If hospitals are supposed to help you get well, then they ought to be doing this in every single way possible. From making the surroundings warm and welcoming to providing you nutritious, wholesome, and homely meals so you can get your strength back as fast as possible. Unfortunately, you Pandas and I all know that this isn't the case. Hospital food is absolutely horrid in a huge number of hospitals. And, frankly, we deserve better.
We wanted to show you just how bad hospital food can get all over the world, so our hard-working team at Bored Panda compiled this list that's bound to make you angry like professional chef Gordon Ramsay. Remember to upvote the best of the worst photos and let us know what the food was like during your most recent stay at the hospital.
The reason why hospital food is so bad and so banal it hurts is because of money. Or rather, the lack of it. And let's not forget the fact that often hospitals don't even make the food that they serve to patients and the staff members themselves; they outsource it. As you're about to find out, there are quite a few things that look as lonely on a plate as two tiny sausages with some parsley.
I wanted an insider's perspective, so I reached out to Holly D., a labor and delivery nurse. She told Bored Panda that she's experienced hospital as a patient as well and was very let down by it. "I have been in a patient role in the not-so-distant past and have experienced the dreaded hospital food tray. This often leads the patient to request family members to drop off alternate food to them at the hospital. For me, it was disappointing, to say the least, after laboring and finally delivering my first child," she said. Have a read through her in-depth insights on how to fix hospital food below, dear Pandas.
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This Is The Meal My Wife’s Hospital Had The Audacity To Serve For Nurses Appreciation Week. I Live In Phoenix
After a year nurse shortages, running out of PPE, working employees to the bone without hazard pay.
What You Get For Breakfast In A Hungarian Hospital
Hospital Administration Told Us They'd Be Treating Us To Dinner During Our Shift. "Dinner" Is One Individual, Frozen, Uncooked Meatloaf Per Person. This Is Georgia
Happy nurse's week, y'all.
"At a prior hospital that I worked for, a newly appointed director questioned every patient during their stay to hear our patients' biggest complaints and/or concerns. The recurring theme was 'bad food.' Once we received this feedback, the idea for an alternate menu for laboring/postpartum women was introduced. I couldn’t help but support this brilliant idea, and helped implement the importance of this change in menu with our mothers," nurse Holly explained that even though the food is bad, some staff members are willing to implement changes after hearing out the complaints.
I was interested to get Holly's take on why some hospitals cut corners with their food when instead it should be something filling and nutritious to help them recover quicker. According to Holly, the importance of meals while at the hospital cannot be understated.
"Food is a large part of people’s lives in every culture. It brings people together and in most instances, it is associated with happiness. For the patient, meals become the highlight of their day, especially if their time with us is extensive. In my experience, diet is one of the areas where the budget is kept to a minimum. Nutrition seems to always be met, but not always in a very creative or appetizing way," she said.
Hospital Food Yummy
It's mashed potatoes, something you'd feed to your bunny (or is it some kind of chicken pellets?), and water I guess?
This Hospital In USA Failed
Hospital Food In Italy
What the heck is that? It looks like something that would put you into the hospital!
In Holly's view, the biggest problem with hospital food is the lackluster presentation. "When you are hospitalized, the last thing you want to be presented with is an unappetizing or highly aromatic meal in front of you. Food styles and/or cuisines should be updated. One alternative would be to offer a modernized menu for patients to select from, including choices like a bento box, flatbreads, and/or rice bowls," she suggested.
"Hospitals could incorporate a system that allowed the patient to select an alternative menu or one that includes 'fun' foods like the menu we implemented for our laboring/postpartum mothers. This would astronomically improve these patient satisfaction scores, thereby making staff members more appreciated.
Unfortunately, these alternate menus are not a standard of practice in most hospitals, and sadly it is one of the first to be taken away when the budget is cut," nurse Holly told Bored Panda that even though there are alternatives to the current low standards, sadly, they're all reliant on financial decisions from up above.
A Hospitals Take On Vegetarian Cuisine. Germany
Can You Identify My Austrian Hospital Food?
A good guess might be "depression", but actually, it was some sort of cow paste (it immediately fell apart, it was basically the consistency of mousse) in paprika sauce, mashed potato, and mushy pea purée.
