Snacks For Hospital Room Cooler

[Anonymous]

A friend has been staying in the hospital for weeks with their spouse who is in the ICU after a stroke. They are living on hospital cafeteria food. A week ago my spouse went to visit, and I sent them with a cooler with cut up organic vegetables so they would have some healthy snacks, and I sent homemade cookies and some candied nuts as well.

Spouse is going again. I was going to cut up veggies again and get more nuts. Any other suggestions? I know another friend brought deli sandwiches and they gave them away to the nurses.

[Anonymous]

You’re a good friend. I’m thinking protein options like nuts or trail mix. Packages of cheese and crackers - go with the simple prepackaged types instead of fancy cheeses that she would need to slice herself.

Does she eat protein bars or granola bars?

Single serving packages of hummus to go with the veggies?

[Anonymous]

Cut up veggies with some dip. Cubed cheese with nuts. Muffins. Different drinks.

[Anonymous]

I’m not a huge veggies and dip person, but fresh fruit cut up would be awesome. Yogurt and granola is also nice.

However do you know that the spouse is struggling to get food? Or wants healthy food? If I was at GW, I’d want a gift card for Sweet Green or Whole Foods across the street. If I was at Virginia Hospital Center, I might want a gift card for a sandwich or salad shop that I drive past on the way to the hospital.

If I was stuck at the hospital for hours on end, I might like a non-food gift like hand lotion, a charging block or extra long phone charger cord, a magazine or puzzle book to stop looking at my phone for a bit, etc.

If my spouse was in the hospital for weeks, I would subsist on instant oatmeal and bad coffee without complaint but I would weep with gratitude if you offered to help me organize and reconcile medical claims or make a few phone calls for me.

[Anonymous]

Why not ask said friend?

Fwiw, I know I had 0 appetite when I was bedside in the hospital with DD.
And the little hunger I did have was when I switched and went home for a small sliver of "normal" (food, bed,, etc).

Ymmv tho.

It was more helpful to have gift cards/Uber eats upon returning home when discharged.

[Anonymous]

Why don't you ask them?

[Anonymous]

You are a good friend. Maybe some nice chocolates, pasta salad, granola. Include a light hearted book or magazine? It can be taxing to just wait in the hospital that long.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all. I’m not asking him what he wants because it is my DH’s best friend and DH says he’s overwhelmed by all of the calls and texts and DH thinks it is better to just bring stuff and he can eat it or not.

The hummus is a great suggestion—I actually included that last time and had forgotten about it. Will pick some up. Some cheese and crackers and fruit as well. Y’all are great.

Lots of good ideas here that I will incorporate. He’s not at a local hospital, he’s at UVA in Charlottesville, and we aren’t familiar with that area to do gift cards to local places or anything like that. Pretty sure he doesn’t leave the hospital anyway. Great suggestion though (I actually work at GW and go to that Sweetgreen all the time).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not ask said friend?

Fwiw, I know I had 0 appetite when I was bedside in the hospital with DD.
And the little hunger I did have was when I switched and went home for a small sliver of "normal" (food, bed,, etc).

Ymmv tho.

It was more helpful to have gift cards/Uber eats upon returning home when discharged.

We will cross that bridge when we come to it; unfortunately there might not be a discharge.

[Anonymous]

Yogurt
Fruit cups
Applesauce cups
Sandwiches
Cheese and crackers

You are a really good friend!

[Anonymous]

I think it's very kind of you to think of this person. However, I also agree with the person who recommended offering help with the paperwork or home-related tasks. Or sending a recommended book or activity book to while away the hours.

Between delivering two babies and my husband having a broken arm, I've eaten multiple meals at four different big suburban hospitals and they were all equivalent to or better than my college cafeteria and my current work cafeteria. Acceptable, even over the long term.

[Anonymous]

Please do not send in "home cooked" or "home made" sandwiches or food in general. Everything should be store bought and pre-packaged. 1) You aren't as amazing of a cook as you think and 2) Storebought items/prepacked foods are more sanitary for all involved in these situations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do not send in "home cooked" or "home made" sandwiches or food in general. Everything should be store bought and pre-packaged. 1) You aren't as amazing of a cook as you think and 2) Storebought items/prepacked foods are more sanitary for all involved in these situations.

What’s wrong with a little cat hair and cat litter dust on the food? It adds extra flavor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not ask said friend?

Fwiw, I know I had 0 appetite when I was bedside in the hospital with DD.
And the little hunger I did have was when I switched and went home for a small sliver of "normal" (food, bed,, etc).

Ymmv tho.

It was more helpful to have gift cards/Uber eats upon returning home when discharged.

I second this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do not send in "home cooked" or "home made" sandwiches or food in general. Everything should be store bought and pre-packaged. 1) You aren't as amazing of a cook as you think and 2) Storebought items/prepacked foods are more sanitary for all involved in these situations.

What? Last time I sent cut up carrots and cucumbers and some store-bought hummus and walnuts and cookies. What on earth makes you feel the need to say "You aren't as amazing of a cook as you think"? That's aggressive, nasty, and not remotely on point -- I hardly cook at all, and my original post says that he gave away the sandwiches someone else brought -- so, I wouldn't be taking those.

Your reading comprehension is really poor and when you combine that with this desperate need to be condescending and nasty (to someone who is just trying to help a friend who has spent three weeks in an ICU room watching their spouse die -- a friend who complained to my DH he'd been eating junk food in the hospital) I guess it results in this post? I feel sorry for you. But don't worry, I won't send "home cooked" food, aside from the cookies he asked for.