11 public hospitals in New York City now offer plant-based meals as an early dinner option for inpatients. In the program’s latest expansion, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Harlem, and South Brooklyn Health join the system’s other acute care sites in serving 14 new dishes inspired by the flavors of Latin America, Asia and other places that serve the system’s diverse patient populations. represents .
The NYC Health + Hospitals system serves three million meals each year, and with this new rollout it expects to serve nearly 850,000 plant-based meals in 2023. In the coming months, NYC Health + Hospitals also plans to expand plant-based menu options at five of its post-acute care facilities. Default foods include:
- Garden Bolognese with rotini and spinach
- Pad Thai Noodle Bowl
- Moroccan Root Vegetable Tagine with Triangle Couscous
- Southern Black-Eyed Pea Casserole and Plant-Based Cornbread Topped with Plant-Based Shredded Cheese
- Zesty Burrito Bowl with jicama slaw on a broccoli and flour tortilla
- Spanish Vegetable Paella with Yellow Rice
- Red curry vegetables with roasted tofu
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Alternative dinner options include:
- Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with Roasted Chickpeas and Brown Rice Pilaf
- Rigatoni pasta al forno with plant-based ricotta cheese
- Curried Kabocha Squash with Lima Beans, Dill and White Rice
- Orange Cauliflower with Edamame and Brown Rice Pilaf
- Garden Bolognese with rigatoni and mixed vegetables
- Fiesta Black Bean Burger on a Whole Wheat Bun with Cauliflower
- Whole wheat Sicilian pizza with plant-based cheese
Non-plant-based options will only be available upon patient request and based on their prescribed diet.
Expanding on Meatless Mondays
The plant-based lunch and dinner programs at NYC Health + Hospitals expand on the health-care system’s successful Meatless Monday initiative, launched in 2019 in collaboration with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, which resulted in 1,500 patients choosing meat-free meals on the program’s first Monday. 95 percent satisfaction rate among food and eligible patients.
“Healthy food is medicine that all New Yorkers should have access to,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “This is personal to me—a plant-based lifestyle helped save my life, and I’m thrilled that all NYC Health + Hospitals are now serving plant-based dinners as a primary option.”
“This national-leading program means more than 850,000 plant-based meals will be served annually at NYC Health + Hospital, putting all of our patients on the path to a healthier life,” said Adams.
The plant-based eating program was implemented because scientific studies have shown that plant-based eating patterns are associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers. They may also be effective for weight management as well as treatment of high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia.
The NYC Health + Hospitals program teaches plant-based nutrition as a style of cooking and eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, plant oils, herbs and spices, and reflects evidence-based principles of health and sustainability.
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“Science shows that a plant-based diet helps fight disease, which is important as New Yorkers find themselves in a ‘tripledemic,'” Mitchell Katz, MD, president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, said in a statement. “Plant-based diets also help treat some chronic illnesses that land many of our patients in the hospital. Expanding our program will help put them on a healthier path.”
Educating patients about plant-based eating
As part of the program, NYC Health + Hospitals’ 140 food service associates meet with patients to educate them about the benefits of a plant-based diet and encourage them to choose new foods as part of their healing and recovery care plan. The same person records the patient’s food selection on an iPad, delivers the tray to them, asks how they are enjoying the meal, and can replace the patient’s food upon request.
If necessary, they can connect patients to a registered dietitian who can give them more information and advise them on nutrition. Food service associates support patients until they are discharged from the hospital.
NYC.gov
The new meal program builds on several plant-based initiatives already underway at NYC Health + Hospitals. Just last month, the city launched a $44 million plant-based nutrition training program for all NYC health care professionals in an effort to raise the level of education in all medical and specialty areas, giving health care professionals new tools and struggling patients new hope. with common chronic diseases.
“The implementation of a plant-forward menu as the primary choice for our patients is another important milestone in our journey to promote high-quality, culturally appropriate, healthy, nutritious and delicious meals,” said Mercedes Redwood, MS, RD, NYC Health + Assistant for Hospital Management Services. President, said in a statement. “This is one of our most visible efforts to help patients change their eating habits and improve their health.”
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Nicole Axworthy is news editor and cookbook author for VegNews DIY Vegan.