Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

[mizski]

I was just reading another post about having no choice in eating off plan meals and it made me think of my hospital experience this week.

During my pre-op appointment I made it very clear that I had diet restrictions. I did not want any grief by mentioning Atkins so I said that I could not eat any starches or sugars, just proteins and vegetables. "You mean like a diabetic diet?" they asked. I figured this was as close as I was going to get to acceptable. I figured I would manage for two days.

I was wrong. My post op meal was crackers and regular ginger ale. I mentioned I could not have any starches or sugars. I eventually got water...and some shortbread cookies.

Later my liquid diet meal arrived: a regular Popsicle and regular jello. Again I explained that I could not eat that and was supposed to have a diabetic menu. Well after the popsicle became a puddle in paper and the jello just sat there, the nurse brought me in a cup of broth (bullion) and a cup of tea.

The next day with solid food was a little better, but not much. I mean, what part of a diabetic menu includes white toast and jelly for breakfast??? I ate the scrambled eggs. Lunch and dinner, I didn't eat the starchy and sugary things but noticed the meat and chicken stuff tasted weird. It was mostly soy. Ugh!!!

I was happy to go home and get back to my real food. It's taken me days to feel right again and I'm not talking about the surgery. I have another operation in a few months and I don't really know what to do about the hospital food situation. It is a very good hospital and I'm so very disappointed that they didn't (can't?) accommodate special dietary needs better. I will contact the hospital and ask about their patient menus. It really stinks though...I can't bring my own food with me into surgery, so what else can I do?

[JulieB]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

That stinks. You would think that a hospital could accomodate a diabetic diet. I would definitely call ahead & discuss this with them for next time.

Have you considered writing a letter to the hospital administration? A well written letter often gets answers/results.

I don't know about post-op wards, but on some wards here visitors can bring in food...would that be an option? I know I've brought in McDonalds on request for friends who have recently given birth, for example I'm sure Mr. Ski would be happy to bring something appropriate in for you.

I hope you are recovering well from your surgery and your dietary misadventure, best wishes,

[not2late]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

I mean, what part of a diabetic menu includes white toast and jelly for breakfast???

An American Diabetes Association Diet.

Seriously, when I worked in the hospital, the diabetics were all put on an ADA Diet. Their breakfasts all included white toast with margarine or jam, or an unsweetened cereal, or stewed prunes or orange/apple juice. Lunch would have a piece of bread (white sandwich bread), juice, and a fruit cup (canned fruit cocktail) or jello. Dinner would be the same as lunch. And about an hour after these meals, when these patients would have their blood sugars checked, the nurses would have to call the residents who would grab all the charts and write a bunch of orders to give Insulin at 4 units or whatever and recheck the blood sugars again. So your hospital's "diabetic" menu doesn't surprize me at all.

THe ADA for a number of years starting in the 1980s did not recommend Diabetics to cut down or cut out sugar consumption. In fact, they were more concerned about fat intake than carbohydrate intake.

Now they are trending towards limiting carbohydrate intake AND fat intake.

[not2late]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

Here's a nice little article about the 1800 ADA Diet (the one you were most likely on.)

The Death of the ?1800-Calorie ADA Diet? ? Clinical Diabetes

[phil h]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

I have worked in hospitals for past 35 years plus. Horrible menu items even when not dieting.Pack your food or have family bring it in. Since I began dieting, cafeteria is off limits.Same food as patients there.Lts of starches and sugars.Keeps the food cheap.

[ziggy]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

the only word for that hospital is evil

do they want people to stay sick so they make more money off them?


this is one of the reasons i have no faith in the health care system or people who are so called licensed health care professionals

[not2late]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

The main problem with hospitals is the bureaucracy. At the children's hospital I worked in, the doctors there tried to get rid of the junk food on the menues. Yes, the 5-9 year old regular diet menu included things like french fries and pizza. The problem was that for them to change the menu, it had to go through a bunch of hospital committees: the nutrition committee, the purchasing department, etc. Alot of red tape just to replace french fries with something like an apple. And usually the proposal would die somewhere in one of the committees or it would be "pushed aside" due to a more pressing matter, like changing the hospital's logo to represent the new millenium.

