In a move that might seem to fall into the category of “a no-brainer” West Palm Beach Good Samaritan Medical Center has become one of the very first hospitals in the nation to offer patients a full plant-based menu during their recovery process. 

“We respect the dietary needs of our community and we are delighted to be offering a menu option to cater to our vegan and vegetarian patients.,” says Tara McCoy chief executive officer at Good Samaritan Medical Center.  “Plant-based diets can increase levels of

short-chain fatty acids in the gut, and research suggests that may lower the risk of heart disease, inflammatory diseases and Type 2 diabetes.”

Good Samaritan is the first hospital in the state of Florida and one of only a few in the country to offer a plant-based diet to patients.

Chefs at the hospital showed us an example of some of the dishes, which include veggie wraps, seasoned tomatoes and even quinoa salads.

The doctor who helped launch this new menu says in the future, hospitals will be working plant-based diets into their treatment plans.

“I was on rounds one day and a patient of mine had been admitted to the hospital with a heart attack — and he had a stent. I happened to be rounding at noontime and th

ey were serving him a cheeseburger! And I said, ‘Wait a minute, something is wrong here,” said Dr. David Dodson, the doctor who helped launch new menu. “I think eventually all hospitals will be doing this but somebody has to start it and I think Good Sam is the leader.”

If this marks the start of a trend in the healthcare world it will only bring about positive consequences for recovering patients… but of course the menu itself must come along with proper physician education so the patients can be guided towards the new menu rather than the meat-filled option that is still available to them.

The vicious cycle of eat cheeseburger -> get heart surgery -> immediately eat more cheeseburgers has to come to an end for the health crisis to truly be solved.