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Original poster

for think this is an odd choice?(hospital food related)

140 replies

Samcro · 16/06/2018 10:56

so dh was in hospital , he was overnight them home next day. so we were glad he was fed.
but one of the choices was so random
Shepherds pie, with a choice of mashed potato, or baked potato.
now we got a bit confused...
shepherds pie has mash. so did they mean mince with a choice of mash or baked?
he came home so never had the meal.
any one know?

OP posts:
SilverySurfer · 16/06/2018 12:49

My local hospital's food is disgusting and inedible. What is already a soggy mess is not helped by plastic covers on the plates which collect condensation and drips back onto the food. I was in there once for eight weeks, on traction, and it's the most effective diet I know - I lost a huge amount of weight over those two months. Not really what a stay in hospital should be known for.

Pepper123123 · 16/06/2018 12:50

I've been given pizza and rice before now!

theDudesmummy · 16/06/2018 12:52

I have not read the whole thread but the pp who mentioned the marvellous toast after giving birth brought back a great memory! The night before I went into labour I had early dinner at about 7pm. Woke up at 6am to find burst waters, then had to be nil by mouth as I was having a caesarean. Went to hospital about 11am but the theatre was not available until 5pm, so no food or drink for 22 hours by the time I got in there. After the birth they brought me some tea and toast. It was the best meal I have ever had bar none.

LaurieMarlow · 16/06/2018 12:53

I was given lasagna with potato croquettes. They seem to specialise in carb on carb.

TransPortFormerlyCherie · 16/06/2018 13:06

It must vary wildly across the country. Both times I've been in the food was good! I can't remember exactly what I had (except lovely quiche) but I do remember thinking it was nice, lots of veg, and two choices despite being vegetarian (something a lot of restaurants don't seem to be able to manage!). Also I was only in a day each time and ordered shortly before the meal arrived.

I'm in the North East and normally everything we have is crap/scarce resources so am surprised at the difference! This was within the last 3 years, too.

PigletJohn · 16/06/2018 13:22

It's law that they are, and that allergen menus are available

It's also the law that you mustn't rob banks or park on double yellow lines.

And yet....

OhMyGodTheyKilledKenny · 16/06/2018 13:34

Years ago I was in hospital after surgery and as a vegetarian ordered the vegetarian crumble .....it was mixed veg topped with sweet crumble like you'd put on apples

SkaPunkPrincess · 16/06/2018 13:40

Spuds are cheap and filling.

Hospital portions are stupidly small. It does the job and keeps people fed.

I think some trusts do it better than others.

M5tothesouthwest · 16/06/2018 14:27

I was offered a choice of chips or mash alongside a potato bake when I was in hospital. Yes, it is a bit odd.

Costacoffeeplease · 16/06/2018 14:28

I was in for 10 days for major spinal surgery - flat on my back and having to be turned by staff. Several times I was given a whole fish, head included, I couldn’t even see it as the table was higher than my head Smile

My neighbour in the next bed had 4 adult sons who used to visit around meal times and took to cutting and filleting the fish for meSmile (I was a long way from home and didn’t have many visitors - plus it was in Lisbon!)

M5tothesouthwest · 16/06/2018 14:29

Oh yes, and at the DCs' school, they serve jacket spuds with egg mayo 🤢

M5tothesouthwest · 16/06/2018 14:31

E.g. If you're admitted on Monday they give you a sheet to tick what you want to eat on Tuesday. But what are you supposed to eat on Monday?!

Whatever the person who occupied the bed on Sunday ordered.

MuddyForestWalks · 16/06/2018 14:33

I was in my local hospital for 10 days when I was pregnant and the food was excellent, apart from the veggie pasta bake. So when I had my c section at a different hospital the food was a nasty shock to the system. 'Dinner' - my only meal after being nil by mouth from the night before - was a puddle of tomato soup and a cold horrible sandwich from the fridge. And with a leg in plaster, c section wound, catheter and newborn I wasn't exactly able to nip to the cafe. Bad times.

