Meals On Wheels Menu for 3/31
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
United States
March 31, 2008 7:59pm CST
"It wasn't one of their better meals" is a reply that I often hear from my client after she has had her lunch. Today was no exception.
Today the lunch provided was hash (which I believe was made from cubed potatoes and ground beef), a skimpy slice of bread, hard boiled egg, sliced carrots, and diced pears. What a combination! I would never have thought to serve these foods together as a meal.
After I took the hard boiled egg out of the dish, I topped the carrots with a pat of butter and place the dish in the microwave. I then spread butter on the slice of bread (if you can call it a slice as it was about 3x2 inches). I opened the microwave and placed the buttered bread on the tray and restarted the oven.
When I brought the tray to my client she eyed it and rolled her eyes "looks deeeelicious!" She began eating the meal and stuck her fork into one of the potatoes and commented on how big the potato was and how it should be smaller if it is in hash. I agreed.
She did like the egg and pears. She ate the bread too. She ate a few of the carrot slices. The hamburger was left in the dish. Somedays it is like this. She eats what tastes good and tosses the rest. Few are the days that she empties the dish.
Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully the menu will be better.
5 people like this
17 responses
@whittby (3072)
• United States
1 Apr 08
When I did home health care I saw quite a few of the meals on wheels items. I don't think I had one client that truly liked the food all the time. You should have seen all the collections of leftovers I found in the refrigerators. My clients were always trying to get me to take some of that stuff home. Even though we weren't supposed to take food from them, sometimes I would just to make them feel like they were helping me out (if I was sure if was something that wouldn't otherwise be eaten). All I can say is that maybe it's harder to cook in bulk, economically and nutritionally. Seems like there could be a better way.
4 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
1 Apr 08
My client tells me that she knows it is difficult to cook food in large quantities and make it taste good.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I wasn't too sure about the hash made with hamburger. It did look a bit too gray for me. She did eat the egg though and that is a good source of protein.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169474)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I am sure having your company while she ate made it much more palatable, though. I would ask her what she really wanted, and probably try to find a way to get it for her. If her salt is restricted, it will taste bland. I worked very briefly in a hospital kitchen. We filled the "Meals on Wheels" menu with whatever was left over from the hospital meals. I know that they are pretty yucky sometimes.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
1 Apr 08
She always has the salt and pepper shakers handy with her meals. I try to add some flavoring to them whenever I am able to do so.
1 person likes this
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
1 Apr 08
As odd of a combination as it is, it does seem over all well balanced. The hash & egg would be protein, the bread & potato (in the hash) carbohydrates, and some fiber, beta caratine & vit C with the pears and carrots. I imagine the program is probably trying to keep sodium and fat to a minimum, and that must make it difficult to prepare in bulk and in a portable form.
Are you a PCA or visiting nurse? Just curious.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I am a PCA. I spend 4 out of 5 days with this wonderful lady. She is 93 years old, enjoys food when it is cooked to her liking.
1 person likes this
@kaysue4 (951)
• United States
1 Apr 08
My mom is 86 and gets her meals delivered also. She doesn't like the food at all and it is always bland and has no flavor to it, always too soft for her also.
She wishes that she could cook for herself.
She likes whole milk and they only will give her 2%. I wish I could bring her dinners but I live a bit far and Can hardly feed all of the people in my house. My sister lives closer, but she doesn't really cook either.
So that is my take and I understand that it is hard to cook for so many people in a delivered meals and with all being a bit up in age and having so many special diet needs. I try to tell this to my mom, but she doesn't want to hear it at all.
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I commend this lady for actually trying the food that she receives. Often times she is hungry and will eat most if not all of the meal. But there are times when she calls it crap and heads for the kitchen in search of something better.
1 person likes this
@kaysue4 (951)
• United States
1 Apr 08
The ladat delivers the meals is really nice and there are a few people that don't want their meals, os she gives the extra to my mom for it there is a reason that they can't deliver the meals. My mom does frozen dinners and such, but her bloodpressure is high so she needs to cut out the high salt food from her diet really, but they are easier for her to fix herself.
