Dietary preferences at the hospital?

[Basmah]

This is more curiosity than anything, but is it possible as a patient to eat paleo/SCD/etc in the hospital? How would someone go about it, other than bringing your own food from home?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I'd imagine it's very hard to do that because most of the food in the hospital ironically is pretty unhealthy in my opinion. I'm sure you could have the nutritionist try to work something out for you. They usually have a bunch of plans to choose from but you'd likely have to pick meals and just eat part of it.

 

[Basmah]

I can imagine how hard it would be. One of the hospitals I tend to go to has a Mcdonald's in it... doesn't make sense to me.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

That's atrocious and a pure example of how messed up our healthcare system is.

 

[MsZombie]

During my last hospital stay, i stayed on my low res diet, I was served peas and salsbury steak with mushroom gravy! I was told that was their low res diet menu! My hubby had to bring me a loaf of white bread, pnt butter and Muscle Milk!
Not all hosp diets are the same.

 

[Clash]

I think every hospital is different. At my son's last admission there was a patient on SCD or paleo can't remember now and he spoke with the nutritionist upon admission and they brought up a special menu he ordered from. His mom was impressed.

 

[UnXmas]

I've asked this question before, not that I'm on any of those alternative, restrictive diets myself, but because I wondered how people who are manage.

My hospital couldn't even manage to provide a low-fibre diet for me.
I'd order a white bread cheese sandwich, I'd get a brown bread sandwich stuffed full of salad. I'd ask for cornflakes, they'd give me bran flakes because they were out of cornflakes.

As for junk food in hospitals, there's been a lot in the news here about that lately, and also a big drive for doctors, nurses and all other NHS staff to lose weight to set a good example for patients. Most hospitals in the UK seem to have Costa Coffees these days. The one I usually go to had vending machines full of chocolate bars, crisps and fizzy drinks. But I'm underweight and need to gain, and plenty of people are a healthy weight, so I don't see why we should be denied Costa drinks covered in whipped cream just because some people can't avoid temptation! And overweight people have a right to have junk food if they want it. If they're having a rotten time in hospital, maybe waiting hours for an appointment, why shouldn't they have a chocolate bar, why should they have to diet constantly with no occasional treats? Have healthy food available too - which it is, Costa also sells fruit juice, black coffee, and full-fat milk is optional, but don't force everyone to have low calorie foods when some of us really need the whipped cream!

Plus it really annoys me that Costa only sells brown bread sandwiches, stuffed full of salad too. If they're in a hospital especially, they should cater to people on low-fibre diets.

 

[UnXmas]

I'd imagine it's very hard to do that because most of the food in the hospital ironically is pretty unhealthy in my opinion. I'm sure you could have the nutritionist try to work something out for you. They usually have a bunch of plans to choose from but you'd likely have to pick meals and just eat part of it.

Why do you equate SCD and paleo with healthy?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

They largely are healthy diets and force one to eschew processed and nutritionally void foods.

 

[UnXmas]

They largely are healthy diets and force one to eschew processed and nutritionally void foods.

But normal diets include fruit, veg, wholegrains, fish, dairy, water... they include all healthy foods as they don't exclude anything. Even the more unusual foods hyped up as super foods or whatever can be eaten without having to follow any special diet. And as I wrote above, when I was in hospital, for me healthy food meant low-fibre, high-calorie foods, so processed food was often a healthy choice. But mainly you can have a perfectly healthy diet that includes processed foods or junk food or whatever you want to call it, as long as it includes all the nutrients, calories, fibre, etc. that you need as well, and as long as the amount of calories, fat, salt, and everything else that is unhealthy in excess is not eaten in excess.

A "normal" Western diet can be healthy: the hospitals I've been to always offer everything needed for a healthy diet. And SCD, paleo, etc. can be unhealthy, as it's surely possible to consume too many calories, or too few calories, or follow the diet in many other ways that make it unhealthy (plus the obvious fibre issue ). And in a hospital - well perhaps this isn't as relevant in other countries, but here in the UK where we have free healthcare - the food has to be cheap. Processed foods that are easily available must help in that respect: processed food is generally less likely to spoil, so can be bought in bulk with less potential for wastage, and might be cheaper or more easily available. And I'd imagine that increasing the number of meals requiring separate preparation is going to mean more man hours. So while hospitals have to cater for special diets needed for health, religious or ethical reasons, adding in more specialised diets that aren't necessary isn't going to be a good idea.

