There's a Hospital-Food Revolution Happening in America

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Hospital food service managers are working to improve food quality for patients without increasing their spending too much. Buying food locally and creating community gardens may be the answer to this. Recently, food service managers and chefs from seven medical facilities in the areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul gathered with nine area colleges. They got together to brainstorm ideas about how to improve food quality and make hospital food more appealing while still staying in their annual food budget. Hospitals in this area are taking the initiative to buy from local vendors. Not only does choosing to buy from food suppliers close to home save money, but it allows the hospitals to serve patients fresh, healthy, and nutrient-dense food, which very important. Local vendors also work to accommodate ethnic foods that the Twin Cities’ East African and Hispanic populations may prefer.

Even though buying from local vendors is favorable, there are some challenges for large institutions, such as hospitals, working with smaller local vendors. For instance, small vendors may not guarantee food delivery in the large quantities that hospitals need in the time that they need it. However, many feel that these problems can be solved with creative thinking and teamwork. Many hospitals are making it a goal to buy 20% of its food from local sources, which is a great start.

Buying locally is something that food service managers should consider. Even though there are challenges when buying locally, there are really great benefits as well. If a food service or nutrition manager feels overwhelmed about buying locally, it may be good to first start small. For example, the food service manager could first choose one or two local vendors to use for some of their products and then gradually increase the number of local vendors they use. Managers may also want to incorporate a community garden, which is another great way patients can receive fresh, nutritious food.  

Link to article:


http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/10/28/hospitals-local-food

-AW 

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