More hospitals need 100 percent plant-based menus, and better education on nutrition should be provided in medical schools, says renowned physician and best-selling author Dr. Michael Greger.

Plant-based hospitals

The top doctor and vegan advocate made the claims on his website, NutritionFacts.org, where he provides advice and feedback on leading research.

This week, Dr. Greger responded to The American Medical Association passing a resolution to encourage plant-based food options in hospitals.

While 11 million deaths across the globe contain dietary factors, education around healthy lifestyles is lacking at medical schools, he says.

“In medical school, students may average only 19 total hours of nutrition out of thousands of hours of instruction. And, they’re not even being taught what’s most useful.”

This is especially alarming, Dr. Greger stresses, as clinical guidelines cite many treatments commencing with healthy lifestyles. “Yet, how can clinicians put these guidelines into practice without adequate training in nutrition?” he asks.

Hospital nutrition

According to Dr. Greger, medical schools can even be seen to teach ‘anti-nutrition’. This is because students typically begin med school with a greater appreciation for the role nutrition plays in health than when they leave. “They get de-educated,” he claims.

Despite this, Dr. Greger welcomes the American Medical Association’s move to encourage healthy eating in hospitals.

It comes at a time where increasing sites in Florida, Manhattan, Denver, and Tampa are offering plant-based meals on an entirely separate menu. 

Moreover, they’re sharing information to improve diet education – especially plant-based.

“The key to these transformations was having a physician advocate and increasing education of staff and patients on the benefits of eating more plant-based foods,” he says. And, it’s ‘about time’ we use the influential position of doctors within society.