"Healthcare system in Germany - can it continue like this?"

 

You visit a loved one in the hospital, enter the room, and feel happy. But then you see the tray. "Breakfast": a white roll, cheese, sausage, jam, and a black coffee. The only fresh thing? Three thin slices of cucumber. No salad, no fruit, no trace of variety or balance.

You find out that the food always looks like this, and there is rarely fruit and vegetables. If there are vegetables, they have usually been kept warm for so long that there are very few nutrients left.

One question remains: how can someone get well again under such circumstances? And you are not alone.

"In fact, nutrition in hospitals is a sore point that has already attracted the attention of doctors and scientists. In an open letter to Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach and Federal Food Minister Cem Özdemir, a number of well-known physicians and nutritionists urged in 2022 that food in hospitals should be made a top priority."

Florian and Daniel felt exactly the same as the doctors and scientists. The journey of our greenery began for them in hospital. Their mother had to stay in hospital for a long period of time. Every day they experienced how little the nutrition there contributed to their recovery, and this at a time when their bodies needed this support most urgently.

Instead of accepting the situation, the brothers decided to act. They wanted to create a solution that would both strengthen patients and relieve the burden on hospitals, and so the Raumgarten was born.

The Raumgarten has become its centerpiece. With it, fresh herbs, salads, and vegetables can be grown directly on site. The plants are harvested just before consumption, allowing them to retain their full nutrient density. Patients receive meals that are not only delicious but also extremely healthy and strengthen the body.

If we look at science, we see that we have all thought this before: a healthy diet has significant benefits. But what is not clear to everyone is that healthy eating is not optional - it is vital.

“The Effort Study from 2019 concluded that wounds heal better and there are fewer complications during and after surgeries when patients eat healthily. Even the risk of dying from their disease is lower.” 

Unfortunately, everyday life in German hospitals often does not correspond to the ideal. With budgets of around six euros per patient per day, there is little room for fresh, high-quality ingredients. Instead, heavily processed products dominate the plates. However, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends a plant-based diet with a high proportion of fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grain products.

"It is fundamental: Just over three quarters of the food on our menu is plant-based, just under a quarter is animal-based. The foundation consists of vegetables and fruits, whole grain products, legumes, nuts, and plant oils." 

This is where the Raumgarten comes in. It allows for the production of vegetables, salads, and more directly on-site – for a sustainable, footprint-free and with minimal effort. Managing a space garden, with the maximum amount of harvested food, only takes 10 minutes per month, so the staff experiences very little time burden. The plants grow over a long period and can be harvested multiple times, which additionally saves costs.

"Our team has achieved an important milestone with the integration of the garden space into the Planetary Health Initiative of Johannesstift Diakonie. We have returned to where it all began. But our mission is bigger; it goes beyond individual hospitals. We want a healthcare system that helps every patient everywhere strengthen their own body and heal through fresh, healthy food."

The Raumgarten is a fantastic step in the right direction, but by no means not a final end. Every person should simply have access to fresh, healthy food.

The question is not whether we should change something, but when. And the answer is: now.

Now is the time to act.

The Raumgarten shows that healthy food is not a 𝗎𝖙𝗈𝗉𝗂𝖺, but a tangible reality. We can revolutionize the system together and sustainably improve quality of life.

"Let us not just be part of change – let us shape the future."

 

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