Food...

Well it didn't take me long to get onto this topic now did it.  I like my food, I am a keen cook and baker.  I am a vegetarian who prides herself on eating wholesome food, home cooked from scratch using decent ingredients.

But I am in hospital and now at the mercy of the PCT who decided to let this caterer...whoever it is... do the cooking here.

I am not one to moan, really I am not, and I have tasted my fair share of hospital foods over the years but 'Oh my Goodness' it is shocking here!  On my arrival on SundaY 6th November 2011 I was led into my isolation room, my home for the next 4-6 weeks where I was undergoing very intense, risky and life saving treatment, so obviously the first thing I do, along with my mum and aunt who came with me is to look at the menu...who wouldn't!

I was so pleased with what I saw, a fold out glossy menu with at least 8 vegetarian options plus 5 Indian inspired ones and I love that type of food.  Plus a snack menu I could just order from as I wanted.  Brilliant I thought I will have decent food, this hospital is not like one of the ones you hear about in the news with frozen omelettes and frozen jacket potatoes.  I didn't even have to fill in a days worth of food choices the day before, no they just ask what I want a few hours before the meal.

How wrong could I be, how quickly my hopes were dashed...along came meal number one of macaroni cheese...um I could see the congealed cheese that had melted and hardened all around the edge of the plate (plastic incidentally so they can microwave the food) but I certainly could not taste it.  However this I now realise was the best of a bad bunch...cold, yes cold risotto that i could pretty much pick up in one piece it had moulded together so much, a vegetable biryabni which was really curry and normal rice arrived still in the plastic microwave box with film lid...they didn't even try and hide that it was microwaved food.

Don't get me wrong, microwaves can have their place, i don't have one in my kitchen but i'm not necessarily against them but for my hospital food to be based around one is pretty shocking.  I am quite frankly scared to order one of the two omelette options which are described as 'fluffy' as I am pretty sure they are probably the frozen then nuked type too!

I am passionate about my food, yes I love to eat! ha ha...but I am a vegetarian who is passionate about where food comes from, how it is grown, ensuring my eggs and butter are free range etc...  I try to buy organic and for many years had a veg box delivered, i've dabbled with growing my own too.  I think food plays a crucial part in not only fueling your  body for living but nuturing you mind, body and soul.  It can be a joyful and lovely experience preparing a great meal, sharing it with friends & family or eating out.  It can make you smile knowing it tastes so good or you know exactly what is in it.  I firmly believe that food is a way of keeping you healthy and repairing you if you are not, at least to helping you on your road to recovery.  

All I can say right now is that Kings College Hospital obviously don't believe that ethos or they would be serving up something different...It is a good job I have the best and wonderful consultants, Doctors and nurses and loads of drugs here to help me because we can be assured it won't be the food doing it....

I've realised I need to be clever with my ordering...the sandwiches are ok, prepackaged but one could get sick of just the option of cheese or egg for a month.  The Jacket Potatoes, I mean how can you get that wrong...they are ok, not crispy as I would do them but I am not going to moan about a minor thing as that in this present situation.  Funnily enough the one thing that tasted the best was a pizza I had today...processed frozen pizza but at least it tasted ok (pic attached...the wedges were awful!).

I also had the nutritionalist come see me as I am not eating much...although that is partly due to the Chemotherapy taking away my appetite and taste buds a bit.. she suggested snacks...ambrosia creamed rice, cheese and biscuits, a pint of milk...are these foods going to get me better?    
Advice given on the Macmillan website is:  

• Eat little and often if you can't face a big meal.
• Tempt your taste buds by making food look as attractive as possible. 
• Having a small glass of sherry or brandy half an hour before a meal can stimulate your appetite. A glass of wine with your meal may help digestion.
• Keep snacks handy to nibble – such as nuts, crisps, grated cheese or dried fruit.
• Eat cold food if the smell of hot food makes you feel sick.
• Try to relax and not do anything else while you are eating

Point 2 above actually made me laugh!

I do know that if I think of the lovely home made Penne Arriabiatta I make or the gorgeous Squash risotto I do then I salivate and I know I would eat every last morsel...