NHS grocery pack

[dinglebell]

Hi,

I don't know if this has been posted about before, I have been away from here for a while, if so I apologise.

Yesterday we received the NHS letter about Shielding, staying in isolation for 12 weeks, as my husband is considered high risk. The letter says if we have difficulty in arranging food shopping we can have a free delivery of a grocery pack. The item list in order, (not of merit) is coffee, tea, biscuits, bread, cereal, baked beans,soups, pasta, rice, cous cous, noodles, fruit, shower gel, milk, sauce, potato, tinned meat, tuna, veg (tinned peas)tin tomatoes tinned fruit, toilet roll.

For health reasons alone this is pretty appalling, especially for the people who are already compromised.

They do say eventually they will be able to cater for different diets. It would not have been any more expensive or less convenient to have a healthier selection.

[SewMore]

I guess it’s going to take a long time to adapt things like food parcels to LCHF. I don’t think it was bad intent. I can imagine they think it’s good offering all 3 carbs rice, couscous, pasta, and 2 breakfast options (bread, cereal) because people have such different tastes? And nearly all of this “food“ is Long lasting... What would you put together in an ideal world? I mean from a long lasting, tinned perspective? Tinned beans, dried beans... hmmm. Are beans even acceptable 😉

[dinglebell in reply to SewMore]

Yes, but tinned fish mackerel salmon sardines, tinned meats, tinned veg, cheese and eggs are all quite long life and cheap. Butter keeps for ages. Vacuum packed foods (which I normally avoid) would be useful. The pack is delivered weekly so all of it doesn't need to be indefinite.

I just thought they were poor choices, and there are better alternatives.

[Penel]

It looks like a fairly standard food bank parcel, getting fresh veg etc is usually down to local initiatives. It requires a great deal of organisation, not an easy thing to do at the best of times.

[dinglebell in reply to Penel]

Yes of course, but not more organisation to choose healthier options.

[AnnieW55]

The NHS does not recognise LCHF, just look at the “improved” eat well plate and advice still being given to people with diabetes (still advising lots of carbs). In fact that parcel looks pretty much like a good diet, minus any fresh foodstuffs, according to the NHS.

Don’t forget this is all being put together at a pace, who would have thought it would be available/necessary only a few weeks ago? I know it’s not ideal for people who are used to different, more modern ways of eating, but I’m sure better choices will happen.

[dinglebell in reply to AnnieW55]

Yes, the letter said they will eventually cater for different dietary needs down the line.

[Subtle_badger]

Yeah, it's not great, but what else could they do? It's got to be shelf stable foods that do not require refrigeration and very little cooking skills.

It's also got to follow the Eat Well Plate, and be familiar and appealing to the majority of people.

I would think vegetables would be better than fruit, but more people eat fruit than vegetables, and fruit can be enjoyed raw.

Yeah, but it is far from idea.

[dinglebell in reply to Subtle_badger]

I think it only has two pieces of fruit....

I still think there are better choices of healthier foods, even tinned, and lots of things like eggs and cheese have a long shelf life and are cheap and easy to procure.

[Subtle_badger in reply to dinglebell]

I agree about the eggs.

But I think the cheese might be a problem. If the milk is UHT, then the boxes do not have to be refrigerated after they are packed. Putting anything that needs to be kept cool would be a logistical headache.

[bigleg]

Thank you for sharing the information on what is offered as that enables discussion on how to make use of that and explore ways to supplement with some real food. Subtle_badger is correct - they currently have to follow the 'Eat Badly Plate' and also food with reasonable shelf life. Do you have neighbours offereing to help? They are a great resource to help keep you supplied with butter, cheese, fresh meat and vegetables. The 'eat badly plate' unfortunately does not enable butter, full fat cheese and cream to be included, but they do have reasonable shelf life.

[dinglebell in reply to bigleg]

Yes, we are fortunate to have friends who can deliver to us and don't need the food parcel, also we are LCHF and gluten free so no point. I agree about the cream etc.

[Hidden]

Ah ha, not funny really I suppose.

It reminds me when I was in an NHS coronary ward for a week. There were large signs on the wall were pictures of pork pies, crisps, sausages, cheese etc etc, and each image had a huge red cross through it as a dire warning, DO NOT EAT THESE.

Then the food trolley would come round, cheese sandwiches, pork pies, crisps!

[dinglebell in reply to Hidden]

I remember this too! I asked for an apple and got a strange look....

[Hidden in reply to dinglebell]

😄

[Scythe in reply to Hidden]

Haha I remember last year when my husband had left iliac aneurysm removed and his diet is dairy free. When back out on the ward the trolley would come into the 4 bed room and they pass out food and my husband said I’m dairy free. They said oh and left!! Hospitals don’t know how to cater to any diets and what they serve is certainly not low carb!

And when I worked at a hospital in Leeds no cafeteria only coffee shop serving certainly not low carb! I tried getting Jaime Oliver to come and change this but unsuccessful! Hey ho!

Sorry got carried away!

[Freesia3]

You are right about the food choices not being in line with LCHF but under these unprecedented circumstances I think it seems rather ungrateful to complain about it. If you don’t like it and you have the friends and means to get more of your personal choices just tell the suppliers you don’t need their parcel and to give it to somebody who wouldn’t complain but who would be very grateful to receive anything to eat at all.

[Scythe]

Yes I hear you..... I told my husband to to deregister. He is panicked if I get it the virus and can’t do the shopping what will happen! So we give the food to the food bank. And I’m not ungrateful at all honestly we are not. It was just a a reflection on carbs and food of the society. Please don’t take offence.