Worst hospital food EVER!

This is the first time I have ever been in this particular hospital.  It is one of the top 2 in the area and I have always gone to the other one, but there is a sattelite hosptial with an ER literally just down the road from home, so I went there (and when they admitted me, they transported me to the main hospital).

I have always been pleased with the food at the other hospital.  Compared to what I had this week, my "usual" hospital has downright gourmet fare!  I should note that both hospitals have WLS programs.

They have no low-sugar version of a full liquid diet. (I don't dump until the sugar level gets really high, but still...) Lunch the first day consisted of apple juice, custard, veggie soup broth, and vanilla ice cream.  (With my nose and sinus cavity packed, everything tasted almost exactly the same... like air, salty air, or sweetened air.)  Dinner was some sickeningly thick cheesy looking soup, chocolate pudding, red juice (cranberry, I assume), milk (yay!), and something off-white, fluffy and sweet. Breakfast was cream of wheat, orange juice, and custard. Coffee -- which I don't drink -- included with all meals, of course.  I did find out that the nurse's station had SF jello and 2% milk, so I was able to get some of those.

They assured me that they would make a note for a diabetic tray once the doctor gave the ok so finally yesterday I got real food.  That was even worse (but I don;t think it was trhe diabetic option).  You have a choice between two entrees per day plus a cottage cheese and fruit option. The fruit is CANNED fruit ****tail.  The meat -- of whatever kind -- was minced.  Minced turkey with gravy over it; minced ground beef with BBQ sauce; minced something formed into a sausage like patty for breakfast.  Yuck.  OK, so I could eat some of the mashed potatoes and a couple of beans. The "angel food cake" was more like dry pound cake.

Breakfast is fixed but changes daily. Scrambled eggs (or even Egg Beaters), perhaps?!?  No. Chewy french toast with reduced sugar syrup along wth the aforementioned mystery minced meat and orange juice.   I had mac and cheese and cranberry juice for lunch.

I asked about yogurt (even sugared).  Nope.

I just couldn;t believe the limited choices of food available!  Apparently, if you are a WLS patient, the menu is different, but you have to be in THAT unit to get their full liquid diet.  Ugh.  The only protein I had all week was in the milk and in about 2 bites of the minced turkey (plus the Greek yogurt I begged my mom to bring).

The other hospital has a fixed menu of items, but has a lot of variety including build-your-own omelets for breakfast; salads, build-your-own deli sandwiches, burgers, or fruit (not canned fruit ****tail) and cottage cheese lunches; entrees like salmon (NOT minced!), traditional turkey (slices!) or meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans, salads, build-your-own pasta dishes for dinner.  I think I will write a letter to the head of food service for my "usual" hospital telling them how WONDERFUL their food is compared to the "other" hospital.

So now I am wondering what OTHER hospitals serve.  Are they more like my "usual" hospital or more like this one (for patients who are in for things other than WSL, since that is a very different situation)?

Lora

FYI - At the Hospital where I work, and also had my recent WLS,  our food is much the same as what you describe at your 'usual' hospital.

That is horrible in this day and age when healthy diets are so popular. You do know that everything is contracted out to different companies so unless you complain nothing will be changed. Sorry you had to put up with that. Hope you are getting better.

Ick.....................I am going to keep protein in my purse.  Hope you are feeling better!

At my local hospital, where I was for three weeks with pneumonia a couple years ago, they have a good sized menu.  They call it "room service" - you call in the morning and tell them what time you want your three meals for the day and what you'd like to have, and it gets delivered when you asked for it to be.

For breakfast most days I had a cheese omelet.  I could have added some sort of meat if I wanted.  I also could have had yogurt, toast, english muffins, hot or cold cereal, bacon or sausage.

The menu for lunch and dinner were the same.  I had things like egg salad, the toppings off a personal cheese pizza, or a veggie burger most days.  I could have had grilled cheese, cottage cheese or yogurt too.  And they had a hamburger and a few other meat options, I forget what they all were.  I could have fresh fruit, salad, a couple different cooked veggies, a couple kinds of soup.

I would always order something extra with meals to have later for a snack and had things like yogurt and a cereal bar.  They always sent me ensure, too, which was the closest thing they had to a protein shake, but I never drank it - too much sugar for me.  I had my partner bring me some protein drinks from home.  They had plenty of suitable options for WLS patients - and they do not do WLS there.

 That's the way it is at the other hospital... You can get your food anywhere in a 4 hour range,can add extras of certain things (I would get an extra yogurt for a snack later), etc.

I ws so surprised that this other hospital seemed like they were from the dark ages in term of food.  This is a hospital that has very high ratings for cardiac and emergency care...but apparently food is not part of that!  Surprises me hat the WLS food service is separate.

Lora

Yeah, that makes no sense.  If they have the food in the kitchen, you should be able to order it regardless of what floor you're on.  I would write to the head dietician complaining about it.

At the hospital where I had WLS the "normal' patients call and order their meals and order what they want (within dietary restrictions) and for when they want.  So if you want breakfast at 9 instead of 7 then you order it for 9.  They rank in the top 5 - 10% of food service in hospitals on Press Ganey surveys.  The cafeteria has soup and salad bar,  sandwich bar,  greek yogurt,  light yogurt,  FRESH fruit, lots of fresh, healthy food.

When I was hospitalized at 3 months for dehydration/SVT I asked that my diet be put in under the WLS Stage 4 option (which I *know* they have because I see it ALL the time when I enter NPO orders for the babies). Which they did the first night I was there, and then the rest of my stay I either had a "heart healthy" tray (which was still pasta or something else I couldn't eat) or a regular tray (actually had better options in terms of things I could eat, like soup/salads). When I filled out my Press Ganey survery I made sure that I complained about the options available because I know that I can't be the only one having that kind of issue.

How awful Lora! Several years I had a unplanned visit to the hospital that landed me in the i.c.u. I was diabetic and had very elevated blood sugars from the infection. After my surgery when I was cleared to eat the first meal they served me was breakfast. I was starving, but not ready for what I was served! I could have eaten a horse or my pillow I was so hungry. Here is what my tray had on it: 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices bacon, a very LARGE Saralee type muffin, toast, coffee, oj, and dietetic jelly. I knew better than to eat most of it. Then the attending dr. walked in and I showed him my tray. He said a dietician ordered it. I demanded to see her. He also gave me my orders for the insulin regimen I would be on. The dietician came in with her notebook and told me what all the values were for the food. PUUULLLLEEEAAASSSE! I knew enough to not eat the majority of it, but many people think if the hospital serves it , it's ok. Later on I went on a food strike just to get them to release me. I am completely off insulin now and almost off my oral meds. Thanks to WLS. I am a former RN and this is the kind of BULL malarky that sent me out into the field as a visiting nurse, so people could take better care at home and not have as many hospital visits. I have a high respect for the medical field.....however we all need to remember to advocate for ourselves. Speedy recovery to you my dear, Karen