What do you eat on Christmas Day in hospital?

Everyone seems obsessed with food – especially over Christmas! And people are very interested in what hospital food is like over Christmas. Do you get a full Christmas turkey dinner? Glass of wine/port?

My Christmas Day Hospital Menu

Breakfast was just the standard offerings. No fancy smoked salmon and croissants here (unsurprisingly!!). Toast and/or cereal and a cuppa.

Christmas Lunch in Hospital – there were a few different options but I went for the Traditional Christmas Turkey meal with all the trimmings. There was a Christmas Pudding  Roasts are actually one of the better things to eat in hospital. The roast turkey came with roast and mashed potato, sprouts, carrots, stuffing and unexpectedly a pig-in-blanket! Lots of cranberry sauce too! The strangest thing was that it came on a festive tray liner and napkin…. AND A CHRISTMAS CRACKER! The mind still boggles as to why they put the cracker on!! I was in a side room, so who would I pull the cracker with if I didn’t happen to have a visitor at the time?! Or you’ve just had an arm amputated – nevermind, you’ve got a cracker and joke to cheer you up! To be fair, it was a pretty decent meal!

Christmas Day Hospital Buffet – better than it sounds! The dinner options were read out mid-afternoon I opted for a shepherd’s pie. Later on however, there was a cold buffet selection. Sandwiches, quiches, salads, crisps, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, jelly, trifle – all your favorites. The buffet was a nice change from the usual hospital meals which can get a bit very samey.  It all tasted pretty fresh and good quality. I was happily stuffing my face with this when the Shepherd’s Pie that I’d forgotten all about was brought in! It’s nice that the try and keep the traditions the same in hospital as to you have at home, eating until you pass out!

Any alcohol?

I’m still unclear if the trifle or the brandy butter contained alcohol as I didn’t try them. I liked to think they did, to give patients a little pick-me-up on Christmas Day.

Interestingly, I learned that all domestics working on Christmas Day are entitled to a free Christma Dinner too! The only day of the year!

 

What do you get someone in hospital for Christmas?

If you have a loved one in hospital over the Christmas period you might be wondering what to get them as a gift. I put together a list of ideas of things that in my experience would be

Christmas gift ideas for people in hospital:

• Cosy warm items like wooly socks/slippers. 
• Little blanket / cardie / wrap
• Nice pillowcase/pillow
• Fancy shower gel / toiletries / hand cream / lip balm / sheet facemasks / dry shampoo
• Puzzle or game 
• Book of sudukos / crosswords
• Novel or book
• Snacky food items to pick 
• Eye mask
• Art bits – colouring pencils / sketchbook
• Nice notebook and pen
• Handheld games – whatever the modern day equivalent of a game boy is or donkey kong handheld game!

 

Read Part One of Christmas in Hospital – The Build Up

Read Part Two of Christmas in Hospital – Christmas Day itself