How hospitals in Luxembourg are making nutrition part of treatment
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On Wednesday, with the participation of two ministers - Agriculture Martine Hansen and Health Martine Deprez - Hôpitaux Robert Schuman (HRS) unveiled its new initiative: 'Healthy - Regional - Seasonal', aimed at fundamentally changing the approach to hospital food. The aim is to make it local, healthy and sustainable, thus improving both the well-being of patients and the economy of the region.
The Minister of Health was very clear: "Health does not start in the operating theatre. It starts with the plate. Every meal is a form of treatment.
In this logic, lunch is not just a routine part of a hospital stay, but a therapeutic element. Meals affect recovery, morale and the overall perception of care.
The programme goes beyond slogans - there are concrete steps behind it. In just one year:
- the share of Luxembourg eggs rose from 12 per cent to 82 per cent,
- potatoes - from 47 per cent to 66.5 per cent,
- beef - from 53.3 per cent to 68.6 per cent,
- pork - from 72.4 per cent to 79.1 per cent.
And this is just the beginning - the aim of the programme until 2028 is to integrate regional and organic products into hospital menus as much as possible.
The initiative is fully in line with the 2023-2028 coalition agreements, which prioritise food in public institutions. The Ministry of Agriculture has previously implemented similar measures in school canteens, childcare centres and lyceums in cooperation with Restopolis.
Now hospitals are next in line. Hansen emphasised that the policy should cover all public institutions in the country.
HRS director Marc Berna emphasises: it's not just about taste and freshness: "Local produce is not just about health. It's about supporting farmers, it's about reducing logistics and emissions, it's about investing in our shared social capital.
In other words, hospital food is a mirror of the country's entire food policy.
The Healthy - Regional - Seasonal programme is an example of how food can become a strategic element of health care. Instead of sterile trays, meals are served with care, local flavour and attention to detail. And that makes it easier to heal in such an environment.
