Hospital Food: A Re-introduction

Okay so it's been far too long since my last post. I apologize but I have several good excuses. One of which is that two very good friends of mine just had their first child!!

So shortly after their beautiful new son was born I went to the hospital to visit and share a meal. When my friend said they were going to order hospital food I was ready to politely decline, but ended up acquiescing. But wow was I surprised! The chicken pot pie had nice chunks of fresh chicken, a flakey crust and just the right amount of creamy to chunky ratio.

Since when does hospital food taste good? Was it because I was at the world renowned Brigham and Women's Hospital? Maybe. After getting back home I decided to do a little research and I found that a lot of people think hospital food (usually the perennial butt of bad food jokes) has been getting better.

It seems hospital food might be getting better beyond the confines of just The Brigham. Chowhound has a message board devoted to hospital food "where you live". Another website entitled, "Hospital Food", recently cropped up- along with a corresponding facebook page of course.

And why shouldn't food at a hospital be tastier? Noone really wants to be in a hospital and bad food probably only adds to the discomfort. Even more, the biochemical benefits of fresh and nutritious food have health effects that are even more important for those receiving treatment for and recovering from illness. There is even a group called Health Care Without Harm that has launched a campaign to implement healthier food options in health care facilities across the nation.

All of this got me thinking (usually a bad thing) that it's interesting how important food can be in our lives. Food can mark a celebration like a wedding or birthday. It can be the catalyst for that first date and the beginning of a special relationship or just a night hanging out with friends. It also can be the trigger to bring back nostalgic memories of holidays at home or favorite vacation spots or trips to the shore. And of course, it's the source of our energy and ability to stay healthy.

With all that said as I look back, maybe the quality of the hospital food wasn't necessarily better... but the sharing of a meal with friends and family in the presence of a beautiful new life- can make even the most drab of foods... taste divine.