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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to like hospital food?

151 replies

JustAnotherUserinParadise · 12/02/2021 08:32

Lighthearted obviously!

I recently had to spend the day in hospital twice due to finding out my baby is breech at 38 weeks, and trying to turn it with an ecv (twice).

I've always heard jokes etc about how terrible hospital food is, but having had both lunch and dinner both times, aibu to really like it?? I mean I know it's not brilliant, but I find something about simple, low-quality stodge quite comforting!
Maybe it's just because it reminds me of school dinners! That was certainly the last time I ate a plain cream cracker with cheddar haha! And having to fish the lumps of fat out of my steak pie... Sigh!

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DinosaurDigestive · 12/02/2021 12:39

Oh it is so nice the hospital food here! 🙂 I tend to try and stick to the veggie options as much as possible and they do have a good mix. The puddings are so nice especially the custard! Blackcurrant tart with custard would be ideal right now!

DinosaurDigestive · 12/02/2021 12:40

Their soups are amazing as well!

Scarby9 · 12/02/2021 12:44

I live near Scarborough. Chef James Martin did a TV programme a few years ago where he overhauled the food there.

A friend's parents were staying half board in a local small typical seaside hotel when the dad collapsed and was taken to the hospital for checks. He ended up being infor three days and said the food was massively better than what was on offer in the hotel!

JustAnotherUserinParadise · 12/02/2021 13:13

It probably helps that I'm not really a picky eater and the only "dietary requirement" is that I'm a bit lactose intolerant (little bit is fine, but lots gives me stomach cramps)!
I could definitely get used to ice cream every day though 😁

My poor grandad went into a nursing home last year, and managed to put on over a stone in just a couple of months! My gran is a very healthy/light eater and he loved the food!

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storminabuttercup · 12/02/2021 13:45

I was in hospital a few years back, After not eating for about 48 hours nurse brought me a very dry looking Cornish pasty, she shook her head and said no that won't do (I was in with throat issues) she came back with some sort of casserole with mash and then apple pudding with custard, i bloody wolfed it down.

Can I add train food to the list? I've had some lovely meals on the ECML when I've dropped on cheap tickets from London.

greeneyedlulu · 12/02/2021 13:50

I love hospital mash potato!!!

MackenCheese · 12/02/2021 13:54

Yes, you are being unusual. However, I liked the "hospital diet" because it was so horrible I didn't eat much and I lost a stone! Everyone said how amazing I looked after I was discharged....

user1493413286 · 12/02/2021 13:56

I spent nearly a month in hospital while pregnant and kind of started liking the food although i learnt to order food with a sauce like a chilli rather than breaded fish for example as it’d be really dry. What I really liked though was the puddings - different types of sponge puddings with custard were great! Also probably a novelty in not having to cook food myself!

ChampionOfTheSun · 12/02/2021 13:59

After spending 3 weeks in hospital before and after having my DD I have to disagree Grin I did like it to start with, the novelty of being served my meals and not having to do anything probably had something to do with it, but after the first week I was craving a proper salad (and I am not a salad person!). I ended up spending a small fortune in the M & S cafe on sandwiches and snacks Grin

JovialNickname · 12/02/2021 23:18

YANBU OP! I love aeroplane food, now that is strange Grin

Notgoingonholiday · 12/02/2021 23:23

I love aeroplane food too! Grin I think the mini cutlery makes it more fun too. And having way more different things than you'd ever give yourself for one meal.
Last time I had hospital food was having DS13. I only remember breakfast, but we had to wheel the babies in their cots to the 'breakfast' room and then take it back to our bed. I loved it, it was like having a hostess trolleyGrin, you just loaded up! And I really like having cereal and toast for breakfast, so winner for me.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 12/02/2021 23:28

When I was having Dd in 2008 I really liked the hospital food. It reminded me of primary school I think!

When I went back in to have Ds in 2014 it had gone right down her - all airline food ish.

Horizons83 · 12/02/2021 23:33

I was in hospital for 10 days when I gave birth. The best part of that was the food! Delicious at my local hospital. In fact I remember hoping they would not rush with the discharge papers so I wouldn’t miss my lunch!

Babdoc · 12/02/2021 23:33

40 years ago, when I was a junior doctor, I did a 2 month stint in a geriatric hospital. The cook there was fab, and every afternoon provided home baking to go with the elderly patients’ cups of tea. She also made wonderful clootie dumpling for pudding after lunch!
Sadly, my main teaching hospital used to be notorious for terrible food. I once found four different coloured hairs in one particularly nasty plate of stew...Grin

AnnaSW1 · 12/02/2021 23:36

Only ever had it after having given birth and being ravenous. I looked at it and thought this is bad but I was so hungry it tasted good.