Yeah, but tge description says it fell apart. Leberkäs shouldn't desintegrate itself... not sure what else it could be. But the mashed potatoes would be a sign for leberkäs. I'm confused.
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This looks like puree to avoid choking, such as a patient taken off a ventilator.
Umm.....mashed peas, mashed potatoes, and a slice of spam on a delightful bed of ketchup. I am so sorry for you.
That's Leberkäs, not spam, a common fast food in Germany and Austria. It should not have the consistency of mousse, though.
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Looks like a mashed food diet, which is required for some patients after certain surgeries/conditions. This is quite good plating for what it is, actually.
Most of these are just processed for a dysphasia diet. This one is colorful and offers a variety of shapes for interest. I think this is a step above for a hospital serving of pureed foods. The patient on this diet appreciates all efforts made to make up for the lack of textures.
This is for a patient with swallowing issues of some type. Perhaps throat. This consistency helps to keep you from choking. I have fed more patients than I care to remember. The smell matches the appearance and it was hard not to gag.
That's "Leberkäse" which is indeed something rather good, when served fresh and in the right manner (warm in a crisp roll). In this case... I've never seen it being served with tomato sauce. The white stuff is mashed potatoes, the green stuff I can only guess. Mashed peas?
It called liver cheese, yet no one neutron of cheese is in there. Even liver has very little percentage.
Clockwise from the block in the ketchup: Spam in ketchup, Pea Puree and potato flavored ice cream. SCORE!!
Looks like Spam on ketchup. That is a delicacy in some parts of the US.
Its a version of a really good meal they serve from Budapest. Minus the cow mousse.
Wow, they even took time to put the green stuff in a pastry bag and make a little rosette - how nice.
Again, this looks like a dysphagia diet, specially made for folks who need to relearn swallowing safely.
The presentation is way off the mark, but this isn’t the worst sounding meal.
As all the others told you! This is Leberkäse - and it tastes great! The food in Austrian hospitals is ok or good! I have to know!!!
I was gonna say industrial size spam and ice cream(I totally would have been good with that) and avacado dip(I'd do that too)
I think this Is specific food for someone with swallowing or digestive problems.
leberkäs (easter austria) or fleischkas (western austria) is actually good but should be served with bread not tomato sauce
I’m looking at the ‘cow paste’, and imagining it having the consistency of mousse... bleh
If it is Leberkäse it reaaaaly shouldn't have this consistency...
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"Cow paste" is Meat loaf? If so, I now know the meaning to "Bat Out of Hell".... "So now I'm waiting for the end of time..." "I would do anything for love, but I won't do that!"
Maybe spam? With mashed potato ice cream and a dollop of radioactive frosting?
pathé? that's what it looks like, the fancy version is foie gras. Google is your friend :)
While it looks like pate, I think it is just pureed meat. Puree is served to patients who might be have a higher risk of choking.
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Bologna Loaf on a ketchup sauce with a side of puréed vegetables aka baby food, and instant mashed potatoes. Bon Appetit.
At least someone tried to add some flare. Who the hell knows what sickness, prevents a person from having regular food? Be happy you’re being fed. In some countries you need family members to feed you!!
Dinner In Irish Maternity Hospital
Financially speaking, feeding people well is expensive. And the thinking tends to be, why bother giving someone nutritious, healthy, costly meals when you can get away with a piece of bread and a sad chunk of cheese? After all, a hospital is all about helping you get better, not feeding you.
However, that line of thinking simply doesn't work when you consider the huge importance that food has on our health. In fact, have a think about how you feel when you've been eating fresh food for a while versus how lethargic you feel when you've been consuming plenty of sugar and fast food. The difference is night and day.
"Lasagna" According To Adventist Hospital
Celebratory Steak Dinner Offered By Hospital For Proud Mother And Father
Since We're Posting Our Hospital Meals (UK)
You got all kinds of stuff, to the left and right of your tray.....and even your tray of food would look good, except it looks like somebody dngaf when it was time to put the green stuff on, and just poured what was left on your plate. Thank god you don't have to pay for it, right? But yeah, that's ridiculous
According to ‘Wise Geek,' hospital food is a subset of institutional food which focuses on cutting costs and appealing to the widest number of customers as possible. Though, to be fair, it's tough to imagine how the bland/disgusting food that's served is meant to appeal to anyone.
