Hospital Cuisine

Have you ever been so hungry that the simplest of meals turns out to be great? Last November I was hospitalized due to pregnancy complications. My first evening there I was having different tests and shots done to prevent labor. During this time I wasn’t allowed to eat anything, and finally when the tests and shots were completed I could eat. However, I was only able to have clear liquids. They brought me chicken broth and jello for dinner. I remember savoring every bite and raving to the nurse about how good it tasted. She probably thought I was nuts, but it was extremely satisfying!!
During that same hospital stay my days would get pretty boring. I was only able to get out of bed to use the bathroom. One can only watch TV for so long before going out of her mind, so the highlight of my day would be when they brought out the menu for the next day. I had so much fun picking out breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the following day. The food was surprisingly good. I was impressed for it being institution food. For breakfast every morning I had a fruit tray and a bagel with cream cheese. The hospital had a great fruit tray filled with fresh fruit. It had pineapple, watermelon, strawberries, and cantaloupe. My other favorites included the chicken noodle soup filled with chunky noodles and real pieces of chicken and the macaroni and cheese casserole. It tasted like a quality homemade mac-n-cheese. Also, they had great chocolate chip cookies. They were soft and the chocolate would melt in my mouth.
When I eventually went into labor for real I was not allowed to eat until after birthing because of the epidural. I don’t know how some people could last in labor for so many hours. I was only in labor for about 5 hours, but it was over the dinner hour. The act of labor is pretty strenuous and I really worked up an appetite. After I gave birth I had to recover for a little bit and make some phone calls to family. Then Dan and I went to go visit Nathan in the NICU. Finally, around 11:00 pm I could finally eat dinner. Dan went to the hospital cafeteria and got me a cheeseburger with greasy fries. I worked so hard for that meal and again, I savored every bite! There are no complaints here for hospital food!