MrsGRamsay · 12/02/2021 23:39

I found it really hard to eat when in hospital - but that's because I can't eat if in pain. Last hospitalisation I was amazed at the variety of food on offer and how much my ward mates could scoff!! Three of us were long term and the other two knew the menu backwards and would actually customise their orders!! It actually cheered me up (even though I had no appetite) because indicator they were on the mend and they were both lovely.

JustAnotherUserinParadise · 13/02/2021 01:39

@Babdoc Envy that's really grim! I think the home baking in my grandad's care home contribution to his weight gain haha!

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Blizy · 13/02/2021 02:04

I was so looking forward to my hospital dinner after the birth of my baby. I had a csection in the morning and had ordered a chicken with peppercorn sauce, mash and veg and an apple crumble with custard. The HCA put it in front of me, it looked delicious, I had a fork of mash then promptly vomited everywhere. The midwife took my dinner away. I was raging. And starving.

Bloodybridget · 13/02/2021 02:17

I've been an in-patient four times in three different hospitals over the past two years. Ime some of the food is ok if you're feeling well - breakfast porridge, good, but the toast was awful; pasta with tomato sauce, macaroni cheese, cottage pie all quite tasty, and I had a couple of surprisingly nice ham sandwiches, and one good cup of coffee! Tried the iceceam once, absolutely disgusting.
It's quite funny reading the menus, a big choice but all so traditional and stodgy - I don't mind it myself. But when I was really poorly, it was pretty much impossible to find anything I could eat.

BetsyBigNose · 13/02/2021 02:41

I have spent a total of nearly 20 months in hospital over the last 6 years, and have become very accustomed to the food! My favourite is the cottage pie (usually served with mashed root veg and extra gravy) and the roast dinners (particularly pork with apple sauce). I'd also recommend the tuna mayo jacket potato or sandwich - but be sure to write a polite message on the menu asking for a couple of packets of butter, as for some reason, they seem to think that tuna mayo sarnies don't need any!

Most meals require a sprinkling of salt and at least 3 sachets of black pepper, but it's the sort of plain, simple, comfort food that you need when you're not feeling 100%. If you're going to be in for a while, it's worth building up a little store of condiments (salt, pepper, butter, mayo, ketchup, vinegar etc.) as most hospital food is fairly bland and you may find, depending on which ward you're on (thinking of Renal in particular here), they may not let you have salt, for example. Not a lot they can do if you have your own though! Wink

Once you've made friends with the Nurses and HCAs (and if you ask very nicely!), they will often happily rustle up something simple for you (beans on toast, tomato soup etc.) if you're hungry outside of meal times, or if there's nothing you fancy on the menu (and if they have time!), although I haven't asked for any "extras" like this since Covid hit, so I don't know if it's possible at the moment. Failing that, there's nearly always biscuits!

Never, ever, no matter what, even if there is no food left in the entire hospital and you are so hungry you could eat your own leg, should you order the faggots. I swear they're made of cat food. At least, that's exactly what they smell of.Envy(not envy)

RatherLostPenguins · 13/02/2021 02:46

My local hospital was great for food when I was in there.

A bigger one further away which I ended up in for a couple of days was awful, I was missed out twice in one day and then ended up with whatever was left if I was lucky (for breakfast they had nothing left, someone had to go make me toast a couple of hours later when they finally listened to me), the one meal they brought that day on time wasn't even what I'd requested and was horrendous, but it was a massive step up from begging for something to be brought to me. I didn't even have anyone nearby who could have brought anything to me and didn't have any money to sneak out to vending machines. They wanted me to stay longer but I don't think I could have coped.

Tanfastic · 13/02/2021 02:48

I was in hospital for a week once and the highlight of my day was choosing my meals Grin

Toddlerteaplease · 13/02/2021 13:56

I liked it too. Until they put
Diabetic custard on the apple crumble I'd been looking forward to all week. (I hate custard on puddings.)
I work in the same hospital and the food is good.

VanillaAndOrange · 13/02/2021 13:58

I've only been in hospital twice, to have my 2 DC over 20 years ago. The food wasn't posh restaurant standard but it was OK.

But my dad was in hospital (in a different region) a couple of years ago and the food was awesome. He is not completely vegetarian, but eats vegetarian more often than not, and loves spicy food. There was a comprehensive vegetarian and vegan menu and a separate Indian menu, and you could choose from any of the menus, you didn't have to commit to being, say, vegan all the time. I kind of wished I could work there, assuming the staff have access to the same menu.

Lucked · 13/02/2021 14:08

I don’t rate the food that is sent to the wards which is brought in but the canteen has good food and the chef and staff work really hard, I eat there most days as it is much better than a WH Smith sandwich. I think it is a shame they don’t give the same to the patients but I guess it is too expensive.

When I had my baby the food was not good and the portions small. I still remember on day 2 it was mac n cheese (fine) but the veg was turnip - so random!