Do you think your work place should support healthy eating?

[Brian, ASN, RN]

What vending machines do you have at work? Are the products healthy or junk food? I've seen some places with coffee vending machines - these taste HORRIBLE! Yuck. We are in the health business ... I often wonder why not offer ONLY healthy foods? What do you think?

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

Sorry, brian.... I love my Cheetos.

Viva la vending machine!

[elkpark]

The vending machines at my hospital designate/flag the healthier choices, and the drink machines offer tea and water in addition to sodas.

[Wrench Party]

Of course. Nothing makes me nuttier than when I go downstairs during lunch, and see nothing but pizza and fries available for workers and families. Our hospital system has implemented a lot of healthier options, but they seem to be available only during select times.

Good luck if you're on night shift; I have no idea what y'all eat if you don't bring your own lunch.

[iluvgusgus]

They should stop offering fried chicken on the inpatient menu!

[LithEruiel]

I think there should be healthy options, but I wouldn't support ONLY healthy foods. Sometimes I need a Pepsi or a candy bar on a bad day...patients need a treat sometimes too...especially in rehab where I work - they're working it off! Also, all some patients will eat is junk food and if they're very elderly, dying, etc. who cares, let them eat it...I'd rather them just eat ice cream than eat nothing at all.

I think hospitals could be more supportive of healthy eating by actually giving their staff time to eat. I work 12 hour shifts and I get up at 5 am...I often don't get to go to lunch until 1:30 or 2, so by then I'm starving. No time for a dinner break and I don't get home until 8:30 starving again and I have to eat and go to bed so I can do it again the next day. That's really unhealthy. If we had appropriate nurse to patient ratios and workloads maybe we'd get to eat like normal people.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

We don't have vending machines for coffee/tea/hot chocolate thank goodness! Just snack food - well, chips, candy bars, etc. But we do have a pretty good cafeteria that has a healthy salad bar every day. It closes at 6 p.m. though.

Night shift folks - man do they eat! They have a barbeque set up outside the ER and the doc and staff bbq about once a week. Everyone brings in food - like a pot luck - almost every night. Or they have Taco Night or Pizza Night.

Day shift? Not so lucky.

It is really up to each of us to eat healthier.

[fiba]

I feel that eating healthy should be the choice of the individual.

It is kind of funny that there are vending machines in a hospital setting, last time I remember in my area

the healthier foods are more expensive than the junk food

[Elle23]

I knew of a hospital once that had its very own McDonald's. Go figure.

(It has since been removed and replaced by healthier fare, but for a long time it was one of the busiest McDonald's in the country!)

[SwansonRN]

Our hospital recently changed the inpatient menu to offer only healthier items aka no more fried chicken. I have consoled many patients over this loss! The cafeteria still sells some junk food, but the chips are baked now and we have granola bars instead of cookies. I don't care either way, but in theory you'd think we should practice what we preach.

[mind_body_soul RN]

I would appreciate healthy options but don't take away the vending machines! Working nights makes me crave junk food haha.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

IU hospital in Indy stopped putting regular soda in the vending machines. When I go down there for my appt. with my neurologist it ticks me off. Hospitals should offer healthy choices but I am an adult. I don't need someone telling me what I should drink. I am not overweight. I exercise and eat semi-healthy. But I need my coke. I have to have caffeine to run everyday or I am a mega b#*#$. Just am. If I want the nanny police I will move to New York.