I’ve recently become obsessed with where my food comes from. And I don’t
think I’m alone. There are farmers’ markets and Whole Foods popping up
all over
the place. Whole Foods’ labels don’t just give you the “Best Before”
date on your New York strip, they tell you where the cow lived, his name
and what he
generally liked to do on the weekends. Restaurants are at it, too. I
went to my first all-raw vegan organic café the other day. It’s a trend
that’s picking
up speed. And people are voting at the cash
register. I have a friend who likes to call Whole Foods “Whole Paycheck.” But like thousands, I’m willing to
pay more for a better product, which is presumably healthier, too.
So, where does that leave hospital food? Well, it doesn’t have a great
reputation, does it? It’s on a par with airplane food. Which is kind of
crazy given
“you are what you eat,” and if you’re sick, shouldn’t hospitals make
more of an effort to help you get better with nutrient-rich foods? If
you agree with
documentaries like
Food Matters,
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead or
Forks Over Knives, you might want hospitals to ditch the delicious comfort food and opt for green
leafy types instead.
In the last few years, hospitals all over the country have implemented
some “wellness”-based efforts— color-coding their foods to indicate its
calorie
content and reducing sugars. But a hospital in Chicago is taking things
to a whole new level. The competition for patients among Chicago-based
hospitals is
so high, they’re moving beyond surgery suites and exam rooms and
offering great places to eat, too.
University of Chicago Medicine includes a Wolfgang Puck Express, a
Starbucks and a Jamba Juice. The hospital also intends to open a small
grocery store
with
organic foods,
a deli counter, chef-prepared hot foods and a homemade gelato bar. The
store will even have a street-level entrance to target the
neighborhood, and not just hospital employees and visitors.
When competition for patients is tough, expanded dining options can’t hurt.
By
Charissa Elliott, copywriter at ab+c.
Posts
