Food is more than just sustenance, it is a powerful tool for healing, a source of comfort and a method of connection. Despite its centrality to the patient experience, hospital food systems have historically taken a short-term view of food and been constrained by external pressures.

At the time of hospital admission, an alarming 45 per cent of people across Canada are at risk of malnutrition due to illness and injury. Malnutrition contributes to poor patient outcomes and extended hospital stays. Prioritizing providing appealing, nutrient-dense meals to patients not only accelerates their recovery but also reduces waste and makes financial sense for the whole health care system. It’s clear that we need a culinary revolution in our health care institutions. 

Global industrialized food systems are responsible for one-third of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The impact of the current industrial food system extends to hospital food services and are at odds with the health care mandate to first “do no harm”. It also places immense environmental pressures on local land, water sources and biodiversity undermining the determinants of health for both present and future patients. Additionally, the resources used to grow, process, transport, package, prepare and deliver food to patients are all wasted if patients ultimately do not eat the food they are served.

Knowing all this, it’s important to find a way for hospital food to actually get into patients’ mouths and out of landfills. The Planetary Health Menu Project is re-imagining how hospitals can positively contribute to their patients’ well-being and the planet’s health, starting with what is served on hospital menus. This pioneering collaboration between Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), the UBC Planetary Healthcare Lab, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim Canada, alongside Culinary Director Executive Chef Ned Bell and non-profit organizations Nourish and Greener by Default aims to make hospital food healthier and more appetizing for patients.

The project at Vancouver General Hospital initially developed more than 50 new and modified recipes that align with the latest evidence on healthy and sustainable diets. The new menu items prioritize fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based proteins over animal proteins, dairy, and ultra-processed foods. The menus also integrate seasonal and local ingredients produced through environmentally-friendly farming practices with lower carbon footprints.

But this project isn’t just about creating more sustainable menu items. It’s also about crafting a more appetizing culinary experience for patients. The Planetary Health Menu Project ensures that hospital menus offer a diversity of flavourful meal options, aiming to increase meal consumption and satisfaction among the patients at Vancouver General Hospital. To do this, 20 recipes were selected from those evaluated by patient partners, dieticians and food services staff, and served on a trial basis to patients during a six-month period. Feedback from patients was solicited through surveys and interviews and inferred from food waste measurements. This information allowed for further refinement of the individual dishes. 

Preliminary results from the project have been promising, showing positive patient experiences suggesting acceptability of new menu items – including plant-based options – and reduced environmental impacts. The Planetary Health Menu Project is an integrated patient health and experience improvement strategy and climate mitigation initiative, with thought behind every ingredient. The aim is to transform health care and cultivate a future where health, well-being and sustainability are synonymous in local Vancouver hospitals and beyond. Upon completion, VCH plans to use the project findings to expand the implementation of the Planetary Health Menu across the health authority and become a model for the future of hospital food.

Through this innovative approach to patient care and resource stewardship, we can create a health care system that serves its communities while adopting good environmental practices and championing a much-needed culinary revolution in hospitals. This is a crucial step in creating a health care system that is truly holistic, considering both the well-being of the patient and the world they inhabit. We believe this is the way forward for health care – a path that leads to healthier people, healthier communities, a healthier environment, and ultimately, a healthier future for us all. 

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By Tiffany Chiang
Tiffany Chiang is the Director of Food Service Transformations and Food Service at Vancouver Coastal Health