How healthy can a hospital be when it serves McDonald’s and franked-like foods to sick and recently operated on patients? This question has been posed for quite some time – and for good reason, as diet has been estimated by the CDC to prevent up to 75% of most modern-day diseases of affluence.
But what is one to do when they are checked into a hospital with poor food choices on the menu?
With the many known benefits of making food one’s medicine, it should no longer just be the individual’s incentive to eat healthier at home; It is now a necessity for establishments and health-care facilities – especially hospitals – to make nutritious fare offered to patients and visitors a priority.
And now, a well-known hospital in Vermont is doing just this. As shared by Burlington Free Press, the University of Vermont Medical Center’s cafe, which serves 2 million meals per year, is preparing to reduce GMOs from its menu served to both patients and hospital visitors alike.
Similar to school food, hospital cuisine has a bad reputation. But nixing genetically modified foods from the menu in favor of more organic, whole food options will no doubt increase the quality and nutrition of the food offered, in effect speeding patient’s recovery time and overall health.
The director of nutrition for the hospital, Diane Imrie, stated that a few years ago an interest in reducing the number of GMOs served was expressed. The hospital started making changes in 2014 by increasing its organic purchases by more than 50 percent, purchasing more organic milk, spinach, and other greens.
“We don’t believe that the safety of those products (GMOs) has been proven,” Imrie said.
The news release goes on to report that the medical center plans to reduce its GMO usage with two steps: first, they will purchase more organic food, which by definition should also be GMO free. And second, they will seek GMO-free products that are labeled as such. Some of the items they are presently seeking to source GMO-free include soy milk, edamame, canola oil, and sunflower oil.
Imrie noted how the hospital administration sees the center’s role as a leader in sourcing food:
“That’s part of the strategy. We’re seen as a role model. That’s part of our responsibility and we take that pretty seriously.”
With health concerns on the rise and few hospitals stepping in to re-shape the health care paradigm in the United States, one can only hope Vermont’s example will inspire other health care establishments to follow suit.
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