Is it enough for you to survive in a tight spot? Probably. Is it something that's going to rouse your spirits and give your body the necessary nutrients to get stronger quickly? Doubtful. The secret ingredient might be love, but there's not much of that around!
This Veggie Burger Was Served To Me In The Hospital. 10/10 For Presentation
Hospital Lunch In Romania
My Hospital Food Memories Are Scary. It's Lithuania
For the majority of us, hospital food will only ever be a quirky anecdote to tell our friends. But we forget about the people who stay in hospitals for weeks, months, and even years at a time. Imagine having to eat that swill every day. Food and cooking are important parts of being a human being and a member of your local community and society at large.
I'd actually argue that by feeding people bland, ghastly, and shocking food, you're depriving them of one of the biggest joys of being human. And that can't be good for your health. Physical, emotional, or spiritual.
Yesterday's Hospital Breakfast In Chicago. The Garnish Really Makes It
My First Meal In A Week, At A Hospital For Meningitis, Entertain Me, Please. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Well today, we have chicken a la sweetcorn, with a jus of coagulated grease ..
Vegetarian Meal Sent Up For My Friends Hospital Meal
If nothing else she can beat it to death with that rather solid looking baguette.
Groats With Vomit, From My Stay At A Polish Hospital
I could have taken the exact same picture a week ago in hospitalisation. That’s exactly what it looked like. I mean, you know it’s food because someone diced the ingredients and heated everything up - but other than that I would never tell it’s meant for human nutrition.
The Toasts One Of My Patients Got At The Hospital For Breakfast
Hospital Breakfast
It's baked eggs covered with American cheese.
Chicken Teriyaki Given To Us For Nurses Week By My Hospital
Vegan Hospital Food: Potato
Hospital Dinner In Germany At 16:30
Third Week Of Living On Vegan Hospital Food And I’ve Lost 10 Kg. I Have No Idea What This Is
Hospital Food Looks Like The Opposite Of Food. America The Great US
Pretty sure your meal got mixed up and should have gone to the lab instead
This French Hospital Food Is Getting Worse - Potatoes And What I Think Was A Boiled Cabbage
I think it's endive/chicory. It's an acquired taste, as it's a bit bitter. Well prepared it's quite good, my favorite preparation is first boiled, then seared in a pan with a bit of brown sugar. The sugar breaks the bitterness.Quite common in north of France and Belgium as a winter vegetable, as it is grown inside.
Horrible Vegan Hospital Food, New Mexican Style
My Hospital Roast Dinner
Hospital Cafeteria, Bon Appetit
Note: this post originally had 107 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
It looks like every single country on this planet needs to invite whoever cooks in Japanese hospitals to teach them how to make edible food for patients.
i know thats right. and i saw in a vid that after a mom gives birth the hosbital feeds the mother and takes car of the baby for you till you recover
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Wish I had made some pictures of the food I got, to show that hospital food isn’t that bad everywhere.
I agree. I had surgery last year in Belgium. The breakfast was similar to the one showed here and it was veey good. Four slices of bread, cheese and jam and coffee with milk.
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How many of these meals were taken by people on restricted diets? Just curious.
That’s what I’m wondering. Some patients have restrictions on sodium, fat, carbs, or sometimes even protein. The hospital food I had when I lost my baby son was pretty good, but when my mom had her protein and fiber intake restricted, she saw a number of sad naked potatoes.
Load More Replies... The really sad thing here is that these disgusting meals hint to a much geater, underlying problem: holistic healthcare. If hospitals would center on the patient, they would provide much more than treatments but create environment that foster health. This would include healthy meals. How can there be so much bad meat, so much salt, so much sugar? How can hospitals not follow the baseline advice from nutritionists that for example apply to schools and are yet way too lenient?
Exactly! It doesn't have to be complicated either, things like potatoes, whole grains, vegetables, beans, nuts etc. are not that hard to prepare or source
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In our small hospital in Ontario Canada back in the late sixties we had our own kitchen and staff that prepared meals. Pts got menus to choose what they wanted. Sure the meals were predictable if you were in for a long time. But most of the kitchen staff tried to make the meals presentable . If stuff was sent back to the kitchen uneaten a dietitian visited the pt. Now the food is trucked in heated up in the kitchen slopped on the plates and nobody cares if you eat or not. Its called progress folks.
