How French Chefs Cook 3.9 Million Hospital Meals Every Year | Big Batches | Insider Food

At the Hospices Civils de Lyon, in Lyon, France, chefs prepare 15,000 meals a day and 24 distinct menu items.
All of the meals are designed by dietitians and physicians to maximize recovery for patients at the hospital.
Since 2016, kitchen and hospital staff have been trained in "meal attitude," a hospitality training by the Paul Bocuse Institute that focuses on making quality food and creating a pleasurable and relaxing experience during mealtime.
We visited their kitchen to see how they prepare these meals in such big batches.
You can visit the hospital's youtube channel here: @CHUdeLyon
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How A French Hospital Cooks 3.9 Million Meals Every Year

[@rian.errity]

One of the few restaurants making people's last meals. Whether they know it or not. Hospital catering is critical. Bravo !

[@MSTechie]

I never thought of it that way! Makes the job way more meaningful

[@becsterbrisbane6275]

I was in an unfortunate situation a couple of years ago & ended up in a public hospital in Brisbane for 3 nights. I was AMAZED by the food, especially, again for a public hospital! Turns out they were trialling a new 'room service' where you could basically order whatever you want from an extensive menu on an app, at anytime (within dietary restrictions of course) between 7am-7pm. I was almost sad to leave lol

[@tomhunt354]

Remind me to get hospitalized in France. Better food and cheaper care than the US…

[@PennyMsElite]

To live there expensive.

[@stanislavkorniienko1523]

​@PennyMsElite it's cheaper😂

[@PennyMsElite]

@@stanislavkorniienko1523 No

[@bokisuba9702]

​@@PennyMsEliteyes....US is very very very expensive. I lived for 25 years in US until last week

[@PennyMsElite]

@@bokisuba9702 You live in France?

[@UR_HR]

Unbelievable, my mouth was watering over hospital food! I wouldn't be surprised if the extra cost of providing good food actually pays for itself, where it gives patients both strength and also positivity, helping to engage in the healing process, and get better quicker

[@defeatSpace]

No it isn't 💀

[@ennyyyable]

yeah with anything but money

[@enochlee3601]

One of the rare cases where the hospital's food is actually good

[@ChristopherTradeshow]

​@felipestevens2719 well keep in mind, the USA doesn't think food is a human right

[@mizbonnieparker]

@@felipestevens2719 the central cuisine isn't located on the hospitals' site, as there are 15 different hospitals at HCL. It's reheated but still quite good (same food for the staff)

[@felipestevens2719]

@@mizbonnieparker well the title of this video says a french hospital cooks meals not central cuisine, very misleading title

[@mizbonnieparker]

@@felipestevens2719 the employees are hospital staff and the building belongs to HCL, so this is is the hospital making the food. Only they have to distribute it to 15 different locations. Far still better than Sodexo industrial crap.

[@UnavailableHandle.]

@@ChristopherTradeshow Not neccessarily, even north korea voted for food being a human right and we know how well that has been going for them. USA is responsible for half of the world's food aid, and USA explained it's reasoning for the vote with a pretty strong argument, definitely not that "we don't believe humans deserve food"

[@shiina_mahiru_9067]

Wow, I wish every hospital cares about the patient's meal like them

[@naturligfunktion4232]

Food matters and the ones working at that hospital seem to know that! Bravo!

[@obsidian161]

i love these large kitchen/cruise ship/airline/military kitchen vids

[@PozoBlue]

I love this series and Claudia's narration! Even hospital food in France is better than most restaurant food elsewhere 🤣

[@SERGIO-cr6uy]

That 's an illusion, hospital food in France is as bad as anywhere else, even worse. I dunno if it' s cost saving or not, but it's bad.

[@sachinmistry1]

I wish Claudia could narrate my life.

[@TABandiTA]

Meanwhile in Hungary: slice of bread + small pack of honey. 😎

[@Haroumi]

The same in Poland

[@KittyMama61]

The hospitals in my area serve the same gross meal to everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions. So do the nursing homes, btw. Staff comes in with sour expressions, slams it on the little table, not a word said, then off they go. I have to admit there was one nice person from the kitchen once, so unusual I still remember it. This says reams about kitchen management.

