Free watercress in the NHS
NEW!- our NHS Soup project
The Watercress Company is looking to help the NHS tackle a fundamental issue relating to patient nutrition, with the introduction of a nutrient dense watercress soup, made exclusively from British ingredients. If initial trials at Dorset County Hospital (DCH) in Dorchester are successful, the company hopes to make the soup available across the NHS.
Tom Amery, MD of the Watercress Company explains: “The importance of nutritious food for hospital patients has been discussed for years, with chefs such as Lloyd Grossman, Albert Roux, James Martin and, most recently, Prue Leith all supporting campaigns for its improvement. However, it has always proved difficult. We have developed a recipe for a nutrient dense watercress soup with high energy and protein levels that is rich in vitamins and minerals - literally what the doctor ordered! It is easy to consume, tasty and, most importantly, it can be made within the existing financial constraints of the current daily meal budget provided to hospital catering teams. Furthermore, we aim to provide a longer term format that can be delivered throughout the NHS and be reliably consistent in nutrition, energy and protein.”
A presentation on 4th February will launch the soup and explain to hospital staff and other attendees exactly why watercress is so good for everyone, whatever their age or state of health, but especially for hospital patients.
Mental health affects everyone too, but when ill it is especially important to stay positive. Recent research published in the Journal of World Psychiatry featured an Antidepressant Food Scale** with a list of foods that ‘are the most-dense sources of nutrients demonstrated by scientific literature to play a role in the prevention and recovery from depressive disorders.’ Scientists are urging that going forward researchers should actively consider these Antidepressant Foods in the design of future intervention studies and clinicians should consider them as dietary options to support prevention and recovery from depression disorders.
The foods were judged on their percent daily value of 12 Antidepressant Nutrients: folate, iron, long chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA), magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C and Zinc. Watercress easily topped the list of both animal and plant sources scoring a huge 127% in the Antidepressant Food Score.
The watercress used in the soup on trial has come from UK grown winter crop which is not currently sold as the leaf is larger and the stems are thicker, but this is perfect crop for being whizzed into a soup. The ultimate aim is for fresh soup to be frozen into blocks with all the other ingredients to which hot water simply needs to be added before blending, making the meal preparation simple for the catering teams. This way a consistent product can be available all year round. Ultimately, The Watercress Company intends to develop a range of nutrient dense soups using different ingredients all featuring watercress, to provide a varied but healthy diet for patients.
The soup is also in line with the NHS’ preference for a ‘first food approach’ ie encouraging the consumption of actual food rather than supplements, which is not only better for health, but could potentially make cost savings for the hospital.
Tom Amery again: “The soup is a win, win for everyone involved. If it takes off and is adopted across the NHS, we will be able to use 90,000kg of UK winter grown crop which might otherwise go to waste. The hospital is able to serve nutritious, real food rather than supplements, which will potentially save money, and best of all the patients benefit from a nutrient dense, tasty soup that is easy to eat and will aid their recovery” He goes on to explain that The Watercress Company has spent time consulting with leading professionals across the industry to ensure their support.
tom and James with some trial watercress soup recipes
Barbara Bray, MBE
One such expert, Barbara Bray MBE says: “It’s no easy task for the NHS to look after and feed a vulnerable population with a low budget. This collaboration between TWC and Dorset County Hospital is great to see as it provides a nutrient dense option which supports the needs of so many patients. It would be fantastic to see this extended across the health service, where so many will benefit."
Another professional involved is Andy Jones, Co-lead for Nutrition and Hydration Week who commented: “Hospital catering is very complex with patients having different nutritional requirements, as well as the difference in patient demographics.
“We have to find food for patients who require energy dense diets which means they may not be able to manage 3 meals a day, or 3 courses. Dishes that offer energy dense nutrition but in small portions are ideal and using watercress is allowing us to do this. It means the patients’ well being will benefit, the environment benefits and we are enhancing the whole experience, while ensuring we focus on ‘Eating for good Health’.”
News of the project was shared with key press, many of which reported on it including Hospital Food + Service who wrote a double page spread.
