Hospital menu reducing sugar

TOOWOOMBA Hospital has changed its patient menu in a bid to address obesity.

Changes to the menu include removing juice and flavoured milk, while white bread has been replaced with wholegrain bread.

Patients will also have the option to have hot breakfast with the new menu.

The new menu is focused on providing nutritional meals that are higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates.

Darling Downs Hospital and Health Services chief executive Dr Peter Gillies said the changes aimed to reduce the amount of added sugar people consume while they were in hospital.

“We aren’t just focused on those already in our hospital, we’ve also hosted a number of information sessions including having Professor Grant Brinkworth from CSIRO,” he said.

Prof Brinkworth presented CSIRO research about low carbohydrate nutrition at the Toowoomba Hospital on Thursday.

The hospital will provide information about nutrition to visitors as part of the initiative.

Information visitors would receive at the hospital will explain the properties of each type of food like proteins and carbohydrates, and the effects they have on the body.

Along with the menu change, the service will launch initiatives to increase understanding of nutrition and health literacy across the region.

These will include an obesity clinic, staff wellness programs and reviewing the food available in food vending machines.

“We are committed to educating and empowering our communities to choose healthier lifestyles,” Dr Gillies said.