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Hospital food concern.

E

esmeralda67

Member
Messages
5
During a recent short stay in hospital (not diabetes-related) I was shocked by the menu options that were marked as suitable for diabetics. The worst offender was rhubarb crumble and custard! I understand that people's tolerances vary, and that many are pretty clued-up about what they can or cannot eat, but surely hospital food choices should be completely idiot-proof? People who have been recently diagnosed, or those with poor control, should not be encouraged to take a chance on such foods. Especially as they are, presumably, ill already. What a missed opportunity to educate diabetes sufferers on safe food choices.
 
Just like the Orange juice they insisted I could drink and the mashed potatoes served with every meal that was diabetic recommended!
 
When I was in a heart ward as a diabetic it was nearly all carbs, more than I used to eat as a non diabetic. They made you have a low fat spread instead of butter (presumably because they want you back with more heart problems sometime soon) and wouldn't let you have sugar in tea (which I haven't had for years anyway) . I was booked in for a minimum of 2 nights, but was asked to leave after only 1 because of a lack of beds. I wasn't sorry; even my husband's understanding of what I could and couldn't eat was way better than the hospital's idea of a healthy diet for anyone, let alone a diabetic.
 
I remember reading this article http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/feb/13/hospital-food-poor-nutrition

Words can not describe what you were given to eat in ICU after a Heart attack................ I wonder how long term care patients actually manage to become well enough to go home, sigh.

I'm in for an op next month, hopefully no more than one night, even less if I get my own way. Anyway, I will take my own food to eat in recovery vs that diabolical cheap slice of toast with its layer of margarine which is enough to make anyone throw up.:***:
 
I was in hospital for a week with e.coli 0157 after dinner out and stuck in my own room on the isolation ward. OH and mother brought my food in after two junior doctors told me that they'd had food poisoning.
 
nosher8355 said:
Just like the Orange juice they insisted I could drink and the mashed potatoes served with every meal that was diabetic recommended!
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I was diagnosed by DKA and every meal without fail, an orange juice on my tray I knew this was essentially poison to me right now now it would send my sugars through the roof.
 
I had this on a diabetic ward, no less. Also, there is no information on the carb content or other nutrition content of any of the food. No one knows it, not even the Dietician who designs and plans the menu. I made a complaint to the hospital trust. But it sounds like the problem is NHS-wide.
 
Most NHS trusts use contract caterers. They charge the trust x but try to shave costs to make more profit as their margins are tight. The mash probably isn't even made with real potatoes. The cheese sauce could come from a powder, even the milk could be reconstituted. As a student I worked in the kitchens of a hospital and the food was bland and not high quality but the kitchen was spotless.
 
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The hospitals work on outdated nutritional values, that have been in existence since the sixties. Health and safety has taken over, and hygiene is more important than taste!
Gluten free food has been introduced and diabetic foods, that they recommend would probably kill me! And diabetics would only get worse, not better!
 
I've had a good few hospital admissions, some diabetes related and some not. Yes the meals are a shocker and boy don't they love chucking sandwiches, toast and cereals at you. I once thought about writing NBM (Nil By Mouth) on my patient ID board above the bed and getting family and friends to smuggle suitable food into the ward. Where's that mouthpiece Jamie Oliver when u need him lmao ?
 
The food choices are like this because dieticians approve them, and we know what deiticians think about carbs. They just love them.
 
James Martin had a go at hospital food, but seems its too hard for most of them to do.
 
dawnmc said:
James Martin had a go at hospital food, but seems its too hard for most of them to do.
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It's not rocket science to do cheap and nutritious food...maybe I'll say I am vegetarian or vegan next time I end up in Hospital lol.
 
eddie1968 said:
It's not rocket science to do cheap and nutritious food...maybe I'll say I am vegetarian or vegan next time I end up in Hospital lol.
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perhaps if you Said that you need to continue your Ketogenic diet ,as used in epilepsy, they might understand1
Keep "harping on" about it and leave the carbs on the plate and even the thickest dietician wil finally understand!
 
CollieBoy said:
perhaps if you Said that you need to continue your Ketogenic diet ,as used in epilepsy, they might understand1
Keep "harping on" about it and leave the carbs on the plate and even the thickest dietician wil finally understand!
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It's nothing to do with ketogenic diets - 99% of the muck they offer up usually tastes disgusting lol
 
eddie1968 said:
It's not rocket science to do cheap and nutritious food...maybe I'll say I am vegetarian or vegan next time I end up in Hospital lol.
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How about trying "Carbohydrate Intolerant!" on them and see what you get???
Robbity

PS Posted before I saw CollieBoy's suggestion.
 
Robbity said:
How about trying "Carbohydrate Intolerant!" on them and see what you get???
Robbity

PS Posted before I saw CollieBoy's suggestion.
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I have! And they look at you as though you've got horns!
And they don't believe you.

'it's good for diabetics' they say.
I'm not diabetic I reply.
But!

'You can still have mash though!'
No I reply
But!
 
zand said:
....and carbs are cheap.
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Incredibly cheap. When I go around the supermarket on a limited budget it's very noticeable how much more expensive all the alternatives to carb can be
 
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