Another meal at our new favorite restaurant: Karen’s Kitchen! Have I ever mentioned how much I love cleaning other people’s kitchens!? I should be the host of one of those organization shows where the person overhauls messy kitchens and cleans them up. But messy kitchens beware: I have a tough love approach to too many things in drawers!
When we arrived I snacked on a few spiced nuts, cheese and crackers Karen had out
And for cocktail hour, I taste another of her medicinal items – an Ensure. YUCK.
The taste was so sweet, but even worse than the taste was the ingredient list. I am not sure why Karen brought this home from the hospital, but she asked me to dump it after we looked at the ingredients and gave it a taste test. [I actually initially had a hard time during my dietetic internship giving these out to people, but I also accepted (as I talked with the other RDs) that 1) homemade smoothies of real food are not practical at a large institution and 2) when someone is really sick and malnourished, sometimes basic macronutrient nutrition is more important than everything else I believe in. But I would like to see something a little more wholesome on the market – maybe someday!]
Dinner tasted great –
Grass-fed beef spaghetti (made with a can of whole peeled tomatoes, peppers, sherry, seasonings and simmered down until thick and rich) over linguinin
I made a salad on the side – greens dressed in oil and vinegar, salt and pepper with carrots and goat cheese
Also shared a taste of Matt’s beer.
For dessert we had a couple of squares of dark chocolate and I made some Pero!
Hope you all have a pleasant transition back to work in 2011 xoxo
Valerie @ City|Life|Eats says
Dinner looks awesome 🙂
Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin says
Sounds like a lovely dinner! You should definitely come and clean and organize my kitchen next time you’re in DC… I appreciate tough love and could use the help! 😛
Katy (The Singing Runner) says
What exactly is in that stuff? Your food looks much better! 😉
Sarah @ The Strength of Faith says
I’m pretty sure you need to pitch your kitchen crashing idea to a TLC producer. You could call the show, Kitchen Krashing with Kath!
Kath says
Love it!!
Carin says
I agree – what would give it a “point of difference” would be to first overhaul the kitchen, THEN overhaul the diet and show how to introduce real food into everyday life. You’ve got enough recipes already to introduce one per episode and give the nutritional background … and I’m sure that having a huge established readership (and therefore a ready-made base audience) would help to sell it!
Amy says
I think I’m the only person on earth who likes Ensure. And Boost. I’m not proud of it, but there you go. Yummmmmmmmm.
Laura says
I do too…don’t worry!!
ellie says
I do too…vanilla Ensure plus, ice cold 🙂
Stacy @ Every Little Thing says
We had grass fed beef bleu cheese burgers! Yum, dinner looks great.
Allison @ PickyEatingRD says
I had the exact same problem with Ensure/Boost in the hospitals. The ingredient list is insane!!! You preceptor is right though when it comes to a malnourished patient what is most important?!
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
Come clean Peter’s kitchen puhleeeease!
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
Ughhhh Ensure/Boost are the nastiest things ever. I’d rather just drink whole milk with a good quality protein powder!! I love cooking in others’ kitchens as well. It’s just more fun than my own!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
I love cleaning other people’s houses! It’s one of my favorite things to do! When I used to babysit, the parents would always come home to a clean home. 🙂
I do know of a product hospitals are starting to use instead of Ensure. It’s a Juice Plus product – whole foods! Woohoo! Not all are using this yet, but I sure hope they start to!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says
Love your info/take on Ensure. I personally think it’s gross with gross ingredients, but yes, in huge institutions, whipping out the Vita to make green smoothies probably isn’t reality 🙂
And cleaning other ppl’s kitchens…I dont have the urge to do that but i am SUPER clean and OCD with my own. It has to be clean or i can’t relax! And i love decluttering, i.e. tough love/chuck it out of the drawers if i have no use for it!
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
Mmm…that meal looks AMAZING!
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) says
I’m suddenly craving pasta!
