The cereneo location in Hertenstein is connected to the infrastructure of the Campus Hotel. To meet the specific nutritional needs of our patients, the Campus Hotel Hertenstein has employed a dietician since the beginning of July 2022, who comprehensively attends to the physical well-being of our patients.
What exactly does a diet chef do?
Dietitians prepare balanced and varied meals according to nutritional plans developed by doctors and nutritionists. Thanks to their expertise in nutrition and healthy, balanced diets, they combine modern technology with culinary skills. They plan and create meal and nutrition plans for various nutritional therapies, such as those for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, or food allergies. They adapt recipes to doctors' orders and nutritional tables to prepare meals and dietary foods in a way that ensures patients receive a balanced and health-promoting diet.
Jessika Gonzales is the new diet chef for cereneo , whom I met for an interview.
Jessika, what exactly are your responsibilities at cereneo ?
I am currently preparing meals for the patients and working on incorporating additional nutritional components into the patients' meal plans.
In the future, I will be compiling the meal plans for patients together with Henriette Saevil cereneo . There will be several meal plans to choose from, which can be individually supplemented with essential nutrients for each patient. This is very important, as nutritional needs can vary significantly depending on Diagnosis .
Communicating with patients is very important to me so that I know what's important to them and how they rate the quality of the food. My goal is to visit all patients once a week.
What does your typical day look like?
My workday begins at 10 a.m. with a brief meeting with the hotel's kitchen team. During this meeting, I pass on feedback from the previous day's patients so that we can take it into account in the future.
From 11:00 AM until about 1:30 PM, I'm busy preparing lunch. This means I take the food to the cereneo and prepare everything for the patients in the kitchen on the 4th floor. I usually have four or five different menus, and the meat is always freshly prepared. I plate the food, and when everything is ready, the Nursing team distributes it to the patients. If I have time after that, I like to go from table to table and ask if everything is alright.
Afterwards, I tidy up the kitchen and return to the hotel kitchen. In the afternoon, I prepare lunch and dinner for the next day. At 5 p.m., I drive back to the Clinic to prepare everything for the evening. By 7 p.m., everyone is full and satisfied.
I then document the meals: how many portions were eaten in the restaurant and how many meals were served in the rooms. The meals brought to the rooms are all individually photographed.
Around 7:30 pm I finish work and drive home.
They cook for our patients. What is the challenge?
The diversity arises from the different requirements, which are caused by the diseases themselves, but also by cultural circumstances. This is what makes the work so exciting and varied.
I have an intensive exchange with Henriette, the nutrition expert cereneo , to better understand the wishes and needs of my patients. We meet weekly, discuss each patient individually, and consider together how we can optimize their diet, for example, by adding more vegetables or protein.
Why did you decide to complete training as a dietician with a cooking qualification?
Since I am very interested in anatomy and pathophysiology, I completed my culinary training at the Parkhotel in Weggis. Afterwards, I worked for four years as a chef at the Bethanien Clinic in Zurich. During this time, I also completed a professional development course to become a dietetic chef.
Next year I will begin another part-time training course to become a nutrition consultant.
