We Had A Meeting

$8.95  Pallinos UVillage.  YUM

So we had a meeting. It lasted an hour. The Chef does not think I am funny and we know I am .  He clearly did not want to meet with me but I really think we did a good thing and I appreciated him taking the time. When I asked him is he had ever met with a parent before he said he had not ever had this exact experience.

 I can totally see how this feels like an unfair personal attack but this is literally life and death for both Mary-E and me.  If we cannot figure out a way to feed her from here and I have to eat the food for three months, she is going to weigh 12 pounds and I am going to weight 5000. 


I explained my concerns and fears and he explained the current limitations of the kitchen and the staffing. He was hired and given blueprints for a new facility and then they did not do the remodel.
 He won't be in a proper kitchen until 2015. He is clearly frustrated and has not been given resources to do what he wants to do. He has the ability and will be doing a top notch job when he has the new kitchen.  You have no idea how many times I heard about what is going to happen.

The Kitchen is already 125% above capacity.  When I asked why they didn't utilize a catering company I was told the expense was prohibitive.  I wonder if all those folks that give 1000's of dollars to the hospital while sitting at fancy dinners know that are kids are reduced to fake mashed potatoes, premade toasted cheese sandwiches and canned corn. I don't ever want to hear what "the children like to eat".  This is not Disneyland.  They can not have a healthy life on Hot Dogs, Pizza, Mac and Cheese and breaded chicken stuff.  Remember, this was the place that sponsored the Childhood Obesity Conference.


 I am trying to practice my Buddhist philosophy which requires me to focus on this moment.  At this moment I have very limited choices.  True I can leave the hospital for every meal or bring in provisions or order in or eat from the cold cases of food brought in from various outside providers at a greater expense. 


As he sees the situation he can't do much to institute much change. The hospital is sort of like the
Titanic and change does not happen without going through a huge and complicated process that requires many committee meetings. Chef presented as someone that had hit his head against that iceberg (maybe that explains the lettuce) way too many times.


So pretty much the answers were:
Can we order when she is hungry?
No, we cannot do that we don't have the staff, the space, the budget and the general support.
Can we get something other than chicken legs?  Children like chicken legs. But do the other patients like the teenagers and young adults? No answer.


Can you order and reheat better food for the cafeteria?


Everyone likes the food in the cafeteria. You might like Tomato Bisque  but everyone else wants Campbell's Tomato.  Everyone likes iceberg lettuce.  The hospital is not the food police and if they like deep fried batters green beans let them eat grease.  We feed a huge variety of cultures like Hispanic and Somalis. (I know my former husband from Mexico would not go near any of that food and resort to a hamburger out of desperation).


Can we do something to feed the kids on the hem/onc floor on a kid by kid basis?


Yes they can call the day before and tell us what they want to eat the next day and then we will deliver it at 8, 12, and 5. 


What if they are hungry at 3 am? Can we call the kitchen and get food?
No, the nurses have peanut butter, crackers, juice, Popsicles, mac and cheese.  What if they want teriyaki chicken...... no answer.
Are you aware that no one is awake on the Hem/Onc floor until 10 am and most all of the breakfasts go to waste.
      We delivery trays according to when the nursing staff asks. 
Round and round, head banging..........


Could we have some sort of on floor cart everyday that let the kids have toasted bagels, juice, fresh cut up fruit?


I don't know but I will look into it.


Could food be delivered in small boxes and not having hot food covered by plastic wrap?


Sure, I will look into that.




So what did  I take away from the meeting.


Well NO is the most popular answer.  WAIT it will better.  SORRY this is so hard for you.


TO DO LIST:


THE KIDS



It is not just hard for me but for the other parents and caregivers that have to leave and bring food and buy food.  This is hard for the parents that have to be here.  Yes, I want to be able to stay if I need to and eat here, three HEALTHY meals a day.  I want my daughter  and all the hem/onc children to have access to what they want to eat when they want to eat it.  They just have to have that.  Every day 24 hours a day.  No questions asked.  This institution has to, must, do what ever it takes to make it happen.  It is not a someday, we are working on it, we will get there, soon issue.  It needs to happen NOW


The teenagers need to meet with the Chef for a chat on what they want to be offered.  He could come to the floor, bring something special for them to try and get their suggestions. I think he would find a group excited to be talked to... this Generation was raised on Food Channel.  They would think it was soo sooo cool.




THE CAFETERIA


Some suggestions that take no more room or staff.


1. Whole Wheat buns
2. Alternates to onlybeef hot dogs since this is offered 3 times a week
3. Higher Quality Lettuce and better choices of food.  Way too many calories and not enough protein.  I want calorie counts posted. 
4. Real Mash Potatoes (I know they come pre-cooked)
5. Good Roasted veggies on each hot bar, not just broccoli on Hot Potato Bar
6. Veggie burgers at the grill
7.  Tomato Bisque, Italian Wedding Soup, Curried pumpkin.

THE PLAN

Seems to me I am going to have to talk with some budget and finance people. I am calling the head of dietary today.  I need to have an idea why anyone thought it was a good idea to cut corners on kitchen staff need and food for the kids. Happy to see that the hospital and Children's is addressing Obesity while offering awful food.

I think it is short sighted to serve unhealthy fried food and blame the consumers.  People eat good food when it is available.  They eat what they have to when it is not. There is a whole program at the Odess Brown Clinic to teach children good choices.  I wonder if they ever come here.

  Hey, I am no shrinking violet.   I have eaten my share of junk food.  I eat healthy food when I can and have even given up fast food for lent on many occasions.  The cafeteria offers the worst of fast food.  High calorie, low nutrition.  It needs to be better and I know it can be better.

Oh when I asked the Chef why we couldn't have satsumas, he did not say "no" and wrote it down.  I am hopeful.