MuddyForestWalks · 16/06/2018 14:35

But I will say that my local hospital does great food. They even rustled up a lasagne, mixed veg and chocolate pudding at 9.30pm when I got admitted to the ward and told them I hadn't eaten since breakfast. It tasted incredible :)

CanaBanana · 16/06/2018 14:40

Whatever the person who occupied the bed on Sunday ordered.

@M5tothesouthwest But what if you have allergies and can't eat what the person ordered on Sunday?

colinthecaterpillars · 16/06/2018 14:46

I am a supervisor for catering in my hospital so it's actually designed on a % of protein and carbs in a day to aid recovery.

TrickyD · 16/06/2018 14:51

DH has fond memories of waking up in a French hospital after getting his collarbone fixed and being greeted with coq au vin accompanied by a small bottle of wine followed by creme brulee. Just a regular hospital, not private.

JurassicBark · 16/06/2018 14:57

@CanaBanana Then you are offered a meal that is suitable for your allergies - you don't get made to starve.

CanaBanana · 16/06/2018 14:59

Not the case - I starved for three days because they said they didn't have any suitable allergy-friendly food. Had to send DP for takeaways!

Motoko · 16/06/2018 15:01

When I had my babies, I was living in London, and they did the menu card where you have to tick which meals you want the next day. As I don't eat meat, that first day's meals was always a Russian Roulette which I mostly lost.

Now living in Wales, my local hospital has a different system. They bring round a trolley with 2 meat options and 1 veggie option for you to choose from. I did manage to get a cheese salad one time (they were mostly for those with a gluten free diet). There is no toast available (apparently for fire safety reasons!) so breakfast is a choice of cereals or bread, butter and jam, although if you're gluten free, you get bacon and fried tomatoes.

Thank god there's a Costa downstairs.

superbstarling · 16/06/2018 15:06

When I was recovering from c section for ds1 the breakfast was the strangest. day one --2 fried eggs, nothing else.
day two -- 2 rashers off bacon.
day three -- tinned tomatoes on toast.
never worked out they couldn't mix it up and make a complete meal each day!

JurassicBark · 16/06/2018 15:07

I starved for three days because they said they didn't have any suitable allergy-friendly food.

Sorry but I call BS on this - a hospital has a duty of care. They have to provide food for each allergy, and multiple allergies they have to involve the dietician to request a special meal / menu is provided. I suspect it was more a case of you chose to eat takeaways then engage with the hospital over your allergies.

You state a gluten allergy (was this a self diagnosis?), I have yet to be in a hospital that didn't have gluten-free food (and I have spent a shit load of time in hospital). Not always the greatest choice, but there were always gluten-free choices on the menus whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner.

SpringBail · 16/06/2018 15:11

I’m in hospital at the moment and have received the food menu for tomorrow and one of the choices is shepherd’s pie and the accompanying potato choices. You can get different menus e.g finger foods, vegetarian. I’m lucky as I’m on the high protein/high calorie food menu so if I dislike anything I can write down what I would like instead and in the mornings I can request sausages, bacon etc instead of cereal.

for think this is an odd choice?(hospital food related)
happymummy12345 · 16/06/2018 15:18

I thought most people would have cottage or shepherds pie with additional mash on the side? We always have the pie, mash on the side, peas and carrots and gravy.

KarinVogel · 16/06/2018 15:22

I well remember the cauliflower lasagne with mash I was served after my appendectomy . Luckily I wasnt hungry.

During the next hospital stay the lady in the bed opposite had a gluten allergy and asked for the gluten free menu. They didnt have one. And nor would they allow her husband to bring food in from home to be heated- health and safety apparently tops the need for food.This is a huge teaching hospital that always comes high in the ranking. The lady complained to the staff who told her to contact PALs who then brought the cook up to speak to the woman about her requirements. After a chat where the cook admitted there was nothing in the kitchen that would fit the bill it was agreed that they would send out to the supermarket for some of the usual foods she buys and they would serve that to her for the duration of her stay. It was a few years ago and I hoped the situation had improved overall but apparently not.