Community Hospital of Los Gatos Cafeteria

UPDATE: they temporarily removed the nutritional information sheet that used to be at the entrance. Don’t know if it’ll be back.
The merits of writing a review on a cafeteria are debatable, but if you find yourself working at this location or come in as either a patient or family of a patient, perhaps this will be useful.
The cafeteria at Community Hospital of Los Gatos is perhaps one of the most vilified cafeterias that I’ve visited. I’ve heard people go off on how horrible the food is, joke about the food poisoning that they’ve «heard» occur, and even comment that the food is essentially all «mystery meat.»
To be honest, some of these remarks may have been deserved in the past, but I’ve noticed a substantial effort to improve and, given how many patients and families are successfully served here daily, some encouragement and positives should be shared.
First off, I think the variety of the cafeteria has improved substantially. Each day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner items consist of several choices that range from low salt to heart-​healthy to low-​fat. The cafeteria is stocked daily with an assortment of Odwalla juices that I love. A soup is always available. A hand-​tossed salad is always on the menu as are pre-​made salads for those needing a quick to-​go meal.
And while the items are not always super healthy (ie: hash browns, deep fried chicken, etc), the most impressive part about this cafeteria is that there is ALWAYS full DISCLOSURE about ALL the menu items EVERY day. In the entrance, in front of the food line, is an extremely detailed menu listing of everything being served that states sodium content, fat content, calories, and other nutritional information. I have no idea how long this takes to make, but it’s completeness is impressive.
It took me almost a year to see this Nutritional Guide and it always surprises me how often what seems healthiest (Chicken Caesar Salad) often isn’t compared to other items.
Of course, this is a hospital and I guess we’re supposed to expect such disclosure about nutrition. Number 1, you’d be surprised at the cafeterias (hospital or otherwise) that don’t do this. Number 2, it’s a small, but important, start. Maybe when McDonald’s, Arby’s and Outback Steakhouse do the same, we won’t have to guess what’s good and what’s bad for you. The obesity problem in America is only getting worse and I think knowledge is one way to fight it.
* A great book about this topic was released by Men’s Health called «Eat This, Not That» and compares numerous fast food items in surprising ways.
** I’d suggest you avoid any «Chinese» food items at this cafeteria at all costs.