How Good is the Food in Hospitals?

Overcooked pasta, hardly any vegetables, and a slice of brown bread for supper: Meals in hospitals often have a bad reputation. But is the food in the clinics really that bad? And what are the consequences for patient recovery?

Vitamin-rich food promotes healing

Malnutrition and malnutrition can lead to longer hospital stays and even higher mortality. This was the result of a Europe-wide study back in 2006. Many patients are already malnourished when they are admitted to the clinic – according to the German Hospital Society (DKG), this is the case for around a quarter of patients. A healthy diet is therefore particularly important for sick people. This includes a balanced diet rich in vitamins. Folic acid, for example, promotes wound healing, and vitamin C strengthens the immune system.

Samples in two clinics

The German Society for Nutrition has published a quality standard for catering in hospitals. Accordingly, vegetables should be on the menu about three times a day, fruit twice a day, and fish twice a week. But these recommendations are not mandatory – and the hospitals do not always follow them, as two samples commissioned by the NDR program “Die Tricks der Hospital” show. The meal at the first clinic consisted of rump steak with asparagus, potatoes, and hollandaise sauce, the second consisted of veal goulash with pasta and a salad.

“Vitamins and minerals virtually non-existent”

The nutrient analysis in the laboratory showed that the meat meal with asparagus contained neither B vitamins nor folic acid nor vitamin D or C in measurable amounts. The calcium content was remarkably low, so the recommended daily dose, according to nutritionist Dr. Niels Schulz-Ruhtenberg is difficult to reach. Schulz-Ruthenberg gave the second random sample a similarly poor rating: “One would assume that the lettuce might still contain some vitamins. Unfortunately, the nutrient analysis clearly shows that there are virtually none of the vitamins and minerals measured. If a patient has been there for a long time and is supplied with such a meal, then he is clearly malnourished and malnourished.”

Only five euros per day and patient for groceries

According to a study, the two samples are not isolated cases. According to this, hospitals spend an average of five euros on food per day and patient. Overall, the total costs for the daily nutrition of a patient including personnel costs have been less than 14 euros for years – despite price increases.

Although more and more clinics are focusing on healthy eating, many still save on food. For nutritionist Dagmar von Cramm, a clear omission: “In the hospital, we expect medical treatment to be based on the latest scientific findings. Then the food should also be based on the knowledge we have about healthy, immune-boosting nutrition.”