Healthy food focus at MaineHealth hospitals promotes good nutrition
At MaineHealth, increasing access to healthy food in the community starts at its hospital campuses. The health system’s commitment to providing healthy hospital food to patients, their families and team members includes:
- Serving more fruits and vegetables.
- Purchasing more local food.
- Encouraging healthier drink choices.
- Preparing healthier recipes.
- Marketing healthy food in cafeterias and on menus.
“Plant-Powered Mondays” are one example. Every Monday, MaineHealth hospital cafes highlight plant-based meals, which support decreasing meat consumption that can help reduce chronic disease and aid environmental sustainability. The health system prioritizes purchasing and serving locally grown fruits, vegetables and seafood, working with local farmers and distributors to procure fresh, seasonal food with no added salt or sugar.
In addition, Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment programs at MaineHealth offer education, support and skill-building on healthy cooking and eating. Patients set and meet their own health goals and learn to self-manage chronic conditions through healthy lifestyle changes. HBLT programs are built around four components: evidence-based chronic disease programming; in-person peer support; community partnerships and resources; and healthy food and recipe access.
Among its other “food is medicine” initiatives, MaineHealth partners with Good Shepherd Food Bank to operate three hospital-based food pantries in the state — in Farmington, Norway and Portland — that are set up like small grocery stories. These pantries distribute nutritious, often local foods with information on how to use and prepare them.