When I’ve been in the hospital, it’s been because there’s something wrong with me, not because I’m itching to try hospital cuisine. I’m a meat and potato guy. Over the years I have expanded my vegetable repertoire to include beans, peas, carrots, spinach, peppers, corn… the really common stuff. I’m not a fan of anything fancy like kohlrabi or bok choy.
I also can’t stand seafood. I’m not allergic to it or anything, I just really can’t stand the texture and taste. My mother always tells me that I can’t complain about something if I haven’t tried it, so I’ve tried a LOT of different kinds of seafood and really can’t stand it. Canned flaked tuna is about as far as I can go.
That being said, when I was in the hospital for mental illness the first time, I decided I would just stick with the regular hospital menu and tough out the meals I didn’t like. Who knows – maybe I’d find something different that I enjoyed. For the most part, meals were good, pretty tasty, and left me content. Then, there were the occasional fish meals that I was able to choke down (particularly the haddock) but a lot of them I just couldn’t eat. Normally that was okay because the side and dessert were enough to keep me going.
Then, one fateful day, I got this:
I stared at the menu, then my plate, then the menu again… then went to the nursing station to ask to be put on a “no fish” menu.
Stay safe!