Leaders supporting healthy food choices in healthcare,
American Medical Association
American College of Cardiology
American College of Cardiology
The American Medical Association (AMA)
strongly advocates for healthy food in hospitals, calling on facilities to provide nutritious, plant-based options, eliminate processed meats, and offer culturally inclusive choices that are low in unhealthy fats, sugar, and sodium to improve patient, staff, and visitor health, and thus setting an example for community wellness. The AMA supports policies encouraging healthier hospital food environments, recognizing it as an ethical responsibility for health institutions to promote good nutrition and prevent chronic diseases.
American College of Cardiology
American College of Cardiology
American College of Cardiology
The American College of Cardiology (ACC)
strongly advocates for healthier hospital food, pushing for increased whole food, plant-based (WFPB) options, less processed food, reduced sodium, and added sugars to improve cardiovascular recovery and outcomes, viewing nutritious food as crucial as medication. Key recommendations include offering plant-based mains, banning processed meats (bacon, hot dogs), promoting fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and encouraging consistent, positive nutritional messaging from staff.
American Heart Association
American College of Cardiology
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) strongly advocates for healthy, plant-forward hospital food that is low in sodium, added sugar, and unhealthy fats, focusing on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins to manage and prevent chronic diseases, viewing nutritious hospital meals as a crucial "Food is Medicine" intervention, not just comfort food. They support initiatives for better hospital nutrition, pushing for research, policy, and implementation of meals that align with AHA's dietary guidelines to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.
Loving with Good Food
“Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!” | Genesis 1:31
Our local hospitals serve as the places we turn for support in restoring our health. With HealthyHospitals by Abundance for Health, we believe that the food provided in our local healthcare settings can positively influence our well-being. HealthyHospitals aims to offer our patients, their families, and the dedicated staff caring for us all, nutritious options that exemplify compassion-driven healing through nutrition, education, and food preparation.
These initiatives not only contribute to a healthier community but also support the sustainability of our vital local rural hospitals. By providing high-quality, nutritious meals, the dietetic and foodservice teams play a crucial role in our local hospitals' healing mission, making our local dietary teams as essential to patient care as the medical staff. Their efforts directly impact recovery, health outcomes, and the overall experience of patients, staff, and visitors. HealthyHospitals is the place where it all comes together. Let’s get started!
Emerging guides for healthy food choices in healthcare,
The Healing Healthcare guide by The Plantrician Project outlines strategies for transforming healthcare systems through plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine, emphasizing prevention, disease reversal, and sustainable health improvements. It highlights successful case studies, actionable steps, and the importance of leadership, community engagement, and employee wellness in creating a culture of health and wellbeing by incorporating real-life, practical guidance from leading healthcare systems and visionary providers across the country.
As health care systems become more aware of the health benefits of plant-based nutrition for patients, hospital menus are evolving to offer more plant-based options on patient trays. The Physicians Committee offers resources through their online Healthy Hospital Program to support institutions looking to make menu changes. With plant-based menu items, inpatient education tools, and printable recipes, patients can be empowered to take control of their health during their hospital stay and beyond.
With grant support from Ardmore Institute of Health, Loma Linda University Health has developed two resources to advance the use of whole-food, plant-based nutrition for chronic disease treatment and prevention. The Patient Handbook for Restorative Diet Recipes is designed to help patients treat chronic diseases through dietary changes. The Healthcare Resource Guide is designed to help hospital systems meet nutritional guidelines, emphasizing plant-based nutrition for hospitalized patients.
