Why Are There Rarely Any Chinese Cabbage in Hospital Menus? Here's the Explanation from a Nutritionist

Illustration of kangkung. (Freepik)

JAKARTA - Kangkung is a vegetable that is widely enjoyed and easily found by the general public. Even so, there may be questions about why this green vegetable is rarely seen in the food provided for patients in hospitals.

Lecturer in the Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, IPB University, Hana Fitria Navratilova, SGz, MSc, PhD explained that food determination in health service institutions is carried out with strict consideration.

The goal is to ensure the safety of food ingredients as well as the suitability of their nutritional content with various patient health conditions.

Dr. Hana said that the low presentation of kangkung was not solely due to concerns about contaminants. There are also other technical factors that make kangkung rarely included in the hospital food list.

"In general, leafy vegetables are rarely served on hospital menus because in addition to practical reasons such as storage and processing, leafy vegetables tend to be high in purines," he said, quoted from the official website of IPB University.

In addition to purine content, the presence of oxalate and nitrate in leafy vegetables is also a reason for restrictions for patients undergoing treatment in hospitals.

Dr. Hana added that leafy vegetables need to be cooked immediately after receiving them because their shelf life is relatively short. Therefore, the hospital usually chooses vegetables that can be safely consumed by most patients and are more practical to handle.

"So it's not a reason for contamination," he said.

He also explained that heavy metals are a form of contamination. If it enters the body in excess and continuously, the body will have difficulty neutralizing and removing it. This condition has the potential to trigger disorders in the kidneys, liver, and cancer.

According to him, exposure to heavy metals is not only possible in kangkung, but can also be found in other food ingredients, such as rice and seafood.

Although bok choy can come from controlled cultivation, for example hydroponics, and has passed safety testing, hospital dietary standards still prioritize vegetables that are safe for patients.

"Leafy vegetables experience a significant volume shrinkage after cooking, so they are less ideal when served. Therefore, leafy vegetables, not limited to kangkung, are rarely used in hospitals," he concluded.