March 17, 2010 by Lynn
The last time I wrote about disgusting food, I was scolded by Sam. He cooks professionally – and I don’t, by a long shot. I deferred; point and match went to him. :)
Today, I’m sharing a picture from Hospital Food Photo Blog. Now, to my untrained eye, this dish looks revolting not entirely appealing. No amount of sriracha is gonna help this monstrosity meal become tastier, it would seem. In fact, I’m not sure that it’d even be my first, second or third choice from the menu.
How ’bout you?
As an atheist – and former Christian homeschooling parent – I blog (mostly) about the social-political aspects of religious fundamentalism, especially as it impacts the education and socialization of children.
 | Lynn on Tearing up at Wife Swap |
 | Christian mom for Go… on Tearing up at Wife Swap |
 | Susan on Inhumanity |
| Lynn on Matt Drudge Is An Idiot |
 | Melvin on Matt Drudge Is An Idiot |
 | sarah on Enlighten me in 140 characters… |
 | Jean-Pierre on Tearing up at Wife Swap |
| Lynn on Tearing up at Wife Swap |
What in the name of all that’s holy is going on with those peas?! They look like toy peas… you know, the solid lumps of plastic that are too big for under-threes to fit in their mouths?
Hmm…every time I’ve been in the hospital (pretty much only to have babies) I was able to choose my menus and they were all quite healthy, palatable meals.
I’m guessing the potatoes came out of a box, and the meat looks like deli style roast beef that was sliced on a slicer and portioned into three ounce servings. The gravy looks like it came from a jar, but I would wager it’s canned beef base thickened with corn starch. The peas are the very worst looking item and look like molded plastic that is part of the toy food that came with a kitchen play set. It’s amazing that hospitals, supposedly places where sick and injured people go to get better, would serve something so sadly unhealthy looking.
some hospitals have menu service. I have not been fortunate enough to work in one (I’m a nurse). The other evening a coworker went down to the cafeteria to get her supper. I had to ask her not to eat it at the nurses station because the smell of what she claimed was “just chicken and noodles” was turning my stomach. When patients who have not eaten for a time exclaim happily over having their diets advanced to regular meals I always tell them not to get too excited because it is, after all, hospital food.
Hospitals, like schools, are under increasing pressure to economize. Unfortunately, the cafeteria is one area where expenses can be itemized and targeted for reduction by administrators (who, I’ll wager would never eat the food).
Hospitals used to be places where sick people went to get better. Now they are places where critically ill or injured people end up until they are just barely healthy enough to be rushed out the door and finish convalescing at home.
The pseudo meat-like imitation food product looks fake, too. Those horizontal folds are way too neat.
Okay… well score another one for OoooScaryCommieGovernmentFundedHealthCareSystems, but… the few times I, or my family has had to be in the hospital, the food was pretty normal. Nothing fancy, but still normal food.
My only, personal, complaint was that the jello dessert was always lime jello, and I hate lime jello. But, it looked WAY better than that…. disturbing plate of…. what was that supposed to be again?
I have to agree that the brownish purple thing is the worst part. At least the potatoes look like potatoes and I can see the peas in the green creamy stuff. But the brownish purple thing doesn’t look like anything I can recognize.
I’ve seen the cat throw up better looking food than that!
OTOH school lunches aren’t much better — thank goodness DD has not gone for them at ps.
But it’s something. Which is better than nothing, the other choice for some of the kids.
Nance
I covered the peas and told the kids it was caramel covered icecream next to a chocolate soufle. They thought the sauce was a little thick and the soufle was a bit light, but other than that, it looked good. Then I uncovered the peas and told them what it really was. The looks on their faces was priceless. I needed a good laugh today.
Heather
I think that they give patients these ‘Top Chef’ meals of wonder in order to subconsciously lure them back to the hospital as repeat patients. Just think about the internal conversation of the patient at check out: “Boy, I feel better after three days in the hospital! Except…every time I think of that…food…oh, I feel nauseous…help, nurse…”