FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 16, 2020
Saratoga Hospital Adds Plant-Based Menu Items
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., Dec. 16, 2020—Saratoga Hospital has expanded its inpatient menu, offering plant-based options for every meal.
The hospital added 28 plant-based dishes to its menu earlier this year. All are 100% free of animal products, including honey. Although the change was made in anticipation of a state requirement to provide plant-based alternatives, the new menu items also reflect the hospital’s commitment to customer service.
“We go out of our way to meet the nutritional needs of all our patients,” said Stephanie Seymour, director of Food and Nutrition Services at the hospital. “We want their stay with us to be as comfortable and worry-free as possible. That includes eliminating any concerns they might have about their food choices.”
Seymour worked with other certified dietitian nutritionists to develop plant-based dishes that taste great, meet the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics calorie and nutrient requirements, and parallel non-plant-based or other hospital menu items.
For example, if the lunch menu includes a barbecued chicken sandwich, patients also have a soy-based option that’s served on bread that does not include animal fat.
“We research every ingredient we use and every item we serve,” Seymour said. “If we say we’re serving a plant-based pretzel roll, we make sure that truly is the case.”
Other plant-based menu dishes include chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, pizza, chili, chicken parmesan and pasta primavera.
Although most patients choose the more traditional items, “plant-based dishes are here to stay,” Seymour said. “There will always be someone who prefers plant-based options, and we will have them. Plus, we like to encourage people to try something different.”
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About Saratoga Hospital: Saratoga Hospital is the Saratoga region’s leading healthcare provider and the only acute-care facility in Saratoga County. The hospital’s multispecialty practice, Saratoga Hospital Medical Group, provides care at more than 20 locations, ensuring easy access to programs and services that can have the greatest impact on individual and community health. Saratoga Hospital has maintained Magnet designation for nursing excellence since 2004. The hospital is an affiliate of the Albany Med Health System, which also includes Albany Med, Columbia Memorial Health and Glens Falls Hospital. The region’s largest locally governed health system, it has 1,520 beds, more than 800 physicians and 125 outpatient locations. For more information: www.saratogahospital.org or www.facebook.com/SaratogaHospital.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter M. Hopper
Director, Marketing and Communications
518-583-8679
phopper@saratogahospital.org