The soup project is just the latest collaboration between The Watercress Company and Dorset County Hospital. In 2012 a novel initiative was launched donating free watercress, helping the catering team deliver a nutrient boost for the meals being prepared for patients, staff and visitors. This project expanded in 2016 with a trial to provide watercress smoothies for the patients of Fortuneswell Ward (Oncology); over 10,000 smoothies were supplied. In January 2020, a watercress grab-a-bag fridge was installed for anyone passing through Damers Restaurant to pick up a free bag of nutrient dense watercress, together with a range of information aimed at providing awareness as to how watercress can support health.
Chief Executive of Dorset County Hospital Patricia Miller said: “This is a very exciting project for our Trust to be involved in and we are looking forward to our ongoing partnership with The Watercress Company.
“They have recently installed a free watercress fridge in our restaurant which is proving very popular with patients, staffs and visitors to the hospital.
“The upcoming talk will be able to provide information about the benefits of watercress, including the research behind it. It will also be an opportunity to sample some of the recipes we will hopefully be introducing here at Dorset County Hospital in the near future.”
Healthy watercress promotions in the NHS
The Watercress Company started working with Dorset County Hospital (DCH) in 2012, launching a first of its kind new initiative, donating free watercress and helping the Damers Restaurant catering team deliver a nutrient-boost for the meals being prepared for patients, staff and visitors.
James and DCH Communication manager Meghan are clearly excited about the fridge’s arrival!
Since the initial idea the Dorset County Hospital Trust watercress project has expanded and in 2016 we launched free daily watercress smoothies for the Fortuneswell (Oncology) Ward and in mid-January this year will see the pop up trial of two Grab - Try- Share watercress fridges at the hospital allowing everyone to discover the nutrient dense super food. On the 4th of February, Tom and James will join Nutritionist Lucy Williamson to give a talk and tasting in the Education Centre Lecture Theatre. Full details to come shortly…
Watercress Grab-Try-Share fridges, new for 2020
A watercress giveaway project started in summer 2019 with Dorset gyms, sports clubs and community groups being offered the chance to have a watercress fridge installed for a week and members to try fresh watercress. Feedback was tremendous and over 35,000 bags have been improving sporting diets so far! To expand the project into Dorchester County Hospital was the logical next step.
From the 13th of January we will be providing two watercress free-vend fridges stocked daily with bags of fresh watercress for staff, patients and visitors to take and try. The pilot will be running in Dorchester before moving to other hospitals in the area and then, potentially nationwide!
Bernadette Pritchard Health and Wellbeing Lead form DCH said: “We are planning lots of projects to support our staff and focus on their health and wellbeing. We are delighted to be working with The Watercress Company and look forward to the development of this exciting project. Watercress has so many benefits to your health, so pop on down to Damers and grab a free bag and add it to your recipes.”
Watercress is a total powerhouse vegetable and is at its healthiest best when eaten raw. It’s fabulous in a refreshing smoothie, great in a salad and makes a wonderful pesto too. The Grab-Try-Share station will give people the chance to experiment and really understand why eating watercress is so good for you and the many ways they can use it.
On 14th Jan, Tom Amery form TWC met up with Rob at Dorchester Community Radio Station Keep 106 FM to explain all about the project. Click on the play button to listen or click the image to head to Keep 106
MD Tom meets the first patient to grab a bag, Jasmine
It’s flying out!
Day one and nearly every bag has gone! We are topping up again and adding a blackboard for feedback. Our first Facebook post has been seen, liked and shared by 7,000 and counting…
The first patient to grab a bag of watercress was Jasmine from Poole (pictured in our post). She loves watercress and eats it to boost her iron levels. The high Vitamin C also aids iron absorption so a double win!
Managing director of The Watercress Company Tom Amery said: “We are delighted to work with DCH and the team have been so receptive to our ideas since 2012. On Tue 4th February this year we will be presenting further health information on Watercress at a DCH hosted “food awareness presentation” with our Nutritionist Dr Lucy Williamson. Later in the year we are planning to provide further support to create the ultimate “patient recovery soup” containing watercress that has been nutritionally tested and contains nutrients beneficial for patients recovering or fighting illness.”
Watercress in lockdown
Then came Coronavirus! And everything changed! Hospitals like DCH became the frontline in the fight against the disease. The Watercress Company continued to supply free watercress but as there were no visitors to the hospital, it was aimed entirely at keeping the staff fit and well.
To date over 35,000 bags of watercress have been given away to key workers at DCH during the pandemic.
