How to Incorporate Local Food into Hospital Menus
Let’s face it, a lot of patients well enough to eat in hospitals complain about the food. “It’s bland” or “it’s dreadful” are common descriptions along with “how am I supposed to get better if the food is so bad?”
What many patients overlook is that hospitals cannot change the food outsourced on a whim; rather, they are bound to a contract with food manufacturers and providers for a set period of time. However, many hospitals are driven by customer satisfaction and are looking for new, innovative ways to improve the level of their satisfaction, especially with regards to food.
In Ontario, there are approximately 30,000 hospital beds, which means around 32,850,000 meals need to be served annually to patients. It is important to keep in mind that hospitals have food budgets, many of them being allotted approximately $8-9 per patient per day. When you really think about it, this is not much to work with! We can see how challenging it would be to provide the best experience possible.
With the theme of this year’s National Nutrition Month, “let’s celebrate, from field…… to table!,” I thought it would be fitting to discuss local foods and how hospitals can incorporate them into their menus. Let’s take a look at what exactly local food is, the benefit of supporting the local food movement, the costs, and how we can implement some local foods into hospital menus.
What is Local Food exactly?
Local food does not have a fixed definition, but many believe “local” to mean food that is grown within 150-200 miles from where you are situated. When we think of the conventional food system, on average, 1500-2000 miles are travelled to get the food from field to table. With this distance and travel time, food starts to lose its health qualities and freshness.
The Benefits of supporting local food producers:
There are many benefits to supporting local food producers. First, buying local foods financially supports local farmers keeping them viable and situated on their land. Farmers can then support other businesses in the area, therefore keeping capital within the local economy. Second, farms use methods of production that are safe and protective of the natural habitat, biodiversity, and of the local water and air quality. Third, buying local foods means less fuel which in turn is better for the environment. Conventional foods systems can use 4-7 times more fuel than local food systems. Finally, purchasing local foods in a hospital can have competitive advantages. Recognizing the hospital’s mission and how local foods can play a role can differentiates one hospital from another.
Hospital Costs:
Every hospital works within a budget. When it comes to incorporating local foods into the food budget, it is important to 1) buy according to the seasons, 2) become creative with menu options, and 3) determine the waste.
- Buy According to the Season: Many people believe that local foods are more expensive than conventional, outsourced foods. However, if you do your homework, locally grown foods that are in season can be found at competitive prices. For example, staple foods such as fruits, onions, and carrots can be less expensive compared to the conventional system, as they may be in abundance at a certain time of year.
- Become creative with your menu options: If buying free range meat is more expensive, instead of serving a chicken breast to each patient, make a chicken stew or casserole. This way, the whole chicken can be used and you may be able to fit this into your budget.
- Determine the waste: To decide whether or not buying local can reduce waste, do a waste-audit before and after implementing some local foods to establish whether this is a viable option. Complete a cost-benefit analysis, assess the practicality of local food implementation, and survey patient perspectives regarding the desirability of local foods.
Teaming with Local Producers: Some things to keep in mind
Go to a farmer’s market. This is the perfect place to network, meet with the local farmers, taste the quality of the food, and see what is available. You may want to host a farmer’s market at your facility to determine customer satisfaction and desirability.
Search online for sources. You may be able to find local farmers who are willing to/ specialize in teaming with institutions.
If/when you team up with a local farmer:
1) Discuss prices: be clear about your budget and make sure to review prices as the market fluctuates.
2) Set delivery times: be flexible and realistic so that delivery times work for both parties. Make sure to place your order as early as you can incase a backup crop is required due to harvest conditions.
3) Invite the farmer to your facility: for the farmer to get a good idea of their partnership and where their produce is going, invite them to take a tour of your facility
4) Payments: make sure to pay on time!
5) Accessibility: set expectations for both parties. Ask the farmer for contact information, and discuss the potential and plan for emergency or short notice orders
Branding:
When marketing a local food initiative in a hospital setting, food service managers can use a name, designs, phrase, or symbol to promote new products. For example, if patient menu options contain local ingredients (i.e fruits and vegetables), one way to identify this on the hospital menu is to create an original local food logo. This way, it is easy for a person to quickly recognize the local products. Hospital-wide posters and podcasts can be used to increase awareness of the local food initiative as well.
When thinking of going local, consider your options and do your math. Test the target market and their desire for and acceptance of the local movement. It is hard to determine the life span of this trend, but if it is in demand in your location, it is worth exploring.
