Hospital Food

We spend time each week at the VA Hospital in Martinez, California. My Charles' dad is in the hospice unit.

One of the things that really gets to me about the hospital, and it's not just the VA, every hospital I've ever been to has that smell around mealtime. That imagine-the-most-unappetizing-smell-you-can smell. It's wretched.

And even if the folks staying in the hospital aren't going to get any better, shouldn't we allow them to experience the simple pleasure that comes from eating good food? Instead of serving "meals" that are mostly bland with a slight tang of antibacterial soap, why not create entrees that might actually tempt patients to eat?

That's why I was so heartened to read a recent NPR article. What might take the trial into full-fledged reality is the fact that hospitals could save a lot of money by making meals with local and organic ingredients.

New hospital meal plans with honest to goodness real food -- do you think you could put a rush on this?