Food for thought

Hospitals are universally reviled for their food, and Emory is certainly no exception. This didn't affect Jimmy, because during our stay, I brought in the most of the things he could/would eat, but it posed a problem for me. In January, I lived on candy bars and junk food out of vending machines and felt terrible most of the time as a result, so I resolved to do better this go round.

Every day I'd fill out Jimmy's menu form, and circle the plainest, healthiest things I could find: things they'd have a hard time messing up. For breakfast, cereal and fruit and juice was a no-brainer, and I'd usually choose grilled chicken and whatever vegetables were available for the other two meals. This was strictly consumption for fuel, not pleasure.

Since we've moved back to the apartment, meals are more interesting, and infinitely more enjoyable. I just pick up my ecologically correct food carrier and trot on over to the Whole Foods next door and have a shopping good time.

Jimmy likes the soups, although he's progressing to other bland items of cooked food. Because he's on a bacteria restricted diet, he can't have any fresh fruit or vegetables, but I gravitate to the salad bar. I love what Jimmy calls "weird food": tabbouleh, gazpacho, hummus, tofu, olives and artichokes, and all kinds of marinated vegetables.

I could learn to like this part.