Hospital food typically does not enjoy a favourable reputation. The high proportion of meat served often must align with the German Nutrition Society’s (DGE) recommendations, favouring a plant-centric diet in healthcare settings. Hospitals can significantly encourage patients to opt for healthier dining options, as demonstrated by two recent studies conducted by the University of Bonn Hospital (UKB) and the University of Bonn, involving around 2,000 participants. These findings now provide a foundation for hospital decision-makers to implement culinary improvements. The study’s results are set to appear in the August edition of the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
The investigation, overseen by Prof. Simone Dohle, who heads the Health and Risk Communication Lab at the UKB’s Institute of Family Medicine, involved two online surveys representative of the German adult population that consumes meat at least weekly. These studies utilised a menu from a German university hospital and presented participants with a hypothetical scenario. Over two weeks, participants split into two groups and were to choose daily from three meal options as if hospitalised. The first group had access to two meat-based options daily, while the second group had only one, encouraging higher consumption of plant-based meals.
The research team also experimented with meal labelling, using descriptors like “colourful and healthy”. Despite the greater availability of vegetarian options, these labels decreased menu satisfaction. Changing the meal descriptions from “wholefood, light food, and vegetarian food” to “Menu 1, Menu 2, and Menu 3” did not influence the preferences or satisfaction levels of the participants.
The study indicates that menu design elements can affect meat eaters’ food choices and satisfaction in medical environments, although further research in this area is warranted.
Prof. Dohle, a member of the Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA) “Sustainable Futures” at the University of Bonn, remarked on the findings, stating that the architecture of food choices could steer individuals towards healthier and more sustainable eating habits. For patients who are not on special diets and receive standard hospital meals, increasing the number of vegetarian dishes could promote healthier eating behaviours. However, she noted that further elaboration of menu descriptions is unnecessary and might even diminish satisfaction. Prof. Dohle expressed hope that the insights from this study would underpin scientifically grounded, sustainable modifications to hospital menus that support a healthier overall diet.
More information: Julia Meis-Harris et al, Food for future: The impact of menu design on vegetarian food choice and menu satisfaction in a hypothetical hospital setting, Journal of Environmental Psychology. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102348
Journal information: Journal of Environmental Psychology Provided by Universitätsklinikum Bonn