I've spent a considerable amount of time in a psych ward in Cork, Ireland and the food was out of this world. The chef knew that mealtimes were the highlight of the day for us so really made the effort to make it great. I would have gladly paid for it in a restaurant.
I'm from South Africa on medical aid, I was at a private hospital, we were given menu's the presentation was nice, the food really tasty, and we had desert as well. They even asked how big a portion would you like.
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I wish Pandas could add to this post. My Dad was in an NHS hospital earlier this year and said the best thing was the food. He took photos and given that he is a great cook and loves eating out, his commendation is praise indeed! It all looked superb.
Not excusing some of this junk, but when I was in hospital in Toronto, patients were given menus for all the next day's meals.Sometimes, I'd choose fries, a banana, and milk. It wouldn't make for a great picture or positive comments about hospital meals, but it wad entirely my choice. So maybe somechoices by patients here were 'just rice' or 'hzrd boiled egg and bread.'
Also several hospitals have fridges and pantries for the patients. When I had my last son I went in and there were arrowroot cookies, sandwiches, juices, jello, coffee and tea that the patients could have when they needed a snack.
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Food is not that bad where I live (Southern Ontario, Canada). When I was in the hospital for 3 days they would let me have snacks when I wanted as well.
I was hospitalized this year. Food wasn't that bad, but sometimes repetitive. 🙂
Oof. Glad the times I've been in the hospital in the US the food hasn't been like this. Not great, but at least palatable.
I used to work in an NHS hospital that had a private ward. They had menus to choose which delicious meal you wanted and even had a wine list.
Blimey, et tu, countries with excellent healthcare systems? New Zealand can’t even bloody pay nurses properly, so I shudder to think what our hospital food is like. They offered me lunch when I was doing the 2 hour rest period after my spinal tap and I said no because I knew it wouldn’t be good.
My mother worked in the dietary department of our local hospital for over thirty years. Unlike many others, they don't outsource, and they'd never dream of serving swill like this to patients.
When I drove an ambulance around Palm Springs some decades ago, the lunch room at Eisenhower Medical Center, which treated many Hollywood celebs, was *the* place to go for a midday meal. IOW hospital food in USA can be damn good if it's chasing enough money.
When I had my baby (after 36 hours of active labor, then traumatic c section) the first meal I was served was a single boiled beet, uncut, on a plate. I'm not kidding. The only reason why I didn't throw the tray at the nurse was I was too exhausted to do so. ( they brought me a proper meal after that mistake)
Horrific some of these, hospital here in Miami Mt Sinai had belgian waffles boiled eggs pudding real ginger ale and OJ. Guessing cause it's a private hospital. But food was decent thankfully
Last time I was in hospital, I lived on crackers and bread, which were the only edible foods they served me. Next time, I'm sneaking in a sandwich bag containing packets of salt and pepper and various sauces.
i live in a rural area where our hospital is at least 40 yrs old. was in there for a week and the food was restaurant quality, albeit within 'healthy' guidelines. also, you ordered from a menu. when i was feeling better i ordered a hamburger and it was great but was really surprised that it was a baked burger as it tasted grilled.
Maybe it's because I haven't been to a restaurant in a year and a half, but the vast majority of these look just fine to me.
First, a lot of these meals are unbalanced. You would think a dietician has some influence. It should be tasty and nutricious (not high end). AND look good to eat because when sick you sometimes have trouble eating.
All of this is just a huge conspiracy ! This food prevents healing, so you stay there forever and you keep paying !
My personal theory is that the food will make the patients who can still walk, pack up and leave more quickly, so the understaffed hospital can be rid of them?
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Those pictures were so sad. Most of them said vegan. Were some regular meals better?
number 30 looks like the safest option compared to the vomit that the other hospitals are serving
I was once hospitalized and couldn’t get to eat because the food lack of good appealing. After two days of not eating a social worker showed up, they thought I had an eating disorder (am on the skinny size) after I told her why I wasn’t eating, every day a basket of fruits and pantries was sent to me :-)
Best food I've ever seen in a hospital setting was the meals provided for families and patients and Arkansas Children's Hospital. Their barbeque pork was incredible and the blueberry muffins were the best I've ever had.
