Health Initiatives

Bloomberg’s Latest Crusade: Cleaning Up Hospital Food

Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

Having conquered soda fountains, Mayor Bloomberg has made hospitals the next stop on his diet-improving crusade. The Daily News writes that a number of private facilities have signed up for a voluntary Healthy Hospital Food Initiative, which includes guidelines for keeping patient meals free of excessive salt, sugar, and calories; limiting drink sizes (and making seltzer and water cheaper than other options); and reforming vending machine offerings to focus on “baked chips, nuts or pretzels,” not candy. Since the program is voluntary, we assume certain patients will still get their mushroom risotto and filet mignon. [NYDN]

Bloomberg’s Latest Crusade: Cleaning Up Hospital Food