Ordering meals

Each day you'll be given a menu card to order ahead for three meals.

Your meals will be chosen for you if you're unavailable or unable to choose for yourself.

If you're in theatre or having tests, your chosen meal may be altered automatically to fit in with your schedule.

Dietary requirements

Tell your doctor or nurse if you have special dietary or religious requirements and you'll be referred to a dietitian.

Bringing food and drinks into hospital

Austin Health can accommodate for all special dietary requirements, speak to your treating team about any concerns that you may have.

Before eating food and drink not provided by the hospital, you will need to check with your treating team (nurse, doctor or dietician). This includes food from cafes located within our hospitals and food delivery orders. Your medications or treatments may impact what's safe to eat. 

Carers and visitors must also check with the treating team before feeding or giving any food or nutritional feeds to patients.

Due to food safety regulations:

• food brought in from home needs to be labelled with the patients name
• food stored in ward patient pantries must be dated and will only be stored for a maximum of 24 hours
• staff cannot reheat food stored for consumption at a later time.

What you can do

To ensure good nutrition during your stay:

• Fill out your menu on time each day so you get your chosen meal
• Keep your bed table clear for meals
• Bring dentures to hospital and make sure you’re wearing them
• Check with your nurse before having food brought in from outside

Tell your nurse if you:

• Have any food allergies and special dietary needs
• Eating difficulties, such as trouble swallowing
• Need help to complete your menu, eat meals or open food and drink packaging
• Have lost weight without trying. Ask to be weighed weekly.
• Have been eating less than half of your usual food

Related information

• Nutrition & diet

  We provide nutritional care for inpatients, outpatients and clients in the community.