The days of french fries are numbered, and fried versus baked food will soon no longer be an option at Rex Hospital.
There is a new, healthier way of cooking the 3,500 meals served at Rex every day.
The hospital has decided to practice what it preaches, and is making a healthy choice -- not just for patients, but for staff and visitors as well. And according to the chef, they are not sacrificing taste.
"We should be setting an example for the public. As a health care organization, we really need to be looking at the foods we are serving on a daily basis," Rex Hospital Chef Ryan Conklin said.
To get feedback, the chefs have offered samplings, and say the response has been positive.
Arnetia Sidiabed, a Rex Hospital visitor, says they "definitely offer a healthy variety, fruits and vegetables. But to totally eliminate fried foods? I don't know."
For those still on the fence, the cooks are not making anyone go 'cold-turkey.' They are starting with fryer-less Fridays for two months.
"After that, we'll be eliminating two fryers, and replacing them with turbo-style convection ovens," Conklin said.
"The fried chicken wasn't bad, but I can make that another time. The whole thing is: we are trying to set better examples. And it starts with us," Rex employee Paula Bryant said.
The new fryer-less program will also save money. Last year, Rex used 4,600 gallons of oil to fry 17 tons of french fries.
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