Hospital food

[CharlieD]

I have a friend in a hospital, going thru some serious stuff, sadly. As you can imagine hospital food is terrible to begin with, on the top of it he has no appetite at all. Making matters worse he is very picky. I have been making him meals once or twice a week, some other friends also help. But now I am fresh out of ideas.
Here it goes, no meat, but dairy and fish are good. As far as veggies, he doesn’t eat celery, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower.

Need something simple because I cook after work, to make it fresh, so I can bring it hot right away. He cannot eat a lot. So it has to be nutritious. Nothing too spicy, nothing too fat.

 

[Kayelle]

The first thing that came to mind was a Clam or fish chowder Charlie. It's good of you to do this for him.

 

[Addie]

Mac and cheese with peas mixed in. Covers all bases. Make it today, bring it up after a stay in the micro for a short bit tomorrow. Cook today, deliver tomorrow. Alternate days with other friends.

 

[creative]

Prawn risotto (e.g. with tomatoes, peas)

spaghetti with pesto and grated parmesan shavings

pasta shells with roasted veg and beans

mash with grilled fish fillets and spinach.

 

[CWS4322]

Charlie--has your friend spoken with the staff? Often hospitals will prepare specific meals based on the person's likes/dislikes. These meals are prepared fresh and "off the menu" that is sent up. Some hospitals will even accept the recipe from family/friends. When I have prepared meals for friends who are ill, I have always asked them what they'd like? Soups? Casseroles? A plate of what you made for your family? Color on the plate helps. Spices that are aromatic that stimulate the appetite? Find out what it is that doesn't taste good. For example, maybe the smell of something or the texture turns his stomach. I would talk with the nutritionist or dietician at the hospital for help.


When my mom was on daily IV antibiotics, it was really hard to find things she would eat. Things didn't taste right. It was August, so fresh fruit and veggies worked, pork chops tasted funny, small portions. Egg salad sandwiches. Homemade soup was something she craved. A nice fresh fruit salad with a bit of cottage cheese on the side or a yogurt-honey dressing with fresh mint or tarragon? An egg salad sandwich or an omelet? I fed my mom all day long. Some carrot, red pepper, cucumber slices with a Greek yogurt dip. Cold cucumber soup with raisins and almonds added. Gazpacho. Things that were refreshing and tasted fresh.

 

[Caslon]

A small salmon steak, drizzled with olive oil, salt and peppered, stacked with sliced onions coated with olive oil too, baked at 400F for 15 min. New or small red boiled potatoes as a starch and for color. Thinly sliced fried zucchini rounds too. A mostly romaine salad with blue cheese dressing.

 

[Dawgluver]

Sorry to hear about your friend, Charlie, you're doing a nice thing.

Tuna salad with some whole wheat crackers. Sliced fresh fruit with honey yogurt dip, veggies with ranch dip. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. Vegetable soup with saltines.

 

[Aunt Bea]

How about asking him what he would like from a favorite local restaurant.

It might be easier and cheaper because of the small quantities of food that he can consume.

 

[Dawgluver]

How about asking him what he would like from a favorite local restaurant.

It might be easier and cheaper because of the small quantities of food that he can consume.

That's what they do at some hospitals in Mexico. A friend who's been hospitalized there said she was presented with a selection of local menus, and the food was delivered.

 

[GotGarlic]

Also make sure he is not on a special diet related to his medical condition. Raw fruits, veggies, beans and nuts are more difficult to digest and may cause problems. I would suggest pasta with well-cooked onions, peppers and marinara sauce, veggie soup, rice with veggies. Cottage cheese with canned peaches. The food doesn't have to be hot, just appealing to him.

Hospitals usually have refrigerators and microwaves ovens that the staff use to store and heat up food for patients. That way, they can eat when they feel like it rather than when meals are served.

 

[CharlieD]

I am sorry, I guess, I had to mention that my friend, just like me, keeps kosher. No plans, no clams allowed . So hospital cannot cook for him. The food they have is cooked and wrapped special way to be warmed up.