There is a local hospital in my area that got rid of the 1800 cal ADA diet and replaced it with a controlled carbohydrate diet. That diet is based on the number of total carbs for the day. But the problem (according to what my bosses here tell me) is that families and patients sneak in high carb foods to snack on while in hospital. So that diet change is only helpful for the people who truly want to be helped.

[msanjelpie]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

I guess what we learned is don't order the diabetic diet from a hospital

Lots of hospitals let you place an order for the exact foods that you want to eat each meal... I stick with jello, eggs, tea, meat, etc... I don't stress if I have to eat a piece of toast... I just wanna get well and get home... Atkins is waiting for me when I get there...

[sporty]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

I had surgery last week and woke up to the nurse feeding me pudding after I told her I DID NOT want any starches or sugar items. I was so out of it that I didnt figure it out until half of it was down and immediately told her no more. I was in recovery room so hubby was not there to stop them trying to get food in me so that I could take pain pills by mouth.

They really do not care what our wishes are as long as it is easy on them.... at least that is what I believe.

[OzLover]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

I would definately be calling someone & complaining. Hopefully you'll be able to come up with a plan for your next surgery. Good luck!

[mizski]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

UPDATE: I'm losing this battle folks. Surgery #2 is scheduled in a few weeks and my conversations with the hospital were not encouraging. I suppose in the grand scheme of things, what I eat when there pales in comparison to more important things like, Did I survive surgery? or Did I make it out of the hospital without getting sepsis or MRSA?

Still, I was really hoping that I wouldn't totally blow my WOE during my stay. They seemed totally baffled by mention of low carb. I tried to explain: meats, eggs, cheese, veggies. Their reply: "You mean like a low fat diet? We can try to do that." I learned my lesson from surgery #1 and requesting a diabetic diet. This time I just said I was allergic to soy. Maybe that will save me from all their fake meats (TVP). The hospital is 200+ miles away from home so bringing food from home is out. So, I will just have to make do with eating acceptable foods from the tray they give me.

I am NOT going to eat those popsicles though!

[RitaCeleste]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

Lots of grocery stores sell rotisserie chickens. A can opener and some cans of green beans and a couple of rotisserie chickens could get you threw it. Not great to have the chicken left out but the way those lunches sit around, can't be too much worse. I know they may shoot the chickens up with sugar water, but it won't be as many carbs as the toast. Even if you aren't able to do Atkins in the hospital, when you get home you can. Its a few miserable days getting the junk out of your system though.

[mizski]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

Lots of grocery stores sell rotisserie chickens. A can opener and some cans of green beans and a couple of rotisserie chickens could get you threw it.

I just had this visual of me checking in at admitting and in the contents of my clear plastic patient belongings bag is my clothes, my glasses and...a rotisserie chicken and some cans of green beans!

[RitaCeleste]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

Your husband wouldn't get it and bring it to you? Here people tote food into the hospitals all the time. Getting a cig is tricky if you have to get a nurse to watch the baby while you go smoke it though. But food, they pretty let you bring in if you are allowed solid food. You get broth if you are not anyway. Of course here the family guards the people in the hospital a lot and brings in food. Some hospitals have a McDonald's IN the hospital. When Gabby was in the mental ward in Augusta we went and got her chicken sandwiches from their McDonald's. As long as they don't have to cook it, turns out they could care less where you get food from. They bring a tray, they bill you for it whether you eat it or want it or not, if you got something better, oh well.

[mizski]

Re: Hospital Food: Soy + Sugar = Ugh!

Well, we haven't figured things out yet, but remember that we live almost 250 miles from the hospital so making daily food deliveries to me probably isn't going to work. Right now I'm thinking he should go home once I'm out of surgery and settled in my room. And given the distance, the road construction and gridlock traffic (last time the drive took almost FIVE hours one way ), I'm going to suggest he not make trips every day and just come get me when I can go home. Not the best plan but probably one that makes the most sense.

Back to the hospital food and some of the earlier posts, I'm still amazed and very disappointed that they don't have healthier foods.

Thanks for the suggestions though. I remember bringing my mom all kinds of home cooked foods and goodies during her stays in the hospital (back then they let you stay after most surgeries...now they kick your butt out after you wake up except for major operations).