I've been amazed at what's been served to some of my family when they've had hospital stays ... iceberg lettuce, canned fruit and bread that couldn't possibly be whole grain, on the cardiac unit? Way to promote healthy eating, guys.

I was in the hospital for three days with a bad case of diverticulitis. I was on a clear liquid diet the whole time and would have been ecstatic to have been served any kind of solid food, whether it was hospital food or not. I almost panicked when my "meal" of chicken broth and jello was late being delivered after the rest of the floor had been served.

I spent only 2 days at the Harbor Hospital last spring and was shocked by the horrible food quality. If you take _any_ frozen microwaveable food in any supermarket, that would be better than what's served there! Yuck, yuck, yuck!

I wasn't really ill myself (just having a baby) and, fortunately, my husband brought food from elsewhere. But I wondered how could ill people with no relatives survive there... Btw, for what the hospitals charge per room nowadays they should have the meals catered by a French chef.

My grandfather was admitted to Johns Hopkins back in July. I have to say that he really enjoyed the food and I enjoyed the leftovers.
SJMC has a nice salad bar in the cafeteria for employees and visitors.

I spent about two weeks at Sinai last fall. The food was horrible. I sent out to Whole Foods for salads and energy drinks the entire time. Unconscionable that a hospital doesn't understand, or chooses not to serve, quality food.

I've worked in a few hospitals over the past 30 years and believe the food has gone from bad to better. The saying is, "you get well here so you can go home and get some sleep and eat well." I've seen a patient scheduled for open heart surgery beg his wife for a double cheese burger, fries and shake because, "the doc's are gonna fix it tomorrow".

When it becomes cost affective the food will get better.

However, every unhealthy restaurant near a hospital delivers. Everyone knows doctors and nurses are always eating fast food and unhealthy take-out.

Ugh!
Hospital/Institutional food across the USA HAS to be pseudo-horrible because you cannot prepare hundreds or thousands of meals without degradation.
Military meals are Gourmet by comparison and in fact can be excellent. The Coasties make the best I've ever had.
An old Buddy said the P.G. County Jail where he was held briefly had ONE good Entree called 'Spooge' which was (Apparently) a fried glutenous mix of instant potatoes and canned corned beef and a half gallon of TABASCO per 1000 inmates and a few dozen eggs to bind the gruel together. He swears the 'Stuff' was great and he is a Gourmet Cook here in Baltimore.

The best hospital foods I ever ate was at St Francis/Select Specialty Hospital in Wilmington DE. Their salad plates were inspired, with lots of fresh veggies and fruits and plenty of protein.

The world's best hospital food........
John's Hopkins Marburg Pavilion.
Private chef and great food! Can be ordered from other parts of the hospital
as well.