coffee, antibiotic-free meat, and hormone-free milk.
Staff, patients, and visitors love the changes. Some are scheduling hospital visits to coincide with farmers’ market days. The majority of hospital food sales go to visitors, and hospitals that are making changes are reporting great results. Oregon Health and Science University’s retail sales have more than doubled in the years since making a number of major, healthy changes.