A foodservice culture change for Mississippi healthcare group

COLUMBUS, Miss. — Fairly or not, hospital food often gets a universal bad rap. Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus is out to change that. With the implementation of the Great Living Menu, the health care facility aims to make meal time something to look forward to, for patients as well diners in its cafeteria and cafe.

With dinner choices ranging from baked ziti and herb roasted pork loin to homemade meatloaf brushed with sweet tomato glaze, and lunch selections like smokehouse chicken sandwiches, beef stew and oven fried chicken, variety and prep are definitely taking a new direction. 

Brown is out. Green, orange and yellow are in -- as in fresh steamed broccoli, sauteed squash, roasted vegetables such as peppers, whole green beans and carrots and mashed sweet potatoes sweetened with "just a touch" of maple syrup.

The new focus is on meals prepared with the freshest ingredients possible; replacing the butter and salt with olive oil and fresh herbs and spices. A healthy side of dietary education helps patients realize hospital meals can both taste good and be good for them, said Megan Pratt, the hospital's director of marketing.

Food service

Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. contracted with Morrison Food Service in 2013 to provide the food service throughout its 14-hospital system. At Baptist-Golden Triangle, that started a gradual shift toward a healthier menu, not only for patients but also for employees and visitors who eat in the hospital's Main Cafeteria and Corner Cafe. 

Soon the traditional broccoli with cheese sauce was replaced with crisp, bright green steamed broccoli (minus the cheese sauce option). The canned green beans and carrots were replaced with tasty, crisp, well-seasoned, roasted versions, and salad choices multiplied.

It was a trend that started in California, explained Libby Walker, Baptist-Golden Triangle director of Food and Nutrition Services, and has grown mainly due to the Internet. "There is so much more information available to people now. The education level of the public has been raised to eat more healthy foods," she said.

Patients at Baptist Golden Triangle have long been able to select their menu items from a traditional list of dishes. Now, not only are menu items prepared fresh each day, there are also more options. The biggest change may be a new 'Always Available' menu listing items ranging from pasta and pizza to a variety of soups, sandwiches and salads, a wide variety of breakfast items, beverages and desserts that are now accessible to patients any time, as long as their physician gives the OK.