Hospital Food

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robertjuy
robertjuy Member Posts: 45
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Dear board readers. Note to myself was to get extra food for my wife. Let her eat foods she will like in the hospital. The food may look ok but it's not enough for a person who's hungry and can't afford to lose weight. I should have planned my drives to Stanford with time to pick up Good food for her to eat. She lost weight already even with an appetite. Mainly because hospital food is mainly bleh. Eat what you want when you can and make sure to get your nutrition in as well. Take care HNC board.

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  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #2
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    Hospital Food

    I agree get in her anything and everything you can get in her because the time will come when she will forget what hunger is and food will taste like cardboard mix with Elmers glue.

    Keep us updated on how she is doing
    Hondo
  • KTeacher
    KTeacher Member Posts: 1,103
    #3
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    Stanford
    If you are in Palo Alto the cafeteria in the main hospital is very good. There is also a Jamba Juice at the Stanford Shopping Center.
  • DrMary
    DrMary Member Posts: 531 Member
    #4
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    Bleh and not made for H&NC folks
    The times Doug was in, they either brought him things he couldn't eat (like French toast) or sugar-free/low fat things (like he needed to lose weight?). I brought him stuff from the hospital cafeteria or (in the case of Georgetown) from the coop. Of course, the hospital offered to liquify almost anything on the menu. . .
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #5
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    Ensure, Boost.....
    You can always get some cans of Ensure Plus, Boost or something similar..... With each having 350+ calories/can, it can be an alternative supplement for some extra calories and loaded with vitamins and minerals.

    Best,
    John
  • Jimbo55
    Jimbo55 Member Posts: 590 Member
    #6
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    Hospital Food
    Hospital food falls into the same category as airline food, although they do a nice jello on occasion. BYOF. Cheers.

    Jimbo
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #7
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    Hospital in Africa

    If you think it is bad here in the US try being in the hospital in Africa. Back in 2001 I was sick with malaria and was hospitalized for 3day in West Africa, I told everyone who could understand English (that was about two people) I was a vegetarian and did not eat meat. OK so they brought me a plate of rice with some kind of green thing and a raw egg on top of it all, it was at that point I new that I had really died and went to hell…. lol

    I was never so glad to get back to the good old USA…..
    Hondo
  • robertjuy
    robertjuy Member Posts: 45
    #8
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    Hondo said:

    Hospital in Africa

    If you think it is bad here in the US try being in the hospital in Africa. Back in 2001 I was sick with malaria and was hospitalized for 3day in West Africa, I told everyone who could understand English (that was about two people) I was a vegetarian and did not eat meat. OK so they brought me a plate of rice with some kind of green thing and a raw egg on top of it all, it was at that point I new that I had really died and went to hell…. lol

    I was never so glad to get back to the good old USA…..
    Hondo

    Elmer's Glue
    Glad she hasn't had the elmers glue taste yet. But she does ask me often about the food we eat. I express my tastes of bitterness or sour foods. We've been eating Chinese food every day and lost the taste for American. Then again I have no idea what American food is. Sweet tomates and fresh choice have become eh. YES the cafeteria food is good. NO the bedside food is horrible. Lots of Boost, ensure, myoplex shakes. Bought a juicer too. She likes that as well as the boy and I.
  • robertjuy
    robertjuy Member Posts: 45
    #9
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    Hondo said:

    Hospital in Africa

    If you think it is bad here in the US try being in the hospital in Africa. Back in 2001 I was sick with malaria and was hospitalized for 3day in West Africa, I told everyone who could understand English (that was about two people) I was a vegetarian and did not eat meat. OK so they brought me a plate of rice with some kind of green thing and a raw egg on top of it all, it was at that point I new that I had really died and went to hell…. lol

    I was never so glad to get back to the good old USA…..
    Hondo

    Elmer's Glue
    Glad she hasn't had the elmers glue taste yet. But she does ask me often about the food we eat. I express my tastes of bitterness or sour foods. We've been eating Chinese food every day and lost the taste for American. Then again I have no idea what American food is. Sweet tomates and fresh choice have become eh. YES the cafeteria food is good. NO the bedside food is horrible. Lots of Boost, ensure, myoplex shakes. Bought a juicer too. She likes that as well as the boy and I.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #10
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    robertjuy said:

    Elmer's Glue
    Glad she hasn't had the elmers glue taste yet. But she does ask me often about the food we eat. I express my tastes of bitterness or sour foods. We've been eating Chinese food every day and lost the taste for American. Then again I have no idea what American food is. Sweet tomates and fresh choice have become eh. YES the cafeteria food is good. NO the bedside food is horrible. Lots of Boost, ensure, myoplex shakes. Bought a juicer too. She likes that as well as the boy and I.

