"Providing our patients with healthy, lower sodium meal choices helps to ensure they consume nutritious, appetizing food that's crucial to their recovery," says Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO, North York General Hospital. "Introducing Steamplicity is another example of our community teaching hospital's leadership, providing outstanding patient care and improving patient satisfaction. The benefits of this food program are clear from the overwhelmingly positive patient feedback and the increase in empty plates."

The hospital engaged in a trial of the Steamplicity cooking method that included inpatients from two hospital units. Ninety-seven per cent of patients expressed their satisfaction with the food, and patients who rated the food as excellent, very good or good increased by 13 per cent. Patients served Steamplicity meals also left dramatically less food on their plates meaning better nutritional intake and less waste.

"It is truly rewarding to know how well-received Steamplicity meals have been at North York General Hospital," says Sharon McDonald, President, Compass Group Canada Healthcare, the food service company providing Steamplicity through its Morrison division. "The hospital is embracing a significant change in food service delivery to bring real benefits to patients. This is one of the best food service systems available to maintain food's freshness, taste, texture, temperature and presentation for hospital inpatients."

Introducing this new food program for all inpatients at the hospital means food service staff members now fulfil a more important role in patient care by directly interacting with patients to help them select their food choices. Using hand held devices with patients' dietary restrictions already entered, dietetic attendants take patients' meal selections. The food choices available offer nutritional balance while providing patients with lots of options for meals that they would prefer to eat. When fully implemented, patients will choose from up to 20 entrees.

Specially equipped pantries for food preparation will be located on each patient floor allowing food freshness to be maximized. The food is pressure cooked in microwaves using heatproof, pressure-resistant plastic packages with patented technology, which includes an innovative valve control system. Heating the water molecules within the food builds steam pressure, and the pressure is released gradually through the unique valve to cook the food. Throughout the food preparation and delivery process, systems are in place to ensure food safety and hygiene.

There are also environmental benefits to implementing this program. The hospital will significantly reduce the amount of water and electricity it uses, while all plastic will be recycled.

North York General Hospital is committed to quickly making Steamplicity meals available for all inpatients. By the end of the year, the new food program will be available to all inpatients.