How Hospital Food Can Fuel Sustainability Efforts at NYC Health + Hospitals
Care providers have long maintained that healthy diets are a fundamental cornerstone of overall robust health. And an increasing number of hospitals and health systems are putting their own menus to the test.
Last year, became the nation鈥檚 largest municipal health system to make plant-based food the default for inpatient meals.
Not only did the patient satisfaction rating of the health system鈥檚 revamped menu soar to more than 90%, but the switch has also reduced food-related carbon emissions by 36%, as well as resulted in an initial cost savings of 59 cents per tray.
The goodbye to animal-based meals is in line with the American Medical Association鈥檚 2017 resolution calling on hospitals to provide healthful plant-based meals and eliminate processed meats.
NYC Health + Hospitals serves approximately 3 million meals a year and expects nearly 60% of patients continue with the vegetarian option after their first meal. Reported culinary hits include Moroccan vegetable tagine, Spanish vegetable paella, garden Bolognese with rigatoni and a pad thai noodle bowl.
The long-term goal is not just to encourage patients to eat plant-based meals during their hospital stays, but encourage them to make changes to their diet post-discharge, including what less meat means for their health and how it can make a positive impact regarding climate change.