Rewriting the recipe for hospital 'gloop'

Traditionally, hospital meals are precooked and stored up to five days. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Hospital food can be delicious, says a visiting nutritionist.

Bland, uninviting and often described as an amorphous "gloop", hospital tucker has always put nutrition - and cost - ahead of enjoyment.

Research in Britain and Australia has shown that 40 per cent of patients are already malnourished when they arrive at hospital, largely because of age or illness, and many leave with weight loss.

Australian nutritionist Vicki Barrington believes the same applies to New Zealand.

Assistant manager of nutrition services at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Ms Barrington was involved in the development of nutritional guidelines and standards now being put forward for adoption as a state policy in Victoria.

"I think the take-home message is that it isn't that difficult, and it's not more expensive either," said Ms Barrington, who was here for the New Zealand Dietetic Association Conference in Wellington.

At the Alfred, food suppliers are required to make the food presentable and palatable.

"I think often there's a real culture that people just expect that when they go into hospital, the food's going to be awful. And I think we really have to work hard in changing that culture."

Traditionally, meals are cooked in advance, cooled rapidly and stored for between three and five days, and reheated before serving. Meals are cheaper to produce, but leave food a little bland, said Ms Barrington.

"Often, having fresher food and being able to cook it on site makes the food much more presentable and palatable because it's fresh. With things that have been stored for three or four days, they're always going to look a bit like hospital gloop."

Auckland City Hospital has included more vegetarian dishes and ethnic foods to cater to changing tastes.

Patient meal services manager Julie Maehl said a survey this year asked patients what they wanted to see on the menu. Comfort food such as scrambled eggs, spaghetti and baked beans topped the list.

Put on the lunch menu as a trial, almost a third of all patients ordered them and the items are now on the menu permanently.

Vicky Campbell, Waitemata DHB's manager of nutrition and food services, said dietitians had always been more involved in menu planning in New Zealand hospitals.

The battle, however, is in overcoming long-held perceptions of hospital food, she said.

"People eat out a lot more now, so the expectation is quite high."

A year ago, Waitemata introduced a special menu for elderly patients, incorporating more variety, smaller portions and more soft foods.

"If you get food that's appropriate for you, both culturally and for what your medical status is, you're more likely to eat it."