Hospital Food

[Nor-TX]

I am about to go into the hospital for a few days for a total knee replacement. After talking to the doctor and discussing the problems that I might face relying on the hospital food, he suggested I bring my own. The first day I will be on liquids and drugs , and the second day I assume will be soft foods. I plan on making jello, and bringing my own broth. I have made my own gluten-free, df granola bars but I think they may not be good until the 3rd day. I know I can take Udi bread/bagels, slices of ham or a cooked chicken breast, but I am having trouble thinking of what else. I have colitis so I can't do fresh vegetables or fruit, no dairy, no eggs, no spicey foods. I have several ideas, but I'm trying to think of light foods that I can cook before hand and aren't messy or "tummy stimulating". Just wondering what others have done when in the hospital?

[kareng]

Will the nurses or aides microwave in the breakroom for you? You could make some chicken & rice soup (or at our house its less soup more chicken & rice & cooked carots). A cooked hamburger to re-heat. Maybe some applesauce? Some noodles cooked in chicken or beef broth? Rice Chex straight from the box.

Do you have someone to bring food for you so you don't have to have it all on the first day?

Good luck with the surgery.

[Nor-TX]

Will the nurses or aides microwave in the breakroom for you? You could make some chicken & rice soup (or at our house its less soup more chicken & rice & cooked carots). A cooked hamburger to re-heat. Maybe some applesauce? Some noodles cooked in chicken or beef broth? Rice Chex straight from the box.

Do you have someone to bring food for you so you don't have to have it all on the first day?

Good luck with the surgery.

Chicken and rice soup is a good idea. Can't do hamburger meat - I probably won't be able to eat meat until I leave. Rice Chex is a good idea to munch on, thanks. I probably could get a plain whole baked potato from the hospital. Thanks for the ideas.

[mushroom]

Be sure to take your own spread from home. I would also take my own juice - the stuff I got offered was loaded with HFCS. Basically, don't trust anything that comes out of the kitchen because at least where I was the kitchen staff didn't even know what gluten was let alone how to avoid cross-contamination. They had menu plans for everything under the sun EXCEPT gluten-free. I had hubs bringing me stuff all the time and had my own section of the ward fridge. I am sorry you can't do yogurt and fruit because I survived a lot on that. You could keep some almond/hemp milk in the fridge I didn't have an opportunity to plan food in advance so had to temporize. Fortunately there was a Whole Foods close by. You might try calling the hospital and speaking with the dietitian (not that my conversation with her did much good) and at least find out what their awareness level is. But I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope (or trust)

You could premake things like tuna casserole servings, or whatever other casserole-type things your food restrictions permit. I know that is what I craved in the hospital because I couldln't eat anything they made, and I seldom got more than a piddling little serving of cooked vegetables - one day they were "out" of vegetables altogether. You don't get health food in a hospital

[freeatlast]

You might want to look at these sites and print out the food lists for the hospital staff:

https://www.celiac.com/articles/21740/1/Tips-for-Ensuring-a-Gluten-Free-Hospital-Stay/Page1.html

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