harm.less

Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence in support of a plant-based diet, hospitals—ground zero in the battle for better health—are pretty abysmal when it comes to cuisine. It’s a sad day indeed when hospital food ranks below airplane food on the scale of satire.

Amazingly, many hospitals actually have fast food franchises on site, and some even deliver burgers and chicken nuggets to patient’s rooms. SERIOUSLY.

The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a world-renowned non-profit known for touting the proven health benefits of a plant-based diet, isn’t taking this lying down. The group, made up of 12,000 doctors, has started a campaign to get junk food out of patients’ rooms, starting with one hospital in particular.

Children’s Hospital of Georgia in Augusta, Ga. has a McDonald’s on the premises, and PCRM is asking people to reach out and demand the fast food franchise offer only healthy, plant-based meals instead of meat and dairy-filled junk. Using the hashtags #bantheburgers and #fastfoodfree, PCRM is working to spread the word.

They’re even offering a pre-populated form so the public can easily write in to the children’s hospital administrator.

Sadly, that hospital isn’t alone. According to PCRM research, Chick-fil-A has at least 20 hospital locations, McDonald’s has at least 18, and Wendy’s has at least five.

“Health-promoting plant-based options should be front and center on patients’ trays. Currently, healthful options are offered to hospital patients mainly as side dishes, and that needs to change. Fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains can lower blood pressure, improve heart health, reverse diabetes and help patients maintain a healthy weight,” says Cameron Wells, R.D., M.P.H., acting director of nutrition education for PCRM.

So which hospitals actually DO have decent dietary options? Here’s what Wells had to say:

• “Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC, has a fair number of plant-based options on its patient menu including oatmeal with vanilla soymilk, veggie burgers, vegetable stir-fry, pasta with vegan tomato sauce, vegan seven bean soup, Texas black beans and sautéed spinach.”
• “Kaiser hospitals have not provided us with patient menus, but it is important to note that Kaiser-affiliated doctors have published an article advising physicians to recommend plant-based diets to patients.“
• “Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, NY, offers some plant-based entrees including oatmeal with soy milk, hearty vegetable soup, rice pilaf, Asian style vegetables, vegetarian chili and a veggie burger. It offers sweet potatoes, green beans and other plant-based side dishes.”
• “Georgia Regents Medical Center in Augusta, Ga., offers some plant-based options including navy bean soup, garden vegetable soup, grilled vegetable hummus on flatbread, carrot soup, strawberry spinach salad, cilantro basmati rice and barley rice pilaf. It offers numerous green salads and vegetable and fruit side dishes.”

Then, there are the hospitals with farms or gardens:

“There is a trend among hospitals to incorporate more fruits and vegetables grown in their own organic gardens into cafeteria and patient meals,” says Wells.

• “St. Luke’s Hospital Anderson Campus in Easton, Pa., in partnership with the Rodale Institute, which pioneers organic farming, announced that it will begin offering patients organic produce grown on five-acre organic farm located on the hospital campus. The produce will also be available to employees, visitors, and caregivers. During the first year, it expects to produce approximately 44,000 pounds of fresh produce, including salad greens, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, Swiss chard, kale, garlic, cabbage, beets, potatoes, and herbs.”
• “Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, which has an 8-acre vegetable garden, started a farm-share program with Central Vermont Medical Center in 2012 and has since expanded.”
• “And at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Mich., 25 acres of vacant hospital land were converted into an organic farm to supply the hospital produce for patient and employee meals.”

Clearly, all is not lost. It’s just up to advocates like the PCRM and people who believe in the power of plants to demand better food choices. Hospitals serving fast food to patients is absurd, period. Remember when smoking was allowed in hospitals? That went the way of the dinosaur, and crappy food is next.