Once you're admitted, you may have opportunity to choose your own food from a variety of selections pre-approved for your diet on a menu that matches your diet prescription.

Menus are placed on your breakfast tray so you can make selections for the following day. When it is completed, please keep it at your bedside. A nutritional services or nursing staff member will pick up your menu and answer questions you may have about your diet. If you would like to select a menu for the current day or tomorrow, you may ask your nurse for one so you can select your own choices.

Selecting Your Food
If you don't select any items on the menu, the dietitian will select a nutritious, well-balanced meal for you. Meat, fish or poultry are options on most menus right along with vegetarian entrees, depending on your diet prescription.

If you would like regular or occasional between-meal snacks, mention this to your doctor, nurse or dietitian. We can usually arrange them if it's consistent with your doctor's orders. Be sure to check with your nurse before you eat or drink anything provided by a visitor or family member. You don't want to alter a test finding or have to postpone surgery because you ate something you shouldn't have.

Meal Time
While meal times vary slightly based on the number of patients being served, breakfast is served between 7:30 and 8:30 am, lunch between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm, and dinner between 4:30 and 5:30 pm.

Occasionally because of delays related to your health care, you may need your food re-warmed. Just use your nurse call button to request help. You may also ask your nurse for additional condiments, if needed that are kept in a pantry on each floor. Anytime you need to talk to a dietitian while you are here, just let your nurse know and he/she will get the dietitian for you.

Planning for Meals at Home
Sometimes, as a result of your illness, your doctor will request that you follow a special diet when you go home. Some special diets are more complicated than others and require knowledge about menu planning, cooking, shopping and eating out. If you have never been taught about the specific diet you are to follow, you may need instruction. Ask your doctor or nurse to contact the dietitian so special instructions may be explained to you. If you don't understand your diet instructions after you get home, you may call the hospital to schedule an appointment with the outpatient dietitian by dialing 503-261-6678.