Meritus Nutrition Services

Healthy Meals Served at our Hospital in Maryland

Nutrition Services at Meritus Medical Center makes meals happen at different locations across the health system. In addition to food service for patients at the hospital, Nutrition Services also operates the Robin's Cove, to serve visitors and hospital staff and the Coffee Kiosk.

The department also provides catering services for health system events or meetings. Each location offers something different, all while keeping nutrition in mind.

Providing Patients with What They Need

It can be a challenge to serve people with many different nutritional needs, but with 90 staff members---including registered clinical dietitians and nutrition assistants--- patients are in good hands. Clinical dietitians do in-depth assessments on all patients who are deemed to be a nutrition risk. While it's important for nutrition services to make sure patients' nutritional needs are being met, patients must understand how the right diet can positively affect their health. Our registered dietitians provide patients with education to help meet their nutritional needs.

If you have any questions or comments, please call the department office, which is open Monday through Friday, from 7:00am until 3:30pm.

Our Services

Robin's Cove

• The hospital's dining room, the Robin's Cove, features a large salad bar, grill, pizza and deli area,beverages and a selection of grab-and-go items. Located on the ground level, the Robin's Cove is open every day of the week, including holidays. Outdoor seating is available during the warmer seasons. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served between The Robin Cove's operational hours of 6:00am and 2:00am.

Coffee Kiosk

• The Coffee Kiosk is located on the second floor of the hospital and is open Monday through Friday from 6:30am until 4:00pm. The Coffee Shop offers fresh-brewed coffee, espresso, hot and cