Need to Know: The Food as Medicine Revolution

What if your healthcare food and beverage operation was one of the most powerful treatments your facility offered?

It’s not just a provocative question. Indeed, it’s a growing reality, as healthcare institutions continue to rethink the humble meal tray, transforming it from a budget line item to a tool for patient satisfaction to a central part of a patient or resident’s healing process. And it goes much further than just adding some kale or quinoa to the tray (though that can certainly be part of it). Instead, it’s about leveraging nutrition and diet as an active component of medical care that works in tandem with a patient or resident’s entire care regimen.

What does that mean? Whether you are already incorporating “food as medicine” initiatives into your facility or you are still learning about the concept, consider this some food for thought—and health.

What is the food as medicine movement?

At its simplest, the “food as medicine” philosophy is rooted in the idea that food can prevent and manage disease, help in healing, and even reverse illness. It’s certainly not a new idea—cultures around the world have been using food to heal for thousands of years. Yet it was an idea that was too often ignored in the healthcare space. “Food is medicine. Hospital food currently is not,” wrote Dr. Benjamin T. Ostrander of UC San Diego in an op-ed noting that hospitals are “supposed to be centers for healing,” yet the food on offer frequently doesn’t live up to that standard.¹

But that’s changing. Healthcare groups across the country have been pushing hospitals and other healthcare operations to make food a central part of the healthcare experience. Healthcare facilities are personalizing diets to health needs, incorporating food into treatment discussions and plans, and even “prescribing” healthy foods.

A letter to the editor in the Clinical Nutrition journal from 2023 predicted that half of all hospitals will have healthier food for staff, patients, and their families by 2025, specifically noting that cardiovascular disease prevention can also come from dietary practices in healthcare facilities.²

It’s 2025—the time has come. So how do you incorporate food as medicine principles into your own operation?

Put it into action: Personalization

One of the most important parts of the “food as medicine” concept is understanding that there won’t be a one-size-fits-all approach for every patient or resident. Every patient has different needs, medical conditions, dietary restrictions, and personal preferences.

Consulting with registered dietitians and nutrition staff who can help create individualized meal plans that take into account all of these factors and the role specific nutrients will play in healing, recovery, and preventative care is key. Those professionals can also help educate patients and their families, ensuring that patients can integrate healthy meals that support their unique needs into their home routine.³

Personal preferences are also important. “Residents who are unhappy with the food available in a community may face nutrient and energy deficiencies from not consuming a wide enough variety of food,” says the Culinary Services Group. “This can lead to other health problems and an increased risk of chronic disease. Unsatisfied residents ultimately increase long-term care facilities’ morbidity and mortality rates…”⁴

Food as medicine in room service

Many hospitals across the country, and even some long-term care facilities, have implemented à la carte room-service ordering, allowing patients to order the meals they want, whenever they want. That type of personalization can go a long way to meeting those personal preferences and ensuring that patients and residents eat their meals and get enough nutrition, but it can also seem tricky to pull off—after all, some options may or may not be optimal for a patient’s health and recovery.³

As Dr. Ostrander notes, a diabetic patient should only be offered low carbohydrate options, while other patients may need a zero fat diet due to recent surgeries.¹

Luckily, this type of personalization has gotten easier with modern technology. Mobile app or tablet ordering can not only make it easy for a patient to place orders, but it can make it easy to create digital personalized menus for each patient and their unique needs.³

Food as medicine: Ingredient Inspiration

So what types of dishes, foods, and ingredients can you integrate into a dining program that views food as medicine? Consider some of these options:

• Simplot Harvest Fresh® Avocado products deliver the nutrients, fiber, and healthy fats that patients and residents want to eat. Keeping single-serving Simplot Western Guacamole cups on hand make it easy to offer a healthy side dish or snack.

• Simplot Good Grains™ Premium Blends offer nutritious whole grains and vegetables that are filling and packed with flavor. Simplot Good Grains™ Red Quinoa offers a hearty base for hot or cold applications, Simplot Good Grains™ Ancient Grains and Kale Blend features a colorful blend of both grains and veggies, Simplot Good Grains™ Exotic Grains & Fire-Roasted Vegetable Blend packs in the flavor for bold-yet-healthy preparations, and Simplot Good Grains™ Brown Rice is a simple grain that can be a blank canvas for culinary innovation.

• Simplot Simple Goodness™ Fruit is always a healthy favorite for patients and residents of any age, for any daypart. For a simple crowd-pleaser that adds plenty of color, Simplot Simple Goodness™ Blueberries are ready to use in any application, including healthy yet enticing baked goods. Or take it up a notch with our Simplot Simple Goodness™ Pacific Berry Blend, which combines blueberries with blackberries and raspberries, all harvested at the peak of freshness.

While the road to transforming food into a medical tool doesn't require a complete overhaul overnight, with the right mindset and strategic approach, healthcare institutions can turn every meal into a step toward healing.

¹ Food is Medicine. Hospital Food Currently Is Not
² Letter to the Editor: An Omission in Guidelines. Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Should Also Focus on Dietary Policies for Healthcare Facilities
³ Improving Hospital Dining Through Compassionate Person-Centered Care
⁴ Satisfied: Understanding Resident Satisfaction with Food Service in Long-Term Care Settings