Hospital food under fire as experts warn meals are harming America’s sickest patients

The Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services sent a memo directing hospitals to align their meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.(iStock)

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“Although many hospitals have begun the implementation of ‘healthier options,’ the average menu still tends to prioritize low cost, long shelf life and ease of preparation over nutrition.”

Larger concerns include high sugar and sodium levels, processed ingredients and refined carbohydrates in hospital foods, Khan said.“There seems to be a lack of high-quality protein, fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy fats,” he added.

“The average hospital menu still tends to prioritize low cost, long shelf life and ease of preparation over nutrition.”

Khan said he has seen patients order their meals from Grubhub, DoorDash or Uber Eats because they felt the hospital menu options were not healthy enough.

“Most of the hospital meals do not provide adequate nutrients … to properly support healing, muscle maintenance, immunity or overall recovery,�

“Poor nutrition only makes things worse for this patient pool,” Khan went on.“Ultimately, poor nutrition is very harmful forelderly patientsand people with chronic illnesses.They are at a higher risk for muscle loss, weakness, delayed healing, infection and re-infection.”

“There seems to be a lack of high-quality protein, fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy fats,” a doctor said.(iStock)

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian is partnering with Tampa General Hospital in Florida to transform hospital dining, introducingMediterranean diet–inspiredmeals for patients.

�high desire, low-value and low-nutrition food,” typically priced to meet a strict per-plate cost that hospitals cannot exceed.

“Patients are often served items such as pasta, processed deli meats, packaged snacks with artificial components, sugary desserts, cereals, juice and soda.”(iStock)

Sec.Kennedy and CMS administrator Dr.Mehmet Oz announced a similar initiative at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

Vani Hari, known as the “Food Babe,�com/category/health/health-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">food is medicine.

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“The fact that they had to send a memo reminding hospitals of that tells you everything about how broken the system is,” said Hari, who is based in North Carolina.“People are at their most vulnerable in ahospital bed– and for decades, nobody in charge seemed to care what they were eating.”

Medicare and Medicaid fund the majority of inpatient services, including at least half of inpatient days at 96% of hospitals and two-thirds or more at 80% of hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).

(iStock)

com/category/health/nutrition-and-fitness/nutrition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nutritious foodis an essential part of healing and recovery. 

“They are deeply committed to providing patients with high‑quality, nutritious meals that meet clinical standards, individual dietary needs and federal guidance,” said the spokesperson. 

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Hospital teams collaborate with registered dietitians andclinical staffto make sure each patient receives meals tailored to their medical needs and recovery plan, according to the AHA.

long‑term wellness,” they added.

Ashley J.