A hospital regular diet provides a variety of nutrients.
When recovering from illness, injury or surgery, people often need special diets. They require certain nutrients or a certain combination of nutrients. Those recovering from stomach surgery or mouth surgery or other problems may have difficulty chewing, swallowing or digesting regular foods. However, hospitals prefer to serve patients regular foods as soon as possible because patients generally prefer to eat the types of foods they are accustomed to eating.
Purpose
Physicians recommend a regular diet for hospital patients who do not have special needs due to conditions such as heart disease or diabetes and that are able to chew and swallow regular foods. The hospital regular diet aims to provide a variety of nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals to patients. It generally contains moderate amounts of fat and sodium. Its purpose is to nourish patients, help them heal and get them used to eating regular foods again.
Foods
The hospital regular diet consists of a variety of foods, including meats and other sources of protein, dairy products, starches such as bread, rice and potatoes and fruits and vegetables. The menu usually offers desserts such as cookies or cake as well, as more healthy choices such as fresh fruit. Hospitals usually offer vegetarian options and some may offer other options, such as kosher meals.
Choice
In most hospitals, patients choose foods from a menu. A variety of items are offered at each meal so patients can choose things they like to eat. Dietitians encourage patients to select a variety of foods from all food groups so they get a full range of nutrients. Menus often indicate which items constitute the healthiest choices; for instance, a heart symbol may be used to indicate particularly heart healthy food on the menu. Patients can obtain additional nutritional information from the hospital's dietary service if desired.
Nutrients
A hospital regular diet aims to provide patients with a variety of nutrients by providing them with a variety of foods from all food groups. While desserts and snacks are usually available, most choices on the menu consist of healthy options. Some hospitals offer more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains than others, and some use more processed, packaged and canned foods, which contain fewer nutrients. All aim to provide patients with nutritious, tasty meals, however.
Mealtimes
Patients on a regular diet receive three meals a day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some hospitals serve meals at specific times, while in others patients can order meals at the times they prefer. Snacks are also available in between mealtimes.
