food/treats to take to hospital for someone without a sweet tooth

[seethebrightside]

I'm trying to think of a nice gift to take for a 20/21 year old son of a friend who is in hospital following an injury. I don't live near the hospital but another friend will be in the area at the weekend and has offered to drop by with a gift. He is vegetarian and doesn't have a sweet tooth so chocolate/sweets aren't an option. (I also wouldn't take flowers/teddies to a 20 year old boy). Any ideas of something that can be purchased quite quickly/easily? Thank you!

Fruit... like fruit salad or grapes, or things that are easy to eat. The NHS diet is lacking in interesting fruits usually.

That's difficult as you don't know what he likes to eat and whether the hospital food is any good (unlikely). Could you get something like a Costa card for him so that anyone visiting can pop down to Costa and get him a sandwich or drink?

Poor boy - I hope he's OK.

Does he read? Is he well enough to focus on anything like that?

thank you - we aren't in the UK and sadly he is currently bed bound. I was thinking fruit but worried as so perishable?

Grapes/ clementines
Twiglets/pringles etc

I second a costa card or similar - google and see the nearest chain coffee shops to the hospital. There pretty much always is at least one, for this very reason.

Or fruit. Or those tiny squash bottles you put into water jugs (not a very nice 'present' but useful if it gets him drinking more).

Savoury treats maybe? Vegetable crisps (I adore the parsnip ones), cereal / granola bars without chocolate.

Soft drinks like Lucozade, bottled water? Coffee sachets if he can get access to hot water?

Lipbalm - hospitals and boiling and I always want this even when visiting! A pillow sleep spray? I bought one for DH for Xmas and he's in love with it despite rolling his eyes initially.

Magazines, short stories, comics etc!

Also, it depends on what he's in for. Broken bones - maybe a cool gel pillow if its in budget. Burns - nothing for his skin, maybe just drinks. Digestive tract problems - stick to nothing he can eat or drink and maybe send skin stuff.

i really wanted boiled fruit sweets or mints to suck when i was in hospital!

20yr old boys often do like a teddy or even a small Lego set.