Keto in the Hospital

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #1

I’m finishing up a short hospital stay after having a baby. And its been tough to get Keto food here. I probably should have just gone w/ food vouchers for the cafeteria (but that involves sending someone to get my order).

However, I was astounded to see the carb counts on the “carb-controlled” menu! They were so high, and still had lots of breads & pastas on the list. That said, I showed the paper to the lady from Patient Relations who came by to ask me how my stay was. She was pretty shocked as well. I explained that I’d order things w/o the breads, etc just to lower the carb counts.

She is at least going to (try) to bring up my concerns to someone.

My point is, if in a situation like this make sure to mention it to Patient Relations. Explain to them that we need better low-carb menu options.

(Short224) #2

Did you stay Keto your entire pregnancy? I plan to try next year and I love this way of eating so much I also had GD as well with my last one so I am hoping it will be ok for me to do throughout my pregnancy. I know they would start to get frazzled if I had ketones I’m my urine last time following a lower carb diet plan for my GD . Also congratulations on your new blessing.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #3

My mom was recently in the hospital, and they had diabetic counts on all the menu items, that were essentially a dumbing down of carb counts to insulin units or something. Mom does not keep LC, but could have navigated the menu for better choices if she were so inclined.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #4

I didn’t start until the end of it…I was diagnosed with some medical conditions at the end of June, so I started then.

Baby was born at 34 weeks, planned.

If I had wanted to I could have been keep the whole time (hubby eats keto). There just want a direct need to.

My docs did mention the ketones in my urine, but they knew I am eating Keto, and said “Yeah, that explains it”. And they didn’t make a fuss.

#5

The last time I was in the hospital, they had a Caesar with shrimp and a shrimp and veggie stir fry. Both were excellent low carb choices. And the shrimp were HUGE. I had a lot of shrimp that week. The veggie stir fry was different every day. Onions, peppers, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, …, I just add the veggies I knew were low carb. Never tasted any sweetener in it. But it took a while for me to get to the shrimp dishes. Their burgers and hot dogs were awful, and full of fillers.

When I moved to rehab, the staff dietitian was amenable to the keto diet. However, their kitchen was completely focused on low fat. Chicken breast, no thighs. No butter, only margarine and butter substitutes (yuck!). Very little cheese. They kept sending me a little dry chicken breast with a plate FULL of broccoli or green beans. But without butter or cheese, I just couldn’t eat them. I’d send them back uneaten. Then, the chef came up to talk to me. After that, I was set. He actually went out and got me some chicken thighs. And added chicken salad and egg salad to the tuna salad offering, although it didn’t have as much mayo as I’d put on it. And they found some butter and cheese for me. :slight_smile:

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #7

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Carb-controlled menu

(charlie3) #8

I’m sure I could get by for weeks on meat, fish, hard boiled eggs and all the non startchy vegetables they would give me so long as there was olive oil dressing for them. Any commercial kitchen should be able to do that.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #9

Oh I know I can make something work, every if it means a few more carbs at breakfast

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #10

Supper:

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(Susan) #11

That looks pretty decent for a hospital meal trying to accomodate =).