Brittany (Delights and Delectables) says
We had spaghetti tonight too!! I wish I liked beef.. my dad is an organic beef farmer and I have a surplus of beef that only my husband eats. Your meals always look so good.. I think my favorite kitchen is the KERF kitchen!
Hannah says
I don’t comment on your blog much, but I had to pipe up now. When I was in recovery from an eating disorder, a lot of girls had to drink Ensure/Boost to get their weight up. I forgot where it was, but I remember hearing about this drink thats similar but totally organic-Orgain. I think its sold at Whole Foods, and that would be great for both Karen and your patients! Hope this can help a bit!
Kath says
Glad to hear there are other options out there!
Camille says
I think that, as an RD in training, I would have a hard time giving foods with a shady ingredient list out to patients, but I guess that when you need to serve so many people, real food isn’t as easy to come by.
grocery goddess jen says
I feel the same way about ensure! And I hate those Pediasure commercials – as if I would give my (not-yet-in-existence) kid a container of chemicals!
kelly says
I didn’t like to hand out those Ensures either. It was always hard for me to discuss with patients how great these were for them when I didn’t believe in them… The ingredient list is awful to read – can it be that hard to make an all natural one???!!! I am sure that your patient, Karen, would like a wholesome smoothie made by you!
Meagan says
You had some very interesting comments on the whole Ensure and macronutrients issue. I’ve often thought about this. I’ll have to think about that some more
Melissa @ I Never Imagined says
Work!! Ugh, don’t remind me!
stacey-healthylife says
Dinner looks awesome. Love the simple sauce.
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
please come to my place and clean my kitchen!!! i promise sunshine and a cute jack russell to play with.
Jil @ Big City, Lil Kitchen says
Dinner looks fantastic! Poor Karen – that is a biiig ole can of Ensure!
Erin (Travel, Eat, Repeat) says
I always love cooking in other people’s kitchens and seeing what they keep in their cabinets. It’s fascinating to see what other people eat and how they organize!
Liz says
Hats off to you and Matt for helping Karen during her recovery. I wish her a speedy recovery.
Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama says
I remember the hospital serving Ensure to my mom when she was recovering from surgery. I was like, “Really? You’re giving a sugar-loaded drink to a cancer patient?” Drove me crazy.
Emily says
I really agree about the ensure; I interned on an inpatient psych unit that used them for the eating disordered patients. While I understand the reasoning behind a drink like that to get the girls up to health, I believe the patients would have appreciated a more healthy version of the drink. Glad the rest of your evening was tastier!
Hannah says
It’s so sad that people/hospitals have to rely on these kind of non-food supplements, but such is the food system right now! And as you say, at least it gets some form of nourishment into people?!
Alex says
Totally agree with the gray area of nutrition in hospitals. As a Speech Pathologist in acute care, I understand this battle. Pureed foods + thickened liquids = not ideal!
Kristen @ Kristen, Sweetly says
Happy New Year, Kath! (Even if I am grumbly about you reminding me of work in the morning.) Take care; I’m sending good vibes to you and yours. 🙂
Nancy says
I’m a RD with many years experience and we use a lot of ensure – some people actually request it. I tell my patients they don’t need to drink it if they will eat their meals of real food, but a lot of people can’t or won’t do that (and we have really good food at our hospital). Sometimes it is a matter of energy conservation – people are too weak to even chew. Reasons ensure is used include: shelf stability, cost effective and definitely labor savings – do you know how much staff would be required to make “healthy smoothies” for as many people that need supplements? What a person can do in their individual kitchen is not the same as what can be done in large scale hospital kitchen.
Kath says
Yeah, I know, that’s why it’s a hard problem to ponder.