[@ps6572]

heartwarming vid. Wish more hospitals realized that , that having a decent meal is also part of the healing experience....

[@ian020881]

Americans: Food is money. Brits: Food is fuel. French: Food is life! Life without food is death.

[@EternamDoov]

The French and British have the best food in the world. Food is more than fuel in the UK.

[@HaveyoumetKen]

Of course this would be in Lyon France. That’s the culinary capital of France 😂. Even in the hospital the food is excellent

[@Tieng]

The food looks so good. I hope one day I will wake up in a French Hospital.

[@jetblasters]

Love Claudia's narration too

[@RyanPowerhouse]

This big batches is a wonderful segment. Keep them coming! This lady is wonderful.

[@EastandWestify]

I feel like some hospitals and healthcare systems in the United States have adopted a similar approach geared towards American preferences. I was an acute care RN at a nice hospital for over 10 years and patients would complain about those meals and want chicken tenders and french fries which was not allowed with their diabetic diet that was ordered. Sometimes you can’t win. 🤷‍♀️

[@ChanraLifeTV-ei5pe]

Wow the Meals are fresh and tasty , Like in restaurants ❤

[@RolandBullock-ej8wl]

good concepts....great food, well done =)

[@erwangerin7210]

I've had to stay a week in one of the HCL two years ago and sure, it's still hospital food (seasoning...) but frankly, it could be way worse than what we get. Also, I'm only judging with what I got and looking at this video, I realise I've missed quite a few good looking things (oh, that chocolate tartelette !)

[@obeydullahjawed3759]

It's bland on purpose.

[@Latte23749]

cuz it's hard to make food for each individual needs.

[@mizbonnieparker]

HCL employees get the same food in the cafeteria. And it's no that bad actually.

[@jurianna1740]

Wow, the meals like so fresh & tasty just like in the restaurant. In my country, hospitals food are prepared 2 to 3 days ahead of the time & quick freeze after that. Then thawed & heat up when the cart reach the ward. 😪

[@StealthFB22]

It’s lovely to see a hospital make its own food instead of trucking it in frozen! Wonderful ☺️

[@alicewang5398]

first time I've seen hospital food that looks good

[@trainvreck]

Amazing

[@boathousejoed1126]

Yea! Claudia is back flexing her linguist skills.

[@Balrog2005]

Not surprised, Lyon is the culinary/gourmet capital of France (and no, it's not Paris...) so it's quite logical hospitals there have this type of service. Now I have to eat something...

[@amiralx88]

C'est pareil dans toutes les villes de France.

[@harvestmoon_autumnsky]

So true but hardly ever held as important. Food if enjoyable can be medicine for our soul. If our soul is satisfied, our body follows.

[@GanyangYourself-pq5sn]

If only the hospital food served to me was this good

[@cookiesmom2079]

I lived in a community where the hospital food was so good it was competition for the local restaurants. Lineups for the cafeteria were normal.

[@KorEditing]

after seeing how michigan state does their macro management this was a sight

[@mazerrackham5959]

Cool stuff

[@mt8777]

Amazing! British hospital food makes you more ill. They have the right attitude that good nutrition will aid your recovery

[@Ogilla]

British food in general is just awful lol. Of course British hospital food is going to be a nightmare!

[@localzuk]

@@Ogilla One of those famous statistics that came out in the past was that more is spent on food, per person, in our prisons than in our hospitals in England.

[@rayleighg9235]

Interesting. A while ago I was watching a feature about how airline commissaries create their food and now hospitals

[@missy_ann]

Fresh breads!!!! I’m jealous….

[@justanothermortal1373]

I'm deliberately getting sick if it means I can eat chocolate tarts at a hospital.

[@Monish0909]

Many other countries must learn from France

[@damocles8417]

As an American I fully support us taking this idea. I’m also pretty damned jealous of Japan’s school lunches.

[@muqarabawan8200]

This hospital food is better then some airlines food

[@moiseebi503]

Sa sai un grand travail👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😘👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍

[@CaptainAR11]

Wow.. US take notes

[@sylvananas7923]

A quick note, this right here is an anomaly in terms of quality, in France most if not all hospitals are lacking in every derpartement because of non stop budget cuts who have been going over the years

[@kajerlou]

The biggest thing for me is that my food in France, any part of France needs to be mindblowing or my will to live will decline rapidly. Disappointing hospital food in France would kill me, I am that dramatic. So, glad to see yet another French operation working with such pride.

