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Hospital meals shift to include more local and fresh foods

(Globe and Mail) It has long been recognized that a healthy diet can have a positive impact on patient recovery times. As a result, many hospitals in Ontario are pairing with chefs to add more local and fresh foods into their menus. The problem, however is that the food delivery systems in most hospitals - from prep to delivery - supports factory foods rather than fresh foods. The barriers to improving food quality include nutritional labelling requirements, portion-controlled packaging and managing dietary restrictions. A hospital in Scarborogh has recently partnered with David Farnell, co-founder of Real Food For Kids, to create a lunch program that provides fresh, locally sourced meals and snacks to nearly 200 daycares and elementary schools in the area. Farnell received a $53,000 grant from the Greenbelt Fund and the province to acquire packaging and labelling equipment that will allow the program to meet the hospital's food delivery standards. The hospital has already received a $191,000 grant to coordinate the shift and develop partnerships with local food producers.

1.

Survey: Quality of food served in American hospitals

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
The PCRM conducted a survey regarding food delivery systems and menus from 40 hospitals across the U.S. The results revealed 40 per cent of responding hospitals or systems had only one food-service establishment and 17 per cent had one fast-food establishment in the hospital. They also discovered that all hospitals or hospital systems surveyed offered at least one reduced-fat product and one fresh or cooked vegetable side dish daily.

2.

Health Care Without Harm hosts conference on sustainable food in hospitals

Health Care Without Harm
FoodMed is an annual conference, hosted by Health Care Without Harm, that focuses on sustainable food in health care. The conference brings hundreds of hospital food service managers, nutritionists, dietitians, chefs, public health professionals, and growers gathered together to discuss the food served in hospital systems. This year's conference featured discussions about ways to incorporate sustainable and nutritious food purchasing at facilities. There was also a keynote speaker who addressed cost effective strategies that emphasize health concerns that meet the unique needs of health care and facilitate the development of healthy communities.

3.

U.S. Children hospitals serve fast-food to patients

Journal of Academic Pediatrics
A new study revealed less than 10 per cent of children's hospitals serve food that is considered "healthy." Researchers found that 81 per cent of hospitals had high-calorie impulse items, such as ice cream, cookies, and candy. In their discussion they highlight hospital food offerings represent an opportunity to model healthy food choices for patients, employees, and visitors. The researchers advise that because visitors to hospitals believe the foods the hospital offers are more likely to be healthy, hospitals should make an effort to meet this expectation.

4.

How farmers and hospitals can work together

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association writes about the importance of healthy meals in hospitals and building relationships between food producers and hospitals. The author sites the obesity epidemic and drug resistant strains of bacterium as a primary reasons to improve the quality of meals served. There is also a lengthy discussion regarding the fact that changing the system will take time and is relative to the size of the medical institution.

5.

Analysis of food in Ontario’s hospitals

The Food Forward Advocacy Alliance
The Food Forward Advocacy Alliance, which is a registered non-profit organization in Toronto that provides a people's voice for a better food system, writes about the state of dietary options in Ontario's hospitals. They mention that on average Ontario long-term care facilities spend $7.33 per person per day on raw food. They also outline the Canadian Coalition for Green Healthcare's Local and Sustainable Foods campaign, which focuses on shifting hospital food services and procurement to not only be better for patients but to also contribute to sustainable local food economies