The food that is served in hospitals and other health care establishments is always a hot topic that attracts attention from both sides of the fence, with service users and health workers both keen to comment and consider what can be done to improve the quality of food that is provided in hospitals, care homes and to those receiving care in domiciliary settings.
For pople that have just undergone surgery or those battling with terminal illnesses, being given a high-quality diet full of protein and other beneficial components is vital if they are going to continue to feel comfortable in hospital and potentially recover.
So, what steps can care providers take to ensure that they are giving people a healthy, well-balanced diet?
Consider how adding in superfoods could be beneficial
When eaten regularly and in good amounts, superfoods hold a plethora of benefits including improving health, preventing chronic disease and boosting the way that a person generally feels on a day to day basis.
Superfoods are also great for anti-aging, so it’s not hard to see why adding them into the diets of those that are ill or elderly can be extremely beneficial. Popular superfoods include blueberries, sweet potato, spinach and kale. A great way of packing superfoods into a person’s diet is by offering them smoothies. Add in flaxseed and coconuts for added health benefits.
Focus on making food tasty and appealing
Hospital food has a long-standing reputation for being dull and uninspiring, so it’s no surprise that a recent YouGov survey found that a third of NHS visitors and patients think that hospital food isn’t tasty. To improve this, care providers in any setting should take steps to making hospital food tastier and more enjoyable for those that are eating it.
Often, food that is bland and uninteresting hasn’t been seasoned well. A diet with too much salt can be damaging as it is high in sodium, but luckily there are a number of alternatives that offer great flavour when uses to season food with. Mint, rosemary, nutmeg and basil are all good options and work well with a variety of different dishes.
Offer snacks throughout the day
In order to boost health, metabolism and the overall wellbeing of patients, care providers should be offering snacks regularly in between meals. This will stop energy levels from falling too low and will ensure that patients are well nourished. Good options include dry and fresh fruit as well as nuts and seeds.
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