Every meal served in the NHS is an opportunity to improve health

Hubbard rightly says that access to food for NHS staff is fundamental to wellbeing, morale, and ultimately patient care.1 But the conversation must go beyond ensuring food is available. The NHS should also ask whether the food it serves promotes health and supports its commitment to environmental sustainability.The NHS has an opportunity to lead by aligning hospital food with the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet: a predominantly plant rich dietary pattern that benefits both human and planetary health, while ensuring a just food transition.23 This is particularly relevant given the growing burden of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes among NHS staff. Making fibre rich, plant based meals the easiest and most appealing choice should be viewed as an investment in workforce health rather than a catering decision.4Yet many hospitals continue to expand retail outlets and vending machines dominated by products high in salt, saturated fat, and free sugars. More…