Mariana says
I totally agree with Nancy, I have practiced nutrition as an RD for nearly 10 years in an acute care setting. Many of my patients rely on Ensure to “survive”. I always teach healthy eating/whole foods are best, but sometimes you have to do what you can to help the patient. You have to always be cautious to not put your opinion too far out there, it may cause a patient to toss out the Ensure, much like Karen did. I have lost count of the number of times I’ve heard a family member or hospital staff member say “that meal looks awful” or “hospital food is terrible”….leading to a malnourished patient not eating for the day.
Kath says
I understand your opinion, but Karen tossed hers after we fed her a nutritious home-cooked meal, not because of my opinion.
Virginia @ YtotheUmmy says
Blech, ensure! I have a younger cousin with special needs, and the poor guy has been chugging those every since he was a little boy. One more reason to appreciate the benefits and maintain a healthy, strong body!
Lauren @ Fun, Fit and Fabulous! says
My husband had major jaw surgery a few years ago and had his mouth wired shut for 6 weeks so he lived on smoothies, ensure and boost. We were both not fans!
Janna says
You can come clean my kitchen ANYTIME Kath 🙂
[email protected] says
Ugh, Ensure is the nastiness. I used to drink them on occasion as after workout protein boosts… so gross! I’m grateful for the opportunity to make real food smoothies now!
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Yum!! It all looks so great. Hope Karens doing well. 🙂 Oh..and I do the same in other people’s kitchens- I love cleaning them! My other kitchen, on the other hand, can be a total dump somedays.
Kerri @ Kerri Turns into a Zombie says
As a speech path, I have trouble with a lot of the thickened liquids that we give people as well. I have had so many patients just want a great shake or smoothie.
Sana says
I think it’s fun cooking/ cleaning some place else kinda like a hotel!
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
Mmm… the linguine with meat sauce looks fabulous! As does the salad. Perfecto! 🙂
Mandiee says
I totally agree with your view on Ensure. When I had to gain weight after a stress-induced weight loss, my doctor told me that I had to drink a few Ensures a day. After looking at the ingredients, I was anything but happy but tasted it just to be a good patient. However, through research and a debate with my doctor, I was finally able to convince her that I could get the same nutrition (well actually, BETTER) from real foods. I was then able to gain weight healthily (and happily!), making me stronger for the long-run, rather than just short-term. I hope that someday real food products will be more accessible. I think that a lot of it depends on demand, so hopefully my educating as many people as we can to take health into their own hands, we will see a change. Anyway, lovely dinner; your salad looks so wonderfully bright green! I hope Karen continues to recover well. It is so nice of you and Matt to help her!
Have a lovely day!
xox
Justeen @ Blissful Baking says
the spaghetti looks delicious! ensure on the other hand does not sounds so appetizing..
Mama Pea says
I’m cleaning out my utensil drawer in honor of you tomorrow. Or you could just come do it for me. I’m not attached to those corn cobbers and bamboo skewers.
Sarah @ See Sarah Graduate says
I don’t even like pasta that much and I’m here salivating over your spaghetti! 🙂
Jess @ atasteofconfidence says
I had spaghetti tonight, too!
Maryann says
Yum looks like a very comforting dinner!
As someone who will be in a Dietetic Intership in a couple years, its interesting to hear about some of your experiences. I would feel the same as you if I had to give someone a food or beverage that I wouldn’t consume myself.
Anne P says
Totally agree regarding the Ensure, and lots of other processed stuff that is offered at hospitals. I get that it has to be shelf stable and easily mass produced, but still. There has to be something better! I’m sure I’m going to have some doubts about this stuff during my internships as well.
Fiona says
Thank you for this! I found this while surfing random other sites. I have had anorexia for most of my adult life and in the last year have made so much progress. I’m passionate about life and passionate about enjoying my food rather than it being a tool to either abuse myself with or just keep myself alive. I hate those ensure plus drinks lol.. my goal is never to need them again.