Beth Cooke, Lead Occupational Therapist on the Stroke Unit at the hospital said: “With limited time to eat, having free watercress on tap is a godsend. It can quickly be added to your usual sandwich to give it a boost and make it more satisfying and filling. And you know you’re doing yourself a whole lot of good.”
As well as the fresh watercress, The Watercress Company has started to make daily deliveries of Watercress, Mango and Pineapple Smoothie to the hospital staff.
Top Nosh from Top Chefs
The Watercress Company has also joined forces with a raft of top quality chefs, some with Michelin stars, to provide hard working doctors and nurses with mouth-watering restaurant quality food as part of the Heroes initiative supporting NHS staff across the country. With the majority of restaurants closed, chefs are offering their services for free, while suppliers from across the country are donating their goods to ‘Help Them, Help Us’. NHS workers had identified access to healthy food while working long hours as a key issue and this is one way that the food industry could help.
As well as supplying freshly harvested British watercress, The Watercress Company is providing other fresh salad leaves including spinach and rocket. Meanwhile from sister business The Brace of Butchers, recently judged Best Butcher at the 2020 Farm Shop & Deli Awards, the finest quality meat has been made available.
One of Britain’s top Italian chefs, Francesco Mazzei has been providing regular meals to the canteen at Mile End Hospital, a canteen being used by staff members across the St Bart’s Health Alliance in London. He has been supplied with fresh watercress and spinach from The Watercress Company to make, amongst other things, fresh pestos for NHS staff to enjoy.
Michelin starred Galton Blackiston similarly cooked up a storm for his local hospital in King’s Lynn, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Using fresh meat donated by The Brace of Butchers and fresh produce including watercress from The Watercress Company he and his team made a daube of beef, a slowly braised beef dish, which he is serving with a rustic ratatouille, Norfolk asparagus and a very rich mashed potato for 200 people!
The Watercress Company remains committed to providing these chefs with support and supplies of fresh watercress for as long as is necessary to help keep our NHS Heroes healthy and well fed.
Why is watercress important for hospital patients?
Watercress is a powerhouse of goodness, known to contain over 50 vital vitamins and minerals and topping a number of nutritional scales. Watercress scores 100/100 on”The powerhouse fruits and vegetables list" created by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a full 1000/1000 on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) scale. Nutrient density as a term will become a very important way to discoverer the benefit of foods based on their multi nutrient density per kcal or energy level.
Naturally high in Vitamin C a 100g bag contains 140% RNI, essential for fighting infection through benefiting immune cell function. Vitamin C is also important in iron absorption. Good iron levels are essential when in recovery from surgery or illness.
Naturally high in Vitamin A 100g bag of watercress contains 100% of RNI. Vitamin A contributes to normal iron metabolism, maintenance of normal mucus membranes, maintenance of vision and normal function of immune system.
Naturally high in Vitamin K which contributes to normal blood clotting and maintenance of normal bones. If taking Blood Thinners you should discuss this with your doctor.
A natural source of Vitamin E, iron, calcium and folate, all essential for recovery and a normal healthy function
The peppery taste of watercress is due to a unique compound, Phenethyl isothiocyanat (PEITC.) When checked or blitzed in a smoothie this compound is created and a number of studies have shown benefits from PEITC including cancer fighting and preventing DNA damage caused through the stress, pollution and rigorous exercise.
Antioxidants. Watercress has the highest levels of Glucosinolate antioxidants of all brassicas and also contains flavanoid antioxidants. All required to protect against cell damage, the precursor to chronic disease, ageing and associated with diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease
A source of Fibre, which supports a favourable microbiome & digestion - important in older age due to reduced fibre intake or fibre from a limited variety of foods
Naturally low calorie
Read more about the unique health benefits of watercress here
The smoothie project 2016
In 2016 we created a supergreen watercress smoothie and the team at Dorchester County Hospital agreed for an initial 3 month trial for the oncology department, Fortuneswell Ward. The drinks were a hit and feedback we got from patients and in the wider community was fantastic . The trial was approved to continue and since the beginning the hospital catering team have produced thousands of delicious drink, packed with peppery isothiocynates and delivering a fresh hit of goodness.
Chief dietitian Isabelle Hooley said: “We are delighted to work with The Watercress Company on this trial, giving patients and staff on Fortuneswell Ward an easy way to sip, swig or slurp an extra portion of fruit and vegetables - a dietary change which is proven to have health benefits.”