I'm so glad I was hospitalised in Sweden. My home town of Västerås (pronounced Westeros,I'm not kidding!) has made an effort to make good, healthy and organic food, which cost less and was composted afterwards. I loved every meal once I was able to eat again, and I got my health back faster, I think! Everything but the brussel sprouts, but I never liked them anyway.
huh. Ive been in hospitals alot i my life and the food i get is always tasty...except the mashed potatos ^^; you can never get mash potatoes right in most places i go to actually except at home
I'm not exactly sure what the heck vegans think a hospital is supposed to whip up for them, if they want something relatively fresh...
My grandma was in the hospital because of an injury (she got better), and the food was ok-decent. it looked and was normal food, but just had this slight tinge of... hospital smell (aka pee)
That's just...sad. I was recently hospitalized following a stroke. It was such a disappointment to go home...the meals were absolutely outstanding. People in that town actually make the hospital's cafeteria a destination for meals, and the same things are served to the patients. I was given an extensive menu, and called my selections in three times a day...whenever I wanted to eat. No set times. They were delivered by a liveried service person. I kinda miss the hospitial...
I don't know! Get your Bacteria from our Cafeteria. That was so disgusting to look at. How could anyone produce something for human consumption that looks remotely so horrible, even to serve such a mess takes guts and a severe lack of respect for a fellow being.
Wow! My hospital food in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA, was actually very good. I was able to order off of a menu.
I posted it above but I wanted to share in the comments. I was in the hospital back in April for COVID. Here is a typical dinner I received. The brown sauce is a mushroom sauce. Sorry for the lighting. hospital-f...3d5744.jpg 
I stay four day's in hospital in Tenerife/canaries and the food was great, vegies soup , fresh fish filet with local potato's, and mango mouse as desert with water as drink. This one day menue, the others day were also perfect, great kitchen and services
My daughter went into a private hospital in Cape Town .She is vegan but the staff advised me that they had a full time nutritionist and i shouldnt worry .When her meal came it was....... a tin of Sprite !!!
There are many countries where there is no such thing as hospital food. If you have to stay in a hospital, you need to find a way to get food brought in to you. A friend or family member has to go shopping daily and bring edibles to your room which doesn't have a fridge btw. Just keep this in mind, to keep it all in perspective.
St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada IMG_202106...c6186b.jpg 
“No, I came in with a broken leg. The projectile vomiting started with breakfast.”
I'm just glad I wasn't hospitalized in S Korea while I lived there for three years. LOTS of seaweed soup.
If I had been served some of this slop I would have been throwing it at someone. These presentations diffidently roil the stomach. Great way to diet.
Don’t have a picture but the meals at Basurto hospital in Bilbao a great. Been there accompanying my grandma, mother and husband. Not only look good and smell great, very tasty too.
All of this food is disgusting. It's what I would expect to be served in prisons, not to people who are being charged huge amounts of money (in the US anyway) and should be eating healthy, low-fat meals.
I spent 6 weeks in hospital in Vancouver and have to say that the food was pretty good. My only complaint was if you missed the person who came by to take your choice, their default was egg salad sandwiches. WTF eats egg salad sandwiches? These things are a level of disgusting right below hunny-wagon contents.
Many hospitals struggle financially. Picture-wise, they are going to great lengths to help you out asap:)
At least it’s something every continent has in common - poor nosh in hospital. I would have thought in the USA where you have to pay for everything in a hospital, the food would be 5 star rated. Now I know different.
Same. Given the cost of healthcare in the US, you wouldn't think catering budgets were an issue, I've learnt otherwise too now!
Load More Replies... ... how are you supposed to get well again, if it's a lucky day when they serve you a seasoned kitchen sponge and unmolested rice? Seriously, I have seen some of these myself (the mashed potato-resembling concrete with those six ... domes? ... ), and it tasted by no means any better than it looked. Usually, the looks of that Scheißfraß were the best about it.
WTF. French hospital food is known to be "bad" but next to these it's a f**king fancy restaurant.
That's a matter of perspective. I was really glad to be able to eat blank overcooked pasta or rice with nothing else after beeing fed through my veins for a month after a obstruction and a surgery. I was like "yoohoo!best meal ever!" and i'm a pastaddict, i cook really good ones, al dente, but i was still very happy. And i was glad to be able to eat basically anything similar to food but mixed after a broken jaw, wearing arch wires ligatures for 3weeks, only eating proteins shakes with ugly strong artificial flavors.
