Those dining in the Parkview Regional Medical Center (PRMC) café* or ordering from the patient menu might notice some changes to our offerings. We spoke with two key team members who led this tasty transition.
Andy Lockwood
Director of Foodservice
Parkview Regional Medical Center
During the pandemic, it became evident that many of the patients that were hospitalized due to COVID, were those who suffered from comorbidities of diet-related conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and heart failure.
This prompted our department to take a step back and consider our mission: “To improve the health of our communities and those we serve.” With that mission as our guiding principle, we took a strategic mindset to change our offerings and promote nutrition in everything we do.
We recognized that overhauling our patient and retail menus to intentionally include whole food plant-based options was one of the most effective ways to make improvements to the health of the populations we serve. We know that a diet that elevates fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds is the most effective way to improve health outcomes.
In addition to feedback from physicians and patients requesting these changes, our chefs also worked closely with our dietitians to identify the best choices for our menu. Sodexo, the company that manages Parkview’s food service, did much of the hard work for us, by providing an extensive database of recipes that met our criteria. We selected dishes that appealed to our senses and cultural diversity, and also prioritized flavor and popularity.
The result of these efforts is an exciting collection of recipes called Mindful. The approach for Mindful is a focus on transparency of ingredients, delicious food, satisfying portions and clear messaging. Our hope is that these offerings lead to a healthier community. As Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
Jeremy Rice
Executive Chef
Parkview Regional Medical Center
Our primary goals were flavor and intrigue. With the nutritional component as our baseline, we challenged ourselves to find recipes that were on trend, had bold flavor and were culturally relevant. The Sodexo database provided options that featured whole foods, were minimally processed and used minimal oil in preparation.
We all understood that, if our goal was to improve the health of our communities and those we serve, the food has to be appealing. The dishes have to be ones we would eat ourselves and be proud to serve our own families.
Our hope is that everyone who dines in our facilities loves the food we serve, and we provide them with delicious offerings that can help them achieve better outcomes in their personal health.
Here’s a little sneak peek at what’s on the Mindful menu:
- Fruit Oatmeal Bowl
- Latin Style Breakfast Bowl
- Tomato Onion and Spinach Breakfast Bowl
- Rice and Bean Burrito
- Hummus and Pita Veggie Plate
- Roasted Vegetable and Hummus Wrap
- Enchilada Soup
- Vegetable Biryani
*While this updated menu is currently only available at PRMC, the goal is to expand the concept throughout the health system over time.