On the topic of hospital food… when it comes to the actual FOOD, not the supplement drinks, here in Australia my experience over 15 years more in than out is that it’s very unhealthy stuff – processed, fried, high fat, hardly any fibre???????? I can understand high energy meals for people trying to gain weight, or for a lot of convalescing patients. But this is the main general menu. Most people these days are in for something that’s arisen from their poor nutrition – and the hospital isn’t teaching them any better, either.
Beatrix says
Hmm..the spaghetti and the salad look devine. Cudos for using grass-fed beef. I used bison or wild meats often when making this, or even just beans to make it vegetarian. I find I can notice such a better taste when using good quality meats. The coffee and the dark chocolate is such a great way to end the meal with. How about a trip out West..my kitchen is in dire need of organization and cleaning 🙂
I’ve added your blog to my blog roll..come check it out.
erica says
can you come to my kitchen ;p
my grandma drinks ensure at her “home”…she’s not a very big eater, (it’s a good day if she even eats 20% of her meal) but she will drink her ensure…i’ve never looked at the ingredients before…but maybe i don’t want to…we’re just happy she actually finishes something!
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
I have a “hard time” with many of the nutrition supplements as well. But it really does keep many people alive and well, while helping many, many, many people keep their weight on (and gets the “food” down!)
That being said, wouldn’t it be awesome if they had a more natural based nutritional supplement like you said? 😀
Allie says
I agree about messy kitchen drawers.. Ick! Ensure is pretty gross as well, you would think by now it would be more nutritious ! Happy 2011:)
Lauren says
When I was trying to gain weight, the nutritionist tried to prescribe me Ensure and I just couldn’t do it. Yes it’s gross and I would much rather get my calories from real food. Glad Karen is doing well.
Simply Life says
ugh, I dread cleaning a kitchen!
Elizabeth says
I use Ensure a lot in the hospital where I work (as the RD). I have no issues giving it to patients. If they’re not going to eat, or are unable to eat, you can’t sit by and let them lose weight and become malnourished. There are a huge amount of nutritional supplements available, but Boost and Ensure are probably the most widely used. If I felt I had a patient with the resources to make healthier alternatives on their own, by all means I would educate them. One of the things you quickly learn as an RD is to practice realistic nutrition. You have to meet the patient where they are.
Katie says
Yikes Ensure! I saw that and it reminded me of my gram who I just lost a couple months ago , they were wanting her to drink enssure too, but she didnt, she hated the taste, and my gram is stubborn, so you cant make her do anything! I just remember her saying it tasted yuck : p
I hope Karen is feeling good, Im thinking of her and keeping her in my thoughts : )
What a nice dinner she made ! Have a great day!
lindsay says
As a decaf drinker, I am dying to try that Pero! I rarely make it to Whole Foods but I was just there…so mad at myself for forgetting to look for it.
Happy New Year, Kath!
ellie says
I rarely comment (avid reader 😀 ) but had to speak up about the Ensure issue. I have anorexia and it has been prescribed to me on numerous times- I, like you, had the same issues with the ingredients list. But in the context of the alternative (severe malnutrition/death), it’s definitely easy to see why it is used. I also agree with the whole foods V chemicals thing but I guess Ensure is used with the specific purpose of condensing nutrition in as straightforward a way as possible. For the majority of people using Ensure, whipping up a smoothie with 7-8 ingredients just isn’t viable. And in someone with life threatening weight loss, calories are the main focus- heck, Ensure is a lot better than some treatment programs that melt candy bars and double cream together!
I could go on and on about this because I have mixed feelings- I agree with you, but I also know that in my situation, if it hadn’t been the ingredients I could complain about, it would have been something else. I know Karen’s situation is different (and I wish her ALL the best in her recovery- she’s lucky to have you to look after her!) but I also know that your blog is widely read and it’s no secret that food blogs are lurked on by a lot of eating disorder sufferers and thought I would speak up. I can’t be the only person whose paranoia about doctor prescribed supplements has now tripled… :/
Kath says
Ellie,
I wouldn’t be paranoid – like I said, I can totally see when Ensure’s basic nutrition far pros far outweigh any cons to the choice of ingredients. Perhaps you could ask your doctor for other recommendations – like the Naked Brand smoothies?
ellie says
Thanks for replying! I don’t use Ensure now so have full control over my intake and can use other foods.