Load More Replies... Some of these are abominations, but some are people clearly expecting something they would be served at a restaurant. Hospitals are there to offer nutritious food that takes into account the fact you probably aren't exercising so need fewer calories, and as for vegans... you're a tiny minority and terrible for the planet, why should you always get a special menu?
I agree. Some are terrible but others look perfectly fine. People is terribly spoiled.
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We need to round up all the hospital food people globally and lock them in a conference room until they figure this out. Maybe lock them with some airlines, too. Countries like USA have no excuse. Cheap ready made meals are available.
Tip: to increase appetite and reduce recovery time in patients, food should not resemble ANYTHING their body expels or anything that needs to BE expelled.
The hospital its not a place for hight cuisine food :) Its better not to stay too long in a hospital, hence the horrible food, they want you out soon :)))))))))))))))
No one is asking for high cuisine. Just stuff that is recognizable AS food.
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Haha, that's exactly what I thought. It was going to be horrible hospital food from a hospital stay they had abroad. I've had good food at my hospitals with a chef even giving me cheese cake testings during my pregnancy stay.
Load More Replies... It looks like every single country on this planet needs to invite whoever cooks in Japanese hospitals to teach them how to make edible food for patients.
i know thats right. and i saw in a vid that after a mom gives birth the hosbital feeds the mother and takes car of the baby for you till you recover
Load More Replies... Wish I had made some pictures of the food I got, to show that hospital food isn’t that bad everywhere.
I agree. I had surgery last year in Belgium. The breakfast was similar to the one showed here and it was veey good. Four slices of bread, cheese and jam and coffee with milk.
Load More Replies... How many of these meals were taken by people on restricted diets? Just curious.
That’s what I’m wondering. Some patients have restrictions on sodium, fat, carbs, or sometimes even protein. The hospital food I had when I lost my baby son was pretty good, but when my mom had her protein and fiber intake restricted, she saw a number of sad naked potatoes.
Load More Replies... The really sad thing here is that these disgusting meals hint to a much geater, underlying problem: holistic healthcare. If hospitals would center on the patient, they would provide much more than treatments but create environment that foster health. This would include healthy meals. How can there be so much bad meat, so much salt, so much sugar? How can hospitals not follow the baseline advice from nutritionists that for example apply to schools and are yet way too lenient?
Exactly! It doesn't have to be complicated either, things like potatoes, whole grains, vegetables, beans, nuts etc. are not that hard to prepare or source
Load More Replies... In our small hospital in Ontario Canada back in the late sixties we had our own kitchen and staff that prepared meals. Pts got menus to choose what they wanted. Sure the meals were predictable if you were in for a long time. But most of the kitchen staff tried to make the meals presentable . If stuff was sent back to the kitchen uneaten a dietitian visited the pt. Now the food is trucked in heated up in the kitchen slopped on the plates and nobody cares if you eat or not. Its called progress folks.
I've spent a considerable amount of time in a psych ward in Cork, Ireland and the food was out of this world. The chef knew that mealtimes were the highlight of the day for us so really made the effort to make it great. I would have gladly paid for it in a restaurant.
I'm from South Africa on medical aid, I was at a private hospital, we were given menu's the presentation was nice, the food really tasty, and we had desert as well. They even asked how big a portion would you like.
Load More Replies... I wish Pandas could add to this post. My Dad was in an NHS hospital earlier this year and said the best thing was the food. He took photos and given that he is a great cook and loves eating out, his commendation is praise indeed! It all looked superb.
Not excusing some of this junk, but when I was in hospital in Toronto, patients were given menus for all the next day's meals.Sometimes, I'd choose fries, a banana, and milk. It wouldn't make for a great picture or positive comments about hospital meals, but it wad entirely my choice. So maybe somechoices by patients here were 'just rice' or 'hzrd boiled egg and bread.'
Also several hospitals have fridges and pantries for the patients. When I had my last son I went in and there were arrowroot cookies, sandwiches, juices, jello, coffee and tea that the patients could have when they needed a snack.
Load More Replies... Food is not that bad where I live (Southern Ontario, Canada). When I was in the hospital for 3 days they would let me have snacks when I wanted as well.
