Propose dishes that combine gastronomy and healthy nutrition to accompany patients suffering from cancer
Based on evidence that people suffering from cancer do not eat in the same way as those in good health, Elior, an expert in contract catering in hospitals, offers an innovative approach to patients attending the outpatient surgery ward of the Henri-Becquerel Center. Since early 2020, Elior Chef, Antonio Stracquadaino, and Olivier Da Silva, the Michelin-starred Chef at the L'ODAS restaurant in Rouen, have been combining their savoir-faire to create menus that combine gastronomy and healthy nutrition.
39% of patients undernourished
Cancer patients are guests that needs specific menus adapted to their disease.The disease itself and the treatments used to combat it can affect their appetite, sensation and taste. For these patients, certain savors may be unpleasant or food textures very uncomfortable to eat and some foods might be less tolerated by their bodies. According to a study by the National Cancer Institute carried out in 2016, 39% of people suffering from cancer in France are undernourished. However, nutrition plays an important role in the process of combating the disease and contributes to improving patients’ tolerance of treatments.
To accompany these patients, Elior, which is forever committed to providing catering solutions that combine savor and nutritional quality, and the Michelin-starred Chef from Rouen, Olivier Da Silva, have together, developed refined, gourmet dishes customized to patients with cancer.
High-quality, reasonably-priced meals
The Henri-Becquerel Cancer Center has given its full support to the project and made sure that these meals are accessible to everyone at no additional cost. This commitment enables to offer high-quality meals at controlled prices.
Raw, locally-sourced seasonal products
The L’ODAS and Elior Chefs chose to develop these menus on the basis of raw, locally-sourced seasonal products. The first menus were available at the start of 2020 and the new winter-menu, comprising a daily starter, main course and dessert was launched on January 15, 2021. Each meal is thought through even down to the careful presentation of every dish so as to bring pleasure and comfort to the guests.
A joint effort
Together, Chef Elior and Chef Olivier Da Silva work to find combinations of flavors to stimulate the appetite of, and bring comfort to these patients. The L’ODAS Chef provides the ideas for the seasonal recipes and works together with Elior’s teams to adapt them so that they can be reproduced in the kitchen of the Henri-Becquerel Center. In this way, the two Chefs combine their savoir-faire and culinary techniques at all stages of the process, from product-selection to dressing.
In addition to this culinary creativity, the nutritional specifications drawn up by Elior must be respected and adapted to the sensory perceptions of patients and validated by the medical teams at the Henri-Becquerel Center.
Reconcile nutritional requirements and objectives in terms of taste
In order to reconcile the specific nutritional requirements and the objectives in terms of taste of the Michelin-starred Chef, the Elior teams are fully mobilized at each stage of the process. The dishes are notably tested and validated by an internal committee of the establishment comprising members of the Henri-Becquerel Center management, the nursing and dietetic teams, the Elior teams (including the Chef and the nutrition manager) and the L'ODAS Michelin-starred chef.
Read the interview with the L’ODAS Chef, Olivier Da Silva
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