Teaching your patients to be more mindful of what they’re eating all starts with you. It takes a careful balance of being the example, and offering education to help them not only understand why its important, but also know how to put it to practice in their own lives, once they’re no longer under your supervision. To make things a bit easier, we want to offer you this list of super healthy, cost-effective, delicious vegetarian recipes and meal ideas for you to use in your foodservice department to help show your patients what healthy eating really looks like!
Breakfasts
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So, to help your patients fuel their bodies for the whole day, we recommend these insanely delicious and easy breakfast ideas.
- For those that love something a little more on the sweet side in the morning, adding a variety of fruits and nuts to a bowl of homemade oatmeal or low-fat yogurt is a satisfying treat that will definitely help tide your patients over till lunch.
- Do you have a lot of patients with sensitive stomachs? If so, whole-grain toast is a fantastic, versatile breakfast option for them. Let your patients mix and match all kinds of different healthy toppings to help them keep things fresh and stay in control, like almond butter and apple slices, mashed avocado with cilantro and lime, or even just good old eggs and cheese.
- Quinoa breakfast muffins are small yet full of flavor, and the best part is they’re always ready to satisfy your patients’ morning cravings because they can be made in a variety of different ways. Offer savory muffins, with eggs and various vegetables, for those mornings your patients need a little something heartier, or sweet flavors like apple cinnamon and banana nut to help start their days off sweet.
Lunches
Once they’ve enjoyed a great breakfast, a light lunch would be the perfect thing to hit the spot. Here are some simple recipes to keep anyone’s hunger at bay till dinnertime.
- Chili is a meal that is often overlooked, but it can also be a warm and fulfilling way to spend a lunch break. Not only can it be filled with all kinds of protein-packed beans, hearty veggies, and tasty spices to fuel and satisfy your patients, but it can also be made in huge batches, and stored for later with ease. It’s the perfect thing to offer a patient anytime they want a warm, comforting bite to eat.
- Patients often believe that in order to be healthy they have to opt for a dainty salad, but if you really want to help them learn to curb their hunger you need to show them more substantial options. A vegetable burger, sandwich, or wrap is an equally tasty yet significantly more satisfying meal. You can show them how to be as creative as they want with toppings, sauces, and wrappings; from mushroom Swiss veggie burgers on sesame buns with sweet potato fries, to simple smoky tempeh, apple, and arugula sandwiches on whole-wheat!
- It can be chaotic caring for so many patients at once, and you always have to put their health first. Don’t forget to make things easier for yourself once in a while with simpler yet still equally healthy meals that your patients are still sure to love. A peanut butter and banana sandwich (made with whole wheat/grain bread) and a side of veggies and dip, for example, is just the type of tasty treat that’s perfect for a busy day!
Dinners
Dinner is the time to get creative, and really let those natural flavors soar. Check out a few of our favorite ideas for how to really help your patients end their day on a positive note every time.
- Avocado toast is a healthy snack, but pizza is usually not. Well, until now! BBQ chickpea and cauliflower flatbread with avocado mash is a super convenient go-to recipe that can be used anytime your patients have a craving for pizza.
- No one can fail with a quick and easy veggie stir-fry with whole grains. Add tofu, nuts, and all kinds of other things to really make it unique no matter what kind of flavors your patients are craving.
- Pasta dishes are quick and easy, but for the sake of your patients they should definitely always be made from whole grain pastas, and topped with creative sauces, and other inspirational ingredients. From eggplant Parmesan and traditional marinara, to more elaborate recipes, like grilled ratatouille pasta and whole-grain shells with goat cheese and walnuts, there’s no reason your patients shouldn’t be able to enjoy pasta and be healthy at the same time – and you can help teach them how.
The keys to success for any type of dietary adjustments are patience and variety. Don’t let your patients get bored consuming the same few recipes over and over, help them spice things up with new flavors and ingredients they’ve never tried before. Also, never stop educating them on new and improved ways to eat the foods they already love. Above all else, teach them to be mindful to enjoy every bite! Call 629.777.8989, or fill in the free consultation form in the sidebar, to learn more about how our software can positively impact the lives of the patients and visitors you service every day.