Hospital foods

(softail925) #1

So I will be undergoing a complete knee replacement in a few weeks, which means I will be in the hospital for 3-4 nights. I know from previous hospital stays, they seem to be carb ladened foods. I did tell my surgeon about my woe of eating and he said to feel free to bring in some of those foods. I really dont want to bring in my groceries, altho Im thinking to bring in my mct oil, but yet no blender to mix up well… no matter, any suggestions? I really am just hoping I wont feel like eating much and will have enuff choices on the menu to stay in ketosis. Ur thoughts appreciated!

#2

Hmmmm…bacon, jerky, nuts and fat bombs that are happy at room temperature. Do you have family/friends you can call on to bring food in for you? Even if you prep your meals (eg. chicken salad) and deliver them before you go in to hospital and have someone else grab it out of their fridge to bring with them when visiting?

(softail925) #3

Thanks Kate, yes, my husband will be helping me out. Great idea on preparing a few foods in advance. I like the fat bomb idea for sure!

#4

Perfect! I’m sure he knows how you like your steak done!! :smile:

(Karen Fricke) #5

Get a small battery operated milk frother, generally less than $10 and work pretty well for blending coffee or tea. You may find the hospital menu options have changed. Most work like an ala carte menu and you can call and order whenever you want. You should be able to get eggs and meat without carb.

(Larry Lustig) #6

Cheese and preserved meats (like salami) will keep fine without refrigeration for a few days – that’s in large part why they were invented. Nuts would also be good.

In NYC many hospital rooms have small fridges in them.

Good luck with the surgery!

(Guardian of the bacon) #7

I had foot surgery on Dec 12 that involved an overnight stay. I ate 3 meals while there. Amazingly the food was great. As my wife mentioned the Menu was ala carte and since I was under no diet restrictions I could basically order whatever, whenever I wanted. Omelettes cooked with real eggs and any way you liked were available 24/7. They had several acceptable protein selections as well as steamed veggies. I could order as many pats of butter as I wanted. There were also a few different salad selections. I wouldn’t sweat it. Like others mentioned you can take an emergency prep bag just in case.

Don’t forget to let everyone know you want a glucose free IV solution.

(softail925) #8

Thank you everyone for ur suggestions and advice! “Glucose free IV solution?” Pls tell me ur joking.

(Guardian of the bacon) #9

Not joking.
The IV bag labeled D5 pertains to 5% dextrose. My wife says these are not necessarily used routinely but some doc’s like them because they feel it offers energy for healing.

(David) #10

get yourself something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/aerolatte-Milk-Frother-Storage-Black/dp/B0001RT2C4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486230930&sr=8-1&keywords=aerolatte for mixing your coffee. It won’t be as good as a blender, but it’s portable.

(Guardian of the bacon) #11

You likely will not stay in ketosis though your surgical procedure and your early recovery. Surgery puts big Stresses on the body, inflammation is created, this puts a huge damper on ketone production
You can still remain fat adapted however.

My wife made me eat larger amounts of proteins than I normally would to assure the body had enough to heal properly. At 56 years old I was allowed to begin walking 2 weeks ahead of my doctor’s expectations. (6 instead of 8).

I registered very slight ketone levels (.2-.3) throughout my 6 weeks of inactive recovery. I was quite happy to only regain 5 lbs from this sedantary overeating lifestyle.

(Bacon for the Win) #12

hi @softail925. I am an RN on an ortho/med-surg floor and have had a few surgeries where I’ve ended up being a patient on my own unit.

My first bit of advice is get out of there as fast as you can. The hospital is no place for otherwise healthy people. You may not even feel like eating at first but planning ahead is a great idea. There should be a fridge available for patient’s food. Every place I have worked has one.

Make some bone broth ahead of time and have that brought in for you. Much better than the chemical laden bouillon they will have on hand.

My husband and kids brought in meals for me so I never ate the hospital food. I’m not sure the meats and chicken are not loaded with dextrose like the food most industrial kitchens prepare. Chicken salad with my own mayo, salad with my own dressing, and egg dishes were my favorites.

Certain pain meds may make you nauseas, and in my case everyone was quick to get me to eat crackers. I just said thank you and didn’t eat them.

If you do get D5 in your IV it’s probably just a liter so not a huge amount. Drink plenty of fluid on your own and they will discontinue the IV fluids. Antibiotics can also be mixed with D5 but that amount is even less.

Good luck with your surgery, I hope you’re pleased with the new knee :slight_smile:

#13

Pickled eggs. Easy to make. Boil eggs, peel and drop in pickle juice. Or make your own with vinegar and pickling spices. Can also get creative with it…drop in pickled jalapeños for hot and spicy version, or pickled onions, or olives for another flavour. Keeps at room temperature for the week no problems.

(Stephanie Hanson) #14

Most hospitals offer an a la carte menu. Ask for it prior to surgery. Map out your meals and have the doc put them in his dietary orders. I’m a nurse and I do this for my diabetic patients as part of the carb teaching process. Also get a milk frother. I take mine to work everyday along with butter & HWC so I can make my late morning BPC.

(softail925) #15

Ty stephanie, I will keep that in mind. :grinning: I go next week for presurgery work ups and will def inquire about the hospital menus etc.