I was hospitalized this year. Food wasn't that bad, but sometimes repetitive. 🙂
Oof. Glad the times I've been in the hospital in the US the food hasn't been like this. Not great, but at least palatable.
I used to work in an NHS hospital that had a private ward. They had menus to choose which delicious meal you wanted and even had a wine list.
Blimey, et tu, countries with excellent healthcare systems? New Zealand can’t even bloody pay nurses properly, so I shudder to think what our hospital food is like. They offered me lunch when I was doing the 2 hour rest period after my spinal tap and I said no because I knew it wouldn’t be good.
My mother worked in the dietary department of our local hospital for over thirty years. Unlike many others, they don't outsource, and they'd never dream of serving swill like this to patients.
When I drove an ambulance around Palm Springs some decades ago, the lunch room at Eisenhower Medical Center, which treated many Hollywood celebs, was *the* place to go for a midday meal. IOW hospital food in USA can be damn good if it's chasing enough money.
When I had my baby (after 36 hours of active labor, then traumatic c section) the first meal I was served was a single boiled beet, uncut, on a plate. I'm not kidding. The only reason why I didn't throw the tray at the nurse was I was too exhausted to do so. ( they brought me a proper meal after that mistake)
Horrific some of these, hospital here in Miami Mt Sinai had belgian waffles boiled eggs pudding real ginger ale and OJ. Guessing cause it's a private hospital. But food was decent thankfully
Last time I was in hospital, I lived on crackers and bread, which were the only edible foods they served me. Next time, I'm sneaking in a sandwich bag containing packets of salt and pepper and various sauces.
i live in a rural area where our hospital is at least 40 yrs old. was in there for a week and the food was restaurant quality, albeit within 'healthy' guidelines. also, you ordered from a menu. when i was feeling better i ordered a hamburger and it was great but was really surprised that it was a baked burger as it tasted grilled.
Maybe it's because I haven't been to a restaurant in a year and a half, but the vast majority of these look just fine to me.
First, a lot of these meals are unbalanced. You would think a dietician has some influence. It should be tasty and nutricious (not high end). AND look good to eat because when sick you sometimes have trouble eating.
All of this is just a huge conspiracy ! This food prevents healing, so you stay there forever and you keep paying !
My personal theory is that the food will make the patients who can still walk, pack up and leave more quickly, so the understaffed hospital can be rid of them?
Load More Replies... Those pictures were so sad. Most of them said vegan. Were some regular meals better?
number 30 looks like the safest option compared to the vomit that the other hospitals are serving
I was once hospitalized and couldn’t get to eat because the food lack of good appealing. After two days of not eating a social worker showed up, they thought I had an eating disorder (am on the skinny size) after I told her why I wasn’t eating, every day a basket of fruits and pantries was sent to me :-)
Best food I've ever seen in a hospital setting was the meals provided for families and patients and Arkansas Children's Hospital. Their barbeque pork was incredible and the blueberry muffins were the best I've ever had.
I'm so glad I was hospitalised in Sweden. My home town of Västerås (pronounced Westeros,I'm not kidding!) has made an effort to make good, healthy and organic food, which cost less and was composted afterwards. I loved every meal once I was able to eat again, and I got my health back faster, I think! Everything but the brussel sprouts, but I never liked them anyway.
huh. Ive been in hospitals alot i my life and the food i get is always tasty...except the mashed potatos ^^; you can never get mash potatoes right in most places i go to actually except at home
I'm not exactly sure what the heck vegans think a hospital is supposed to whip up for them, if they want something relatively fresh...
My grandma was in the hospital because of an injury (she got better), and the food was ok-decent. it looked and was normal food, but just had this slight tinge of... hospital smell (aka pee)
That's just...sad. I was recently hospitalized following a stroke. It was such a disappointment to go home...the meals were absolutely outstanding. People in that town actually make the hospital's cafeteria a destination for meals, and the same things are served to the patients. I was given an extensive menu, and called my selections in three times a day...whenever I wanted to eat. No set times. They were delivered by a liveried service person. I kinda miss the hospitial...
I don't know! Get your Bacteria from our Cafeteria. That was so disgusting to look at. How could anyone produce something for human consumption that looks remotely so horrible, even to serve such a mess takes guts and a severe lack of respect for a fellow being.
