Hospital Food

 

I remember as a child hearing that airplane and hospital food were terrible. I assumed that the adults were referring to the taste of the food. Yeah, the food doesn't taste so good but now I realize that the real issue is the nutritional value of these meals.

In recent years airlines have started to offer less food and even charge for it. Of course these changes are motivated primarily by cutting costs, but nonetheless there are now healthier selections such as fruit and nuts or hummus and veggies. Passengers now need to either pay for food or bring their own. This is great in my opinion. Maybe more people will begin to bring their own food on board or eat a healthy meal beforehand. While I feel airlines' food programs have taken a step in the right direction, it seems hospitals have a long way to go.

One would think that a hospital would be serving healthy food to the people in their care. This isn't the case at all. My fiancée has spent a lot of time in hospitals recently giving me time to inspect the meals brought to him. On Friday my fiancée was served microwaved veggies and dark chicken meat drowned in a mystery sauce, a sugary drink loaded with artificial coloring and preservatives and a wheat roll. My first thought was that at least the bread appeared healthy. I inspected the label and was horrified to see about 40 ingredients on the list with High Fructose Corn syrup in the top five. Really? Why? There is no need to put HFCS in anything, especially bread.

Hospitals employ nutritionists and dietitians so why aren't meals prepared better and the choices healthier? Unfortunately money is probably why and there isn't always attention to detail in large instituitions. A dietician or nutritionist may ask for a meal to include specific food groups but perhaps they aren't the ones doing the ordering or they don't follow up to see what is actually served to patients. I'm not sure where the problem is but there is a problem. Schools face similar issues but in recent years some have made huge improvements in the food choices offered to students. It seems that the parents stepping in and taking charge are the ones initiating change. How can these improvements be made in hospitals too? Usually patients aren't there long enough for family members to step in and try to initiate changes. What is the solution?

I am not sure what the answer is but perhaps hospitals could hire people to oversee ingredients going into foods, how they are prepared and how they arrive to the patient. The price of meals may increase, but in my opinion, you can't put a price on what goes into the body, especially an ailing patients' body. I'm not saying that hospitals need to buy organic produce, although that would be amazing, but perhaps they could start by taking small steps. First let's cut out anything with food coloring, added salt, added preservatives or HFCS.  Get rid of microwaves! There are ovens to heat towels and blankets, why not the chicken and carrots? I haven't seen a food tray with fresh fruit at the hospital very often. How about a banana or an apple instead of a syrupy soggy fruit mix? I realize that things are easier said than done, but a hospital is supposed to be a place of healing. Food can help heal and in my opinion the state of hospital food right now is doing much more harm than good.

Snacking at the Airport

 

I recently traveled from Laguardia Airport to Detroit Metro Airport and noticed all of the new snack options. Yes, there were the usual suspects of sugar, highly processed snacks and candy bars, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a very wide variety of nuts, trail mixes and fresh foods. Sure a $.30 banana will cost you a $1.00 or more, but at least the option is there.

I went with the fresh cut fruit and some raw walnuts. I love fruit and nuts for breakfast and snacks, so some strawberries, blueberries and walnuts hit the spot. It was nice to see berries and not just discolored melon and bland grapes.

Another new find were Mann’s Snack on the Go! trays. They contained chilled and bite-sized broccoli, carrots and celery paired with a lite Ranch dipping sauce/dressing in a small tray that is easy to throw in your bag and perfect to eat off of on the plane. The raw veggies are an excellent choice, but the Ranch dressing is an easy way to make this snack not so excellent. The Ranch dressing contains MSG, added sugar and additives like modified cornstarch. Eat the veggies and use very little of the dressing or better yet, skip the dressing altogether and buy some hummus to dip the veggies into.

Also, as I was checking out the nuts and trail mixes, I did discover that some of them had a long list of preservatives and additives. Some even added High Fructose Corn Syrup. So, before you buy, take a look at the ingredient list. Some options that seem like a good choice, may actually not be so good.

Soon I will bring some meal options from the airport restaurants.

5 Tips for Eating Healthy When You Are Traveling by Airplane

#1- Allow time before you leave for the airport to sit down to a nutritious and satisfying home-cooked meal If you leave for the airport satisfied, there is less temptation to purchase junk food at the airport or on the plane.

#2- If possible, pack a home-cooked meal and snacks. Some great choices are fruits, nuts, veggies, hard-boiled eggs or a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread. A quick solution for people on the go is a Lara Bar. These bars have very few ingredients, good fats, taste great and are small enough to toss in your purse or carry-on.

#3- Try to avoid foods high in sugar and /or carbohydrates such as packaged pies or donuts. Soon after eating, your sugar and energy will drop and you will be hungry again and most likely feel sluggish. Not only are these foods high in fat, refined sugar and processed carbs, they are also low in nutritional value.

#4- Ask yourself if you are hungry or if it could be dehydration. Often times we confuse hunger with thirst. This is especially true when we are traveling and sitting in dry cabin conditions on the airplane. Reach for bottled water over sodas from the drink cart and avoid coffee and alcohol.

#5- What should you do if you have a layover and need to eat a snack or meal at the airport? Of course every airport has different choices, but as a general rule I try to stick to eating whole foods. What I mean by this is that I like to avoid processed/packaged foods and meals from fast food stands. I like to know what the ingredients are and how my food is prepared. This isn’t always possible so I tend to opt a pre-made salad with chicken from the airport café. Watch out for oily croutons and dressings loaded with fats and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). Use oil and vinegar when possible or ask for a lemon wedge. Sandwiches can also be a good option, but use common sense and read the ingredients. Avoid sandwiches with a long ingredient list or ones loaded with cheese/mayo or other processed condiments. Some airport cafés now offer fresh cut veggies with hummus or chopped up fruits. These are excellent choices that you can feel good about as well. Of course every airport has different cafés and restaurants. I will explore options from popular restaurants soon in another post about dining at the aiport.