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Beach’s Good Samaritan Medical Hospital is Floridas first to offer a fully
plant-based menu.
The meals –
which are available to patients now – include items like veggie wraps and quinoa salads.
Meals such as
these are only available at a few hospitals nationwide.
Decreased risk
The dishes,
which consist of fruits, vegetables, and grains, are targeted at dietary
inclusivity, and reducing health risks for patients.
The
hospitals Chief Executive Officer Tara McCoy made a statement citing studies
which suggest plant-based diets can ‘lower the risk of heart disease, inflammatory diseases and Type 2
diabetes’.
Quinoa salad is one of many new meals available to patients (Photo: Pixabay)
First of many
The
doctor who spearheaded the project, Dr. David Dodson, saw animal-based diets as
hindering recovery.
He said:
“I was on rounds one day and a patient of mine had been admitted to the
hospital with a heart attack – and he had a stent.
“I happened to be rounding at
noontime and they were serving him a cheeseburger! And I said, ‘Wait a minute,
something is wrong here.’
“I think eventually all hospitals will be doing this
but somebody has to start it and I think Good Sam is the leader.”