 

[Grumbletum]

I found it was really hard in hospital. My first stay was about 6 months after I was diagnosed and was on SCD as that was what was giving me the most relief from my symptoms. But caffeine was one of my biggest triggers and they didn't have decaffianted tea or coffee. I looked at the gluten free diet, but I find that gluten free foods are really high in sugar and that's my second biggest trigger, even in remission.
My second stay was for the resection and the first time I saw a dietician in hospital. She did listen to me and gave me a newly published leaflet with a recommended Crohn's diet, but there was a lot of stuff in there that I couldn't tolerate. I'd taken my own supply of Redbush tea in with me and they were happy to make it for me. And when I explained about the leaflet diet, she recommended the small appetite diet which supplied about 6 small snack type meals a day, which included plenty of fruit and veg which I am lucky enough to tolerate.
Incidentally, the significance of diet had never been mentioned to me until that second hospital visit which was about 18 months after I was diagnosed and that I think is a wee bit concerning.
I talked to the GP who was instrumental in getting me diagnosed about my diet when I was on SCD because I couldn't eat red meat at that time and was worried about iron deficiency so she referred me to a dietician. The dietician was quite sceptical about the SCD diet, but she got me to log my diet for a week and ran it through the computer and was surprised to find that it was lot more balanced than she had expected. It was also really useful to meet with her as she was able to suggest ways to boost my iron intake, given that I couldn't eat red meat.

 

[Basmah]

Thanks for some of the insight! I agree that people have a choice about what they - especially when you're a patient in the hospital...what a crappy situation. I'd say, "go for the snickers!" Unfortunately, the standard American diet isn't healthy at all, and we pay for healthcare!! I am mostly just curious because I haven't had a diet regime up until recently. It's been going really well for me, and I'm just praying that a hospital visit isn't in my cards any time soon.

 

[Grotbags]

My hospital in Fife did provide a low residue and low fibre diet, but apart from the mackerel , it was all pretty horrible.
Even though the hospital has it's own kitchen, and cooks it's own food, specialist diets come from an outside caterer, but at least there was an option.
When I was in I had my partner bring in cheese sandwiches, he makes a mean cheese sandwich !.

 

[Basmah]

I would love for this to be implemented at all hospitals! http://modernfarmer.com/2014/12/farm-hospital-bed/

 

[guest78]

I would imagine it's very difficult. When I was in hospital they could barely support lacto free diet due to intolerance - my parents had to bring in food for me.

 

[wild_one353]

instead of milk eat cheese or yogurt. mozzeralla is very low in lactose.

of course avoid refined sugar.

eat alot of whole grain oats, maybe oatmeal without added sugar.

maybe thats teh best you can do in the hospital i dont know.

 

[empressentrails]

So many hospitals are in the dark ages as far as food goes. The hospital I work at offers a decent soft diet for Crohn ' s patients, but I wouldn't call it healthy. It took my doctors so long to believe that there was a correlation between food and Crohn's. One doctor even told me diet has NOTHING to do with it! And didn't believe me when I said giving up caffeine took away my diarrhea, why would I lie about that? Also, hospitals will provide nutritional shakes for you. I didn't know this at the time and spent lots of money on ensure after my surgery because I couldn't tolerate food.

 

[SmellyMelly]

This is more curiosity than anything, but is it possible as a patient to eat paleo/SCD/etc in the hospital? How would someone go about it, other than bringing your own food from home?

Most hospital food is disgusting and extremely unhealthy. How the heck they expect patients to get well and recover when feeding them such slop and processed food is beyond me. But any way that is a different issue entirely.

If you are in a private hospice or hospital under private insurance, they may well have their own nutritionists and chefs, and you may be able to arrange a special diet.

But in a public hospital....well I would say zero chance. You would have to get a friend or relative to bring the food into you daily.

 

[SmellyMelly]

Hospital food horror stories

James Martin shares his shock at the photos and accounts you've sent him of horrific hospital food:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01sdr2j

OMG! The food image looks like something that could have come out of my arse!