Once in a while my mom will get a can a soup out and eat that. She also does the Ensure and makes shakes with them. My mom really, really needs to put on weight because she is only around 96#, but she is now short also. She never sits still either for too long.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 08
I hope so to as I would say that did not sound nice at all
But at least you managed to spice some up for her and she managed to enjoy that
I think they should cook the Meals for those People like they would for their Families, as these People rely on them, they are not able to do their own
It is such a shame that they have to take what is given
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
3 Apr 08
yea I know what you mean, I don;t know where they come up with these combinations either and I don't even know if I would have been as gracious as she was about it.
food is more about throwing something together it is about appeal if it looks cook chances are it taste good, this is a psychological reaction,
1 person likes this
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
3 Apr 08
That sounds so gross, the poor woman.. and poor you having to sit there with little you can do about it. I have heard stories from people in my area over the years how bad the food can be. I haven't seen it for myself. My cousin delivers meals in a small town near me and she says their meals are good. Probably because they don't have too many to make daily. I'm sure that makes a difference, though it shouldn't. maybe you could make a complaint to someone and see if it helps.
Blessed Be, Mari
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
2 Apr 08
Yes, this is an unusual combination of foods, & not very appetising.
I am not very familiar with hash. The egg, carrots, pear & bread are healthy enough.
My Mother-In-Law started receiving Meals on Wheels last year. She only lasted a few weeks. Shew hated it. It was either to "strange & spicy", as she only likes plain food. I thought she was being a bit fussy.
I think Meals on Wheels here are fairly good.
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
2 Apr 08
I have seen that too! The meals are bland..and some of our consumers would not eat them and would put them in the freezer..or they would be stacked in the refrigerator...or they would throw them away..One lady I had gave hers to the next door neighbor..Good thing you were there to make sure she ate something..I liked to take the food out of the container and put it on a regular plate and make it look alot more appealing..If they didn't want any of it then I would make something they did like...
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
8 Apr 08
I have tried to take the food out of the container and put it on a plate but she says there is no need to dirty a plate. I recently cleaned out her freezer. She had a few of the meals stashed away and they were freezer burned. She didn't touch todays meal. It was quiche, creamed corn and stewed tomatoes. The tomatoes were tough, the corn not cooked thoroughly and the quiche was watery. Yummy stuff.
1 person likes this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
8 Apr 08
I do understand about them not wanting you to dirty a plate..I wouldn't have eaten that meal either..They need to re-evaluate their program or something..
@dawnmadison (48)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I have worked with shelters, and home health care, and I know what you mean about the food. With the funding given for these meals, you don't always have a lot to work with. But with as yucky as it is sometimes, and all the food that goes to waste because of it, they should probably try to make it a little better. :) That would be more cost-efficient to me. And it would take better care of the people we feed.
1 person likes this
@gratitude (181)
• South Africa
1 Apr 08
I volunteered to do meals on wheels a few years back.
One needs to remember that these oldies, well most of them have lost all sense of worrying about what they say affects another. A lot of them become like little kids again..speaking their minds.
It's a very depressing but rewarding at the same time - service to offer to volunteer as. When food is cooked in bulk like that, not much love is put into the creation of the meal. I found that no matter what the oldie felt about the meal, taking along my old magazines or a few biscuits wrapped in cling wrap or something, just seemed to lesson the need for them to complain or pass comments. I have often looked at the meal I am serving them and thought oh lord! this looks dreadful too! The food, by the time you have arrived at the oldie's home, is cold and any oil etc has set making it look awful! So a cheery voice, a magazine in hand or a few biscuits does help to get passed today's meal delivery!
@caramello (4377)
• Australia
11 Apr 08
Having dealt with Meals on Wheels myself with clients some days were better than others, and some meals were better than others also. And there were times when I would cook up an egg if there was one in the home as it was important they they ate as long time between visits! I guess some meals I would not even eat and it makes it hard to try and coax someone to eat it as well. I would finish my visit, and if there was some around, would leave some fruit prepared for them to pick at. But recently I must say the meals have improved slightly as so many were complaining. You can only do your best Elusive as I am sure you would.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
1 Apr 08
I imagine the choice of foods varies in alot of places but my husband was really pretty lucky as they sent him meals on wheels like beef stew and spaghetti and meat balls more like the things I would have cooked for him too He was home handicapped and unable to work and I was at work.so we really did not have anything to complain about but I can imagine it would be so hard to come up with good combos day after day for a lot of people like that. It is sad for so many cannot cook for themseves for what ever reason then to send them food that really is not all that palatable.
1 person likes this
@knithomaria (145)
• Greece
1 Apr 08
I work at a pharmacy at Greece and i have seen a lot of crazy people who dont even know what they want. "Just look younger".
They put me to show them 10 pears of shoes (yes pharmacy at Greece has anatomical shoes) and they dont take any of them!
So i believe that a lot of clients are just CRAZY!