    Everything tasted like salty wall paper paste 2 me 4 a long time
    Glad she doesn't have the elmers glue thing going on yet. If her mouth should become very sensitive, just remember that things high in acid can make it worse. So glad she can do the fruit juices now, but there may come a time when those things may burn and can cause sores. Especially things like citrus, pineapple, tomatoes, and other acidic fruits.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #11
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    sweetblood22 said:

    Everything tasted like salty wall paper paste 2 me 4 a long time
    Glad she doesn't have the elmers glue thing going on yet. If her mouth should become very sensitive, just remember that things high in acid can make it worse. So glad she can do the fruit juices now, but there may come a time when those things may burn and can cause sores. Especially things like citrus, pineapple, tomatoes, and other acidic fruits.

    Hmmmm...
    Trying to figure out how you know what "Salty Wall Paper Paste" tastes like...LOL.

    I know with your culinary skills, nothing you ever cooked tasted like that...unless maybe you whipped up a batch of hawaiian poi one time.

    JG
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #12
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Hmmmm...
    Trying to figure out how you know what "Salty Wall Paper Paste" tastes like...LOL.

    I know with your culinary skills, nothing you ever cooked tasted like that...unless maybe you whipped up a batch of hawaiian poi one time.

    JG

    :P
    Well, it was what I imagined salty wall paper paste would be like. Gluey, bland, sticky and salty.

    I still don't cook with salt because everything still tastes salty. The few canned goods I may purchase, I always get low sodium.
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #13
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    sweetblood22 said:

    :P
    Well, it was what I imagined salty wall paper paste would be like. Gluey, bland, sticky and salty.

    I still don't cook with salt because everything still tastes salty. The few canned goods I may purchase, I always get low sodium.

    So Why Does It Cost More?
    I'm wondering - if they leave some or all of the salt OUT, then you're getting less stuff in the can or jar - so why is the price often higher on salt free stuff or the salt free doesn't go on sale with the regular salted? Argh
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #14
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    another view (naturally)
    I would advise asking for a nutritionist, a professional at feeding people correctly. That is not too much to ask of the hospital and in fact, this person should be expected to be a part of your wife's team for obvious reasons, not just for now, but post-treatment as well.

    Depending on the nature of her treatment, you may also want to ask her doctors in advance about the food you are providing her. Some perfectly healthy foods turn out to have a negative effect on treatment (I am not a doctor and don't have a list, but it is always a good idea to let the docs know of the things you are doing personally to help).

    Best wishes to your wife and her family.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • robertjuy
    robertjuy Member Posts: 45
    #15
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    soccerfreaks said:

    another view (naturally)
    I would advise asking for a nutritionist, a professional at feeding people correctly. That is not too much to ask of the hospital and in fact, this person should be expected to be a part of your wife's team for obvious reasons, not just for now, but post-treatment as well.

    Depending on the nature of her treatment, you may also want to ask her doctors in advance about the food you are providing her. Some perfectly healthy foods turn out to have a negative effect on treatment (I am not a doctor and don't have a list, but it is always a good idea to let the docs know of the things you are doing personally to help).

    Best wishes to your wife and her family.

    Take care,

    Joe

    Right now they asked her to
    Right now they asked her to eat whatever she wants to keep her body weight up. She was at 95, dropped to 93 due to lack of food from stage 1, and now up to 97 eating good foods plus nutritional supplements. Thank you all always for your support.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #16
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    Pam M said:

    So Why Does It Cost More?
    I'm wondering - if they leave some or all of the salt OUT, then you're getting less stuff in the can or jar - so why is the price often higher on salt free stuff or the salt free doesn't go on sale with the regular salted? Argh

    Supply & Demand...
    I'm sure the bulk of their production is loaded with sodium as Dawn mentioned. So I presume it takes other resources to make the low sodium...if you want that convienence you gotta pay for it...even if it is the healthier solution and probably costs them less ingredient wise.

    JG
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #17
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Supply & Demand...
    I'm sure the bulk of their production is loaded with sodium as Dawn mentioned. So I presume it takes other resources to make the low sodium...if you want that convienence you gotta pay for it...even if it is the healthier solution and probably costs them less ingredient wise.

    JG

    Canned foods
    I actually just read an article on line today, that a lot of companies are starting to reduce the sodium in canned goods, but not labeling it as lower sodium or announcing it, "so as not to confuse the customer". Whatever that means. I really don't use many canned goods at all, so the cost thing isn't such an issue for me. The only things canned that I buy are canned beans, and I read that draining and rinsing them works for getting rid of 40% of the sodium, so I don't buy the low sodium. Seems to work. I use a rare can of green beans, cream of mushroom soup and creamed corn. Only use about 6 cans of each of the last three things a year, and I do buy the low sodium. The bulk of my grocery bill is fresh produce. I spend like $50 a week on fresh produce. Can't afford the organic most of the time. That would be even more $$

    Not sure why they put so much sodium in canned goods anyway. It's not necessary to do so for the canning process.

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