[@doendo3607]

こういうのよ！😊

[@serious1587]

If even the French Laundry has great food, one can guess how good their hospitals must be

[@user-ll3lb8xc8f]

Muy rico

[@luqmanbenyahya2651]

Name pronunciation is on point,trebian

[@scottburnside3218]

It puts the NHS to shame...

[@CyclingSteve]

It puts the UK government to shame.

[@mwrkhan]

@@CyclingSteve No, it's the NHS. Inefficient, bureaucratic and money-guzzling. Best gotten rid of in its current form.

[@wendystephenson407]

I think the UK should learn from this!!! Our NHS food is totally appalling 🤢🤢🤢

[@pandoraeeris7860]

I need to get ill in France more often. 😋😂

[@veritasium1645]

I live in France and I've worked in hospitals kitchens a few years during my studies. I got PTSD when i watched the video. 🥴😖 It's not that easy and beautiful as it seems. The food isn't as tasty as it looks. We used to eat during our pause time and the meat especially was tasteless. But it's better than nothing.

[@Thraxounet]

It's has to be over cooked and low sodium for safety it will never be like home made

[@veritasium1645]

@@Thraxounet It's not just about the cooking process. The food there isn't fresh. It's about frozen vegetables and meat that stay frozen for a long period until they come to the hospital to be cooked or served.

[@nethvirusenanayake4161]

Hope❤

[@linhny_linhlinh]

Meanwhile, some hospitals in the US straight up serve fast food. A family member of mine was hospitalized many times and we try to bring them homemade food as much as we can. The healthcare system here is a joke

[@Old8604]

What’s the budget per meal is prob the most important question

[@melodyparra2960]

Wow that actually looks delicious. Why can’t US hospitals? Food, look and taste that delicious.

[@NerdHerd07]

US is busy in funding genocide .

[@llow1170]

You sound idiotic. There are plenty of large scale hospitals in the States that serve food as fresh as this with the same or better quality. This is just one hospital in one city. Not every hospital in France serves food like this. The same can be said for smaller hospitals in the States.

[@Voingous]

@@llow1170 Are you the type of "person" to also say stuff like "the healthcare isn't ACTUALLY free, you know"? Because that's what you smell like. Go shower.

[@PsycheAi]

Who gets the chocolate ganache tarts?

[@user-tj4sb6yw1g]

The NHS could never!

[@jimbobbob9063]

Food is medicine

[@furrantee]

I got 27 seconds in and could already tell no hospital in the US I can afford to go to makes their food like this. 3 tons of actual food a day? Nah, more like dehydrated, canned, frozen, shelf stable or prepackaged here. Cooking? Making their own bread? Maybe if you're rich and/or famous. The average pleb like me? Here's some lukewarm Chef Boyardee, that'll be $500 please.

[@mischa6688]

“Jeans” really lol

[@edwardcullen3251]

Is this a private hospital? Aka you have to pay for EVERYTHING here?

[@CitrusMind]

I remember hospital food everything tasted great, except the fish.

[@Lexikon69]

And what do they eat at the weekend? Starving on dry baguette?

[@juandenz2008]

I'm guessing the same food, because as they mentioned in the video it is chilled after it is prepared and then reheated in those carts. Probably they make sufficient quantities at the end of the working week to last over the weekend.

[@Lexikon69]

@@juandenz2008 Must been the shock they all get not fresh meals at all. At a smaller scalle err batch nearby clinics get them in hot boxes. But that was some years ago. So it is for while I myself were in hospital setting as patient, and even that was only for the meal at noon, which in other regions would be the dinner.

[@alyjamy7675]

C’est trop beau💐🫶🫶🫶🔥😋😋😋

[@jc-tu6pg]

if these people could see US hospital food

[@Chorizo1]

I remember the food they gave my father during his hospital stays in Los Angeles and they would usually give him sugary things even though he's diabetic so we'd have to make a fuss about everything so they'd correct it or he'd only partially finish his food. It was even more terrible at the Skilled Nursing Facilities he stayed at... We had to call and complain so they'd his diet to cater to his needs. Such BS

[@rustyrazzi5182]

..I’m wondering what’s was waiting time to get a bed in this hospital, because I don’t think any of the patients there are leaving any time soon…😅

[@moiseebi503]

AOk 😇👍

[@mischa6688]

I wish this is how it is here in thr Philippines, but no.

