Michelin star chef Andreas Seibold thinks hopsital patients deserve better meals. And for patients at Australia’s Canberra Hospital, that’s about to become the norm.
Seibold, who’s worked at five-star hotels and restaurants in Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore, is bringing healthier and tastier food to the hospital’s menus, including a wide range of vegan and vegetarian options. He’s particularly focused on Mediterranean style meals linked to lower risk of heart disease and better overall health.
“At the end of the day if you have passion about your work it doesn’t matter whether you’re at a Michelin star restaurant or a food service,” Seibold told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Maybe the nutritionists are looking at sick people as patients, but for me they are customers.
“And I want to deliver the highest quality customer service I can do.”
According to Seibold, in recent months the hospital kitchen has been receiving “more and more” requests for vegan and vegetarian meals from patients who adhere to a vegetarian diet as well as those seeking to eat healthier to assist in their recovery. As a result, the hospital now serves more than a dozen vegan options. A tofu curry dish is among the most popular of the hospital’s menu items.
A growing number of hospitals around the globe are adopting vegan and vegetarian menu items. In October, a House of Parliament meeting in the UK addressed the need to offer vegan dishes in UK hospitals. In September, Governor Jerry Brown made vegan options mandatory in California hospitals.
Hospitals aren’t just adding vegan options to their menus–some are pushing out unhealthy food options as well.
A Texas hospital that was devastated by Hurricane Harvey opted not to rebuild a McDonald’s formerly located on the premises. The fast-food restaurant had been a source of protests from health groups concerned about the high sugar, salt, and fat content in McDonald’s meals. Houston-based Ben Taub Hospital is expected to rebuild the facility to house healthier options for patients, visitors, and staff.
And two children’s hospitals pledged to remove hot dogs from the menu offerings following research pointing to the detrimental health effects of processed meat.
Become a CLUBKINDLY member today!
