Food is a driving force in our lives. But how often do we think about how the food reaches our plate?
At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Chef Miles McMath, the director of culinary operations, must consider not only his own plate, but also the meals for thousands of employees, patients and their families. These meals are often complicated by the dietary restrictions and nutritional needs of the patients.
On Monday, my food policy class was lucky enough to get an inside look at the kitchens at St. Jude, courtesy of Chef McMath. We toured the Kay Kafe, the main cafeteria, which contains 16 eating concepts, such as a salad bar and bakery.
The food staff’s commitment to children is incredible. For kids needing more nutrition, they created a gummy bear — offered in multiple flavors — that provides a nutritional boost similar to that in a PediaSure supplemental shake. When children are lacking a sufficient appetite, the chefs work to recreate home-cooked meals that are comforting to the patients. Sometimes, all it takes to boost a child’s appetite is to let them take control. Patients can don a chef’s hat and make their own personalized pizza any day of the week. Special events often involve the children decorating cupcakes or making cookies.
McMath explained that an emphasis in recent years at the hospital has been to use more locally sourced food. As part of that mission, St. Jude now has a garden of 60 raised beds, a weekly farmers market and a food truck roundup.
Relationships between chefs and farmers used to be more disconnected, McMath told us. He hopes that programs like the ones he is instituting at St. Jude will help form bridges between those parties — not to mention connecting the consumers (patients, their families and employees) to the source of their food.
Institutional programs like these do not only benefit the people receiving the food; they also provide an economic boost for local farmers who are assisted when they need to move large quantities of product. Without support from institutions like St. Jude, local farmers might face shortfalls in demand that would threaten their livelihood. St. Jude provides that safety net for the farms that are such vital components of our communities.
The kitchens at St. Jude also seek to reduce waste. A 2012 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that 40 percent of food in the U.S. is wasted. To combat this growing problem that drains our economic and environmental systems, St. Jude finds creative ways to cut its waste down to nearly zero. For example, it has an extensive composting and recycling program, as well as a relationship with Food Donation Connection, which allows it to donate leftover food to the Memphis Union Mission.
At one point in the conversation, McMath noted that the way to a healthy and sustainable culture surrounding food is relatively simple: “Eat real food.”
I couldn’t agree more. If more people built relationships with local farmers and understood where their food was coming from, I think we would see a real change in the food culture and eating habits in the U.S. That change would be beneficial to our health, the environment and the local economies that are supported by food producers.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its extraordinary contributions to the field of pediatric catastrophic diseases. In providing outstanding care at no cost to the patients or families, it is an outstanding institution making a real difference in the world.
What is less recognized are the incredible food systems at work at St. Jude. The hospital’s passion for excellence extends to its culinary operations. The engineers and leaders of these systems — such as Chef McMath — deserve recognition for their roles in providing every patient, family member and employee with nutritious, delicious food. Serving food to children with compromised immune systems and special nutritional needs is a difficult task that should not be taken for granted. The fact that they take their mission a step further by seeking local, sustainable food sources is a testament to their investment in and commitment to their jobs.
Christine Dickason is a junior public policy leadership major from Collierville, Tenn.
