The reason why hospital food is so disgusting is because hospital kitchens have to prioritize strict medical diets and clinical safety over flavor.
Hospital food is also made in massive batch cooking and meals in hospitals must accommodate low sodium, diabetic, renal or texture modified diets.
Kitchens in hospitals also often eliminate salt, fat and strong spices to keep the food safe and universal for vulnerable hospital patients.
Hospitals also prepare thousands of meals a day, which also forces the hospitals to rely on bulk processing, pre-cooked ingredients and even outsourced suppliers.
Hospital food also often sits in warming carts or travels long distances before it reaches a hospital patient's room, which also ruins the texture and temperature of the food.
And delivery times for the food in a hospital are also scheduled around medical rounds, lab tests and fasting requirements, rather than just culinary timing.
I find that hospital food is gross as well and will not eat it and will do without.
Whenever I've been in the hospital I've had family sneak me in food such as from McDonald's, Burger King or another restaurant to eat.
I just can't stand the taste of hospital food and will not eat it even if I was starving.