Another thing to consider with a product like Ensure (I promise I don’t work for them!) is that for eating disordered patients, it’s often easier to convince them to drink something that is so blatantly medicine as opposed to something that might be viewed as a treat/unnecessary (I had a lot of difficulty with ‘liquid calories’- it was easier to justify drinking Ensure to myself because it was ‘medicine’ rather than something that most people would see as a nice snack/dessert). Irrelevant in Karen’s case, but I know that I wouldn’t have been able to drink regular smoothies/shakes during my worst periods. Just thought I would point that out since noticed a few RD’s in the comments above who may be dealing with eating disordered patients.
I say, do whatever works. Ideally, it’s only short-term anyway though I know that isn’t always the case for patients unable to eat for whatever reason.
Laura says
I agree with everything Ellie just said. I too have suffered with an Eating Disorder and have been drinking Ensures since last year, but after reading this I am officially terrified of it. To me, Ensure was verification of calories (like Ellie said- in medicine form). I’m just a little upset that you would so blatantly say how gross and chemically unhealthy/disgusting it is when you know that a lot of people struggling with eating disorders probably read your blog. Just something to think about- you might want to be slightly cautious about exactly what you say because you have a wide variety of readers.
With that being said, instead of making my “ensure shake” (Ensure+ice in the blender) tonight I made a “smoothie” using chocolate soymilk, a frozen banana, and ice. I’m not sure if it’s healthier but I just couldn’t allow myself to tough ensure after this post.
Kath says
Laura,
Just because I comment on the ingredients doesn’t mean you should be terrified of the ingredients! I think there are lots of options out there for calorie-dense nutrition, and Ensure is one of them. Like I’ve said a few times, there are times when macronutrients and calories are more important than opinion.
Shannon @ A Better Me says
Ewwww…I don’t like Ensure either…blah!
Jess says
That spaghetti looks delicious. Craving some now!
kelli says
OH MY GOSH. ENSURE. I used to HATE those, I still do..especially from being the hospital for anorexia a few times..if we didnt finish our meals we HAD to have one (even if it was celery…). Also when we had increase in caloric needs we had to have them! Also when I was in a Psych hospital when I entered I was very underweight so my WHOLE DIET in the beginning was ensure..blegh, basically huge glasses at every meal and snack time. My mom even told me I was starting to smell like ensure! Since being healthier since high school I am happy to say I will not go near another ensure..I hope. LOL
Sarah says
I’ve been lurking here for a while, but just had to comment on this post. I have a digestive disorder that means low-fiber/low-fat all the time and liquid diet only some of the time, but am still trying to eat as healthfully and naturally as I did before I was diagnosed. I’ve found OrGain to be a fantastic alternative to Ensure/Boost on days that I would have previously been stuck with them. It’s not nearly as healthy as making smoothies at home (dry nonfat milk + skim milk + smoothie flavorings = delicious and nutritious) and the ingredient list is still way more complex than I would prefer, but it’s still a much better alternative than the conventional options. The chocolate flavor is way better than the vanilla though, which gets cloyingly sweet a few sips in.
Hope Karen continues to do well!
agatha90 says
i’m the same with cleaning other people’s kitchens!! hating cleaning my own though.
Lee says
You are welcome to come organize my kitchen any time!
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
I’ve never been a huge pasta lover, but you always make it look so incredible!
Jenn says
Is it weird I actually LIKE ensure?! It’s kinda like a treat to me!
Sara says
What is sad to me is how many people who commented had or has an eating disorder. (My daughter has struggled with ED off and on for 7 years.) This makes me wonder just how large this condition/illness is in our country…no, in the world.