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[GotGarlic]

You could do corn and potato chowder with some sort of mild white fish.

 

[Addie]

I am sorry, I guess, I had to mention that my friend, just like me, keeps kosher. No plans, no clams allowed . So hospital cannot cook for him. The food they have is cooked and wrapped special way to be warmed up.

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I thought of that and wondered if my cook today and deliver tomorrow would violate any kosher rules. But then I figured you would let me know if it did.

I am surprised that the hospital doesn't follow kosher rules for their Jewish patients. We have a hospital here called Beth Israel. Need I say they cook and prepare all meals in accordance with Kosher laws. Regardless of what faith you may be. So if a patient is hankering for a nice fat pork chop, they are out of luck. Also, I know for a fact, that our two biggest hospitals, Mass. General and Boston Medical Center have a kosher kitchen. And there is a Rabbi on duty for 12 hours a day. He is there from the moment the morning crew shows up until the last one leaves in the evening. If I were Jewish, I would feel very secure in the knowledge that they do keep Kosher for their patients that require it. And even for those that don't. All they have to do is put down Jewish on their record when asked for their religion. I once had a Jewish roommate that wasn't a Kosher Jew. She wanted bacon with her soft boiled egg. All I could do was laugh. Little did she know that no patient on the cardiac ward ever got pork bacon. Only turkey bacon.

 

[CWS4322]

I am surprised that hospitals in the TC don't have the capacity to provide for the dietary requirements of their patients. When I was hospitalized in ND, I was able to order meals that did not include processed ingredients, sugar, bread, or white grains. Granted, a lot of my meals had roasted sweet potatoes, but I was able to order food I could eat. I was probably the PITA patient, and I would write in things I wanted--cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, etc. and sometimes got those things on my tray.

 

[GotGarlic]

The hospital would have to have an entirely separate kitchen for the preparation of kosher foods. If there isn't a large Orthodox Jewish population in the area, it would be very difficult to provide and maintain that. A staff would have to be trained in the proper preparation and it's possible there isn't a Jewish patient in the hospital every day.

 

[CharlieD]

I am surprised that hospitals in the TC don't have the capacity to provide for the dietary requirements of their patients. When I was hospitalized in ND, I was able to order meals that did not include processed ingredients, sugar, bread, or white grains. Granted, a lot of my meals had roasted sweet potatoes, but I was able to order food I could eat. I was probably the PITA patient, and I would write in things I wanted--cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, etc. and sometimes got those things on my tray.

Well, they do, sort of. It is prepackaged frozen foods. All hospital has to do is warm it up. It is special packaging, it can go to any oven. It just taste like hospital food. Tasteless.


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[CharlieD]

The hospital would have to have an entirely separate kitchen for the preparation of kosher foods. If there isn't a large Orthodox Jewish population in the area, it would be very difficult to provide and maintain that. A staff would have to be trained in the proper preparation and it's possible there isn't a Jewish patient in the hospital every day.

Exactly. He is lucky there is kosher food at all, other hospitals do not even have this much.


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[CWS4322]

The hospital would have to have an entirely separate kitchen for the preparation of kosher foods. If there isn't a large Orthodox Jewish population in the area, it would be very difficult to provide and maintain that. A staff would have to be trained in the proper preparation and it's possible there isn't a Jewish patient in the hospital every day.

My impression after living in St. Paul is that Minneapolis-St. Paul has a very strong (and active, supportive) Orthodox Jewish community. My father grew up in Highland Village--most of his friends from that period of his life are Jewish. The other thought would be to get a Synagogue involved, especially if the Synagogue has a kosher commercial kitchen. You don't have to do this alone, CharlieD.

 

[GotGarlic]

From Charlie's previous posts, I have the impression he lives in a rural part of Minnesota, not the big cites.

 

[CWS4322]

No, he lives in the Twin Cities.