The Irony of Food in Healthcare

Waiting for a loved one after surgery.

Eating my homegrown roast beef on my sourdough loaf with local lettuce , homemade pickles and cheese and realizing the hospital couldn’t serve a sandwich like this.

Due to regulations around purchasing for “safety”, unions and procurement rules the government uses to save money.

Even though it’s full of nourishment. Even though everything in it comes from a 200 Km radius and not from a clear cut rainforest in Brazil.

Even though it would benefit the whole community to support farms right here in our province.

Even though they would be serving better quality food (but ack!!! They may need to serve less options.)

Even though it would be preventative healthcare.

Even though it would be a positive example of a nourishing meal.

(But now that Lucky Charms are deemed more nourishing than red meat in the food pyramid I am not even sure there is hope for this system.)

I would bet this sandwich toe to toe would be more nourishing than 80 % of the food currently shipped into hospitals.

Wanna bet?

And before we bet : it’s only fair for you to know I worked in healthcare and the school system for almost 20 years. I have seen what comes out of the Sysco truck. And I know the rules and what little say those who are actually serving the food have.

I’m not talking about the odd treat- I’m talking three meals a day of margarine, large cans of Campbell’s soup, pork shipped in from China, processed cheese slices and pallets and pallets of white spongy Ben’s bread.

I think it’s time we scale way back on food in healthcare. There is the odd effort but for the most part-it’s generally reflective of the Standard American Diet. And no one with eyes can ignore the effect THAT is having on our health.

If we can’t serve nourishing food the majority of the time, grown in our own province to help heal our sick and elderly, how about we just don’t serve it. That would get things moving in the right direction #isaidwhatisaid

Otherwise how do ever hope to gain any footing in healthcare ?

Love Jenn xx.

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