Saldivar et al., 2022
Since 2018 The Florida University has had a plant-based menu for patients, families and employees
- The paper claims patients were happy but They did not assess patient satisfaction rigorously
- Cost was 30% higher: "On average, the cost of a dietary tray for a patient on a regular, carbohydrate consistent, or cardiac diet costs $2.20. Conversely, the average cost for the plant-based dietary tray is slightly above that at $2.87."
- It was easy to produce meals that could be frozen and thawed when needed.
Healthiness of the PB diet
As the table shows, it was far, healthier in most ways. It could have used more calcium though
| Plant Based | Cardiac | Recommended Dietary Allowance a (Male/Female per Day) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kcal | 1185.5 | 2014.4 | Varies |
| Fat (g) | 41.7 | 75 | Not determined |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 176.7 | 236.9 | 130/130 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 21.2 | 396.2 | Not determined |
| Protein (g) | 42 | 109.1 | 56/46 |
| Fiber (g) | 33.6 | 17.3 | 38/25 |
| Sodium (mg) | 1684.7 | 2239.3 | 1500/1500 |
| Potassium (mg) | 2541.2 | 4165.1 | 3400/2600 |
| Calcium (mg) | 543.8 | 1455.1 | 1000/1000 |
| Iron (mg) | 13.4 | 11.3 | 8/18 |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 853.8 | 2141.8 | 900/700 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 143.8 | 211.2 | 90/75 |
| Zinc (mg) | 15.5 | 17 | 11/8 |
| B12 (mcg) | 2.1 | 8.4 | 2.4/2.4 |
- Used enriched soy milk and tofu to ensure B12
- Compared to other standard diets provided at UF, our plant-based menu is lower in calories, fat, and carbohydrates and offers more fiber on average. It contained half the protein of the regular diet but in line with RDA for protein (the regular diet had almost twice RDA!)
Get staff involved
All medical staff are also advocates leading the charge which helps. Nursing staff also trialled and help select the menu items
Education
patients receive educational materials about the role of diet and lifestyle choices and their impact on chronic illnesses. They are encouraged to watch documentaries on healthier eating on their inpatient televisions.
Ideas
- A few plant based meals won't improve health, but if it introduces patients to good pb food then it could spillover into dietary change at home. I wonder if this has been measured? #Bryant/Project/Idea
Example menu
Outpatient services
taken from review in Aggarwal et al., 2020
"An outpatient prevention cardiology program where patients come into the clinic for an intensive assessment of their diet and lifestyle. During 1-hour-long visits, patients meet with a preventative cardiologist and discuss motivations for behavior. Physician educators work with the patients to create a detailed eating plan and grocery list, and educate patients on the importance of eating more plant-based foods. Over a series of visits, the prevention program adds in graded exercises, stress management, yoga, and meditation. The program has been hugely successful, with significant changes noted by patients in anginal scores, medication requirements, reductions in lipids, and hemoglobin A1c. These changes are being evaluated formally in a retrospective analysis."