Wow! My hospital food in Appleton, Wisconsin, USA, was actually very good. I was able to order off of a menu.
I posted it above but I wanted to share in the comments. I was in the hospital back in April for COVID. Here is a typical dinner I received. The brown sauce is a mushroom sauce. Sorry for the lighting. hospital-f...3d5744.jpg
I stay four day's in hospital in Tenerife/canaries and the food was great, vegies soup , fresh fish filet with local potato's, and mango mouse as desert with water as drink. This one day menue, the others day were also perfect, great kitchen and services
My daughter went into a private hospital in Cape Town .She is vegan but the staff advised me that they had a full time nutritionist and i shouldnt worry .When her meal came it was....... a tin of Sprite !!!
There are many countries where there is no such thing as hospital food. If you have to stay in a hospital, you need to find a way to get food brought in to you. A friend or family member has to go shopping daily and bring edibles to your room which doesn't have a fridge btw. Just keep this in mind, to keep it all in perspective.
St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada IMG_202106...c6186b.jpg
“No, I came in with a broken leg. The projectile vomiting started with breakfast.”
I'm just glad I wasn't hospitalized in S Korea while I lived there for three years. LOTS of seaweed soup.
If I had been served some of this slop I would have been throwing it at someone. These presentations diffidently roil the stomach. Great way to diet.
Don’t have a picture but the meals at Basurto hospital in Bilbao a great. Been there accompanying my grandma, mother and husband. Not only look good and smell great, very tasty too.
All of this food is disgusting. It's what I would expect to be served in prisons, not to people who are being charged huge amounts of money (in the US anyway) and should be eating healthy, low-fat meals.
I spent 6 weeks in hospital in Vancouver and have to say that the food was pretty good. My only complaint was if you missed the person who came by to take your choice, their default was egg salad sandwiches. WTF eats egg salad sandwiches? These things are a level of disgusting right below hunny-wagon contents.
Many hospitals struggle financially. Picture-wise, they are going to great lengths to help you out asap:)
At least it’s something every continent has in common - poor nosh in hospital. I would have thought in the USA where you have to pay for everything in a hospital, the food would be 5 star rated. Now I know different.
Same. Given the cost of healthcare in the US, you wouldn't think catering budgets were an issue, I've learnt otherwise too now!
Load More Replies... ... how are you supposed to get well again, if it's a lucky day when they serve you a seasoned kitchen sponge and unmolested rice? Seriously, I have seen some of these myself (the mashed potato-resembling concrete with those six ... domes? ... ), and it tasted by no means any better than it looked. Usually, the looks of that Scheißfraß were the best about it.
WTF. French hospital food is known to be "bad" but next to these it's a f**king fancy restaurant.
That's a matter of perspective. I was really glad to be able to eat blank overcooked pasta or rice with nothing else after beeing fed through my veins for a month after a obstruction and a surgery. I was like "yoohoo!best meal ever!" and i'm a pastaddict, i cook really good ones, al dente, but i was still very happy. And i was glad to be able to eat basically anything similar to food but mixed after a broken jaw, wearing arch wires ligatures for 3weeks, only eating proteins shakes with ugly strong artificial flavors.
Load More Replies... Some of these are abominations, but some are people clearly expecting something they would be served at a restaurant. Hospitals are there to offer nutritious food that takes into account the fact you probably aren't exercising so need fewer calories, and as for vegans... you're a tiny minority and terrible for the planet, why should you always get a special menu?
I agree. Some are terrible but others look perfectly fine. People is terribly spoiled.
Load More Replies... We need to round up all the hospital food people globally and lock them in a conference room until they figure this out. Maybe lock them with some airlines, too. Countries like USA have no excuse. Cheap ready made meals are available.
Tip: to increase appetite and reduce recovery time in patients, food should not resemble ANYTHING their body expels or anything that needs to BE expelled.
The hospital its not a place for hight cuisine food :) Its better not to stay too long in a hospital, hence the horrible food, they want you out soon :)))))))))))))))
No one is asking for high cuisine. Just stuff that is recognizable AS food.
Load More Replies... Haha, that's exactly what I thought. It was going to be horrible hospital food from a hospital stay they had abroad. I've had good food at my hospitals with a chef even giving me cheese cake testings during my pregnancy stay.
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