PLEASE REVIEW OUR UPDATED COVID-19 VISITOR REQUIREMENTS Food & Nutrition Services Proper nutrition can be as crucial to your health as the right therapy or medication. In fact, food can play such an important role in your recovery that your diet is personally prescribed by your physician and carefully planned by a registered dietitian. All patients receive a menu listing several approved selections for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Centinela Hospital Medical Center is committed to providing excellent, patient-focused nutritional care to all patients by a comprehensive staff of registered and licensed dietitians and dietetic technicians who provide nutritional screenings, assessments and education based on the established patient care plan. The Dietitians are part of the Interdisciplinary Medical team and take part in daily rounds and provide nutritional recommendations to the medical staff as well as ongoing nutrition education to both the patients and the hospital staff. The Food and Nutrition Services Team is dedicated to providing nutritious and delicious meals along with excellent customer service through the meal delivery system. Breakfast is usually served between 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Lunch is served between 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. Dinner arrives between 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For patients on unrestricted diets, snacks are available upon request and are served at 10:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Patients are encouraged to ask their dietitian questions regarding meals and nutritional needs. Clinical Nutrition Services Your physician may prescribe a therapeutic diet for you while you are in the hospital. A therapeutic diet is designed to help you get better by monitoring the types of foods you consume. If you are being discharged on a therapeutic diet, you may request for a dietitian to come provide diet education prior to discharge. Here are few common diets and what they mean to help guide your food choices. Regular Diet: Patients on this diet may have all of the foods listed on the menu. There are no restrictions. Mechanical Soft Diet: Foods are chopped or ground for easier chewing and safer swallowing. Raw vegetables and fruits are not allowed, except for bananas. Puree Diet: All foods are pureed to a smooth consistency to promote swallowing safety and limit chewing. Menu items that cannot be safely pureed are not permitted. Low Fiber/"GI Soft" Diet: May be used during periods of gastrointestinal illness or post-operatively to promote normal bowel functioning. Foods are "soft" and easy to digest. Total fiber intake is limited to 10g daily or less and all fruits and vegetables must be cooked. High fiber selections, like whole wheat, bran, and fresh fruits and vegetables are not allowed. Milk should be limited to 2 cups or less daily while the bowels return to normal functioning. Carbohydrate Controlled Diet: Patients are limited to a set number of carbohydrate (CHO) choices per meal, depending on the level prescribed, to promote blood glucose control. One carbohydrate choice contains 15 grams of carbohydrate. Cardiac Diet: This diet limits overall fat (50g daily), cholesterol (300 mg daily), and sodium intake (2000 mg daily). Thickened Liquids Restrictions: Patients requiring thickened liquids will receive thickening packets on their meal trays to be mixed into the liquid foods. We provide for "nectar-thick" and "honey-thick" liquids. Certain liquids that cannot be thickened, like ice cream or gelatin, are not permitted to ensure swallowing safety. Additional Information For patients wishing to learn more about nutrition and healthy eating habits the United States Department of Agriculture has developed a program titled ChooseMyPlate.gov. Their website, www.ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information. Our Services Clinical Lab Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Critical Care Services Emergency Services Food & Nutrition Services GI Lab Imaging Maternity Services Orthopedic Medicine Pharmacy Primary Stroke Center Rehabilitation Services Respiratory Therapy Robotic-Assisted Surgery Senior Services Surgical Services Tommy Lasorda Heart Institute Women's Services Information Center COVID 19 Patient & Visitor Information Access MyChart Volunteers Patient Testimonials Patient Tips ABOUT US OUR SERVICES PATIENTS & VISITORS CAREERS FIND A PROVIDER CONTACT US NEWS EVENTS CALENDAR Centinela Hospital Medical Center 555 E. Hardy Street Inglewood, CA 90301 310-673-4660 Get Directions Copyright © 2021 Privacy Policy Site Map Website Accessibility A member of Prime Healthcare www.primehealthcare.com