[@TECHNOLOGINE001]

Meanwhile in Hungary, you get a dry slice of bread, with a bit of cheese...

[@shartazokhan1043]

Should they get a Michelin Star.

[@otvostibor6468]

Hungary could never

[@ConnorMurphy-ku8hb]

I need to make sure to fly to France the next time I next time I need a hospital.

[@mon6745]

That's French HOSPITAL FOOD????? 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@NathansWargames]

meanwhile here in UK you basically get prison food when in hospital..

[@eeveeextreme]

Heh, looks like even in France they still have pudding cups

[@adizz4115]

There r different diets for people in hospital.

[@unexpectedvixen5685]

I wish American hospitals cared tbis much

[@pleasureincontempt3645]

There’s strength in a holding pattern. This is why I don’t respect most engineers; They want to build something new and grand with their name on it while neglecting everything else. Real heroes don’t show up for ceremony.

[@CrystalStearOfTheCas]

Now that's why I gladly pay taxes

[@XPosingMallucontentoliTubers]

How much to pay?

[@JackDespero]

You do not pay for hospital food.

[@XPosingMallucontentoliTubers]

​@@JackDespero is that hospital private or government'?

[@Thraxounet]

​@@XPosingMallucontentoliTubersit's public, and private hospitals charge for extras you still get basic needs covered

[@Voingous]

@@XPosingMallucontentoliTubers France doesn't have privatized medicine because it focuses on saving people.

[@BigboiiTone]

Meanwhile the american patients are eating their canned pea/corn mix and maybe some canned "fruit salad" while paying like 287272726$ per hour

[@tahirahboggleyboo8312]

Sanji irl

[@EXOTICFODDER]

No saĺt huhu

[@FieryBiscuit]

I was gonna say first but then realized that there are 2 more comments

[@AC-js9pf]

Of course out of any place on earth it’s the French who do the cooking properly even in hospitals

[@colinm6714]

we are not an assembly line....literally shows an assembly line 5 seconds later. We work with fresh ingredients....shows a bunch of frozen stuff. Great journalism insider!

[@moiseebi503]

🙆🍜🍛🍲🍝🥣💊❤️💯👍

[@jc-tu6pg]

00:33 yo wtf is that? green meatballs?

[@reburner8602]

A type of gnocchi

[@TemplarBlack.]

I believe it's frozen spinach, by heating them up they will return to normal form

[@Jinguapingi]

Frozen spinach

[@lyricoan9646]

frozen creamed spinach

[@shinjineesen400]

Spinach and pumpkin dumplings. I assume spinach in doufh, and pumpkin stuffing.

[@cyoung9458]

This hospital food put any hospital food in Canada to shame.

[@ridhobaihaqi144]

Depok city's goverment cannot do this 😂😂😂

[@sisterofslaanesh666]

Uk hospital food is beyong foul, Public or private. I'm moving to France soon as

[@mon6745]

Claudia hive assemble

[@callumhatton599]

New Zealand hospitals could actually learn a thing or two instead of cutting costs and going with the cheapest most rubbish food

[@adizz4115]

GOURMET FOOD IN A HOSPITAL

[@fentapropo9474]

That's not heatlhy food at all. Look at the last plate with the meatballs. Absolutely no vegetables / vitamins.

[@pedromoretti7294]

[@David-if9vi]

This is very nice to see where your taxes go. Bon!

[@SERGIO-cr6uy]

I'm French, I've been few times hospitalised / visited family & friends in hospital. Trust me, the food is extremely bad / tasteless. I believe it's cost saving coz I'm pretty sure they could do healthy died food. Yes some hospitals may provide better food but they are rares. So forget the nice morning coffee, the freshly bake bread / croissants, thick soup, grilled meat, etc.

[@Dae_Dae13]

That food look Bland as F@#$ and I would definitely not consumed that food at all WTH