Carnivore in the Hospital
Nobody wants to go to the hospital.
Unfortunately, it happens to millions of people - including me.
Whether you’ve been the patient or you’ve visited a loved one during their hospital stay, you know the typical menu: Breakfast is a “heart-healthy” oatmeal or cereal with an additional sugar bomb of orange juice and toast with jelly. You might get one egg or sausage. The other meals are often lean meats like chicken breast smothered in seed oil based sauces and accompanied by rice and a vegetable. Dessert is always included - Lord knows there’s nothing more nourishing to a sick body than snack cakes and sandwich cookies!
I’m being facetious, of course. The truth is that hospital meals have been bought and paid for by the same corporations that give Americans so many diseases to begin with! I firmly believe it’s an intentional design to keep us sick and keep the money flowing to insurance companies and large food and pharmaceutical conglomerates.
Another truth is that you, by yourself, won’t be able to fix that system. But if you or a loved one ends up in the hospital, you can at least avoid being subjected to the nutritionally devoid plates of sludge offered to you and instead choose to nourish your recovering body with what it actually needs: meat and eggs.
During my stay at Decatur Morgan Hospital in May 2025
How Did I stay Carnivore?
In May of 2025, I underwent emergency surgery to amputate my right leg below the knee. I was 6 hours away from home and experiencing considerable stress. My daily routine had been stolen and my life was about to change forever. It was difficult, mentally and physically, to navigate the world each day - but my health is of paramount importance to me. I learned to advocate for myself and ensure that the food entering my body was helping me recover rather than slowing my progress. In many ways I was powerless in the hospital - but the one thing I could control was my nutrition. My choices nourished my body and gave me peace of mind. This is what I did to stay carnivore in the hospital, and I hope it can help you do the same.
Ask to speak with a member of the dietary staff.
Most people who work in hospitals are full of kindness and compassion; they are often natural caretakers drawn to that work because of their love for their fellow humans. In most cases, simply asking a dietary staff member to bring you plain meat with no sauce is all it takes. I told staff that I only eat meat; they were curious about my diet and accommodated my needs with a smile.Order “off-book” when necessary.
You won’t have good options for each meal - sometimes the choice is lasagna or a sandwich. In that case, ask for something different. Most hospitals have plain burger patties in the freezer, for example, that you can order for any meal. This was a frequent go-to for me, and I even asked for Swiss cheese on those patties sometimes.Order food delivery from the “outside world.”
This is the best option if your diet has been restricted in some way that prevents the dietary staff from bringing you those plates piled high with bacon. The cardiologist who still believes in the cholesterol myth of heart disease probably won’t allow you to order that from the kitchen. Luckily, food delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash will deliver to the hospital - DoorDash even brought my order up to the room! I used it several times to procure some scrumptious, tallow-cooked Buffalo Wild Wings during my stay. Use technology to your advantage and scour the local area for barbecue joints or steakhouses.Ask a friend for help.
I was fortunate to have a friend locally who was able to cook steaks for me and bring them my way. Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends for exactly what you want - often they are eager to help but don’t know how! Give them a task and they will be happy to help.Make sure you get what you ask for.
One thing I discovered was that you can’t just ask for “scrambled eggs.” Often, hospitals use a scrambled egg substitute from a carton that has unacceptable ingredients like seed oils - or even pancake batter! Ask for “shell cracked eggs,” and if you can’t verify that you’re actually getting real scrambled eggs, opt for hard-boiled. Also be aware that the bacon and sausage you’re getting likely contains sugar or nitrates, so if you’re very sensitive, choose another option to be safe.
