---
title: 5 Trends in Healthcare Foodservice that Matter
description: Yes, the landscape of healthcare is a volatile one, but in foodservice, it's also an exciting one. Here are five trends in healthcare foodservice that matter.
---

[Deep Plate Blog](https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/blog)

# [5 Trends in Healthcare Foodservice that Matter](https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/blog/5-trends-in-healthcare-foodservice-that-matter)

 Written by [BauscherHepp](https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/blog/author/bauscherhepp) | 2/27/18, 8:00 PM

 

Who says hospital food has to be bad? In reality, for operations that take the time to [pay attention to the details](https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/blog/a-plate-perspective-on-healthcare-foodservice), hospital dining experiences can be high quality if not enjoyable.

Before an operation sets out to [make things better](https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/blog/healthcare-foodservice-begins-with-basics), though, it has to understand the changes that are taking place. Yes, the landscape of healthcare is a volatile one, but in foodservice, it's also an exciting one. 

## Here are five trends in healthcare foodservice that matter.

**1) Budgets**

How much money a hospital or healthcare facility has to spend on food and beverage will have a direct impact on how well it provides service. Of 184 hospitals surveyed in a recent study, only 13% have annual budgets of $5 million or more.

**2) Patient Volume**

Because of demographics, more and more people are entering the U.S. healthcare system as [patients](https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/blog/foodservice-for-healthcare-customers-not-patients). This can have an impact in terms of healthcare costs, as well as foodservice. Eighty-five percent of hospitals reported serving more patient meals in 2016 than in the past.

**3) Revenue Streams**

Aside from patient meals, retail sales are also on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of hospitals reported an increase in retail meals over the past two years, resulting in a majority of all business. Aside from patient rooms and cafeterias, 81% offer catering services, 62% have cooking demos and nutrition-education programs, 33% have stand-alone kiosks, 9% have full-service restaurants, and 4% offer food truck options.

**4) Serving Times**

A majority of hospitals expect to see sales growth from lunch business over the next few years. Another major source of sales will be breakfast, and breakfast is expected to be a better indicator of growth for hospital food and beverage operations.

**5) Menu Variety**

Because of overall menu shifts in all food and beverage sectors, healthcare menus are changing, too. Driven by a movement toward local and sustainable ingredients, 13 percent of hospitals now offer locally-sourced foods with an even larger 23 percent of all large budget facilities offering local sourcing.

 

*\*\*\* Statistics from a 2016 [survey](http://www.foodservicedirector.com/research/industry-census/articles/2016-healthcare-census-hospitals-raise-their-game?page=0%2C2) of 184 hospitals by *Foodservice Director*.*

 

### Learn more about improving hospitality and healthcare foodservice settings. Read the [*Bauscher Hepp Hospital & Care Catalog*](https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/2016-hospital-care-catalog-sneak-peek).

[View full post](https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/blog/5-trends-in-healthcare-foodservice-that-matter)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "BauscherHepp"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2019-12-06T22:11:53.054Z",
  "datePublished" : "2018-02-27T20:00:00Z",
  "headline" : "5 Trends in Healthcare Foodservice that Matter",
  "image" : {
    "@type" : "ImageObject",
    "height" : 1280,
    "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2137236/5%20Trends%20in%20Healthcare%20Foodservice%20that%20Matter.jpg",
    "width" : 1920
  },
  "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://deepplate.bauscherhepp.com/blog/5-trends-in-healthcare-foodservice-that-matter",
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "height" : 60.0,
      "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2137236/BHI-Logo.png",
      "width" : 61.60428
    },
    "name" : "Deep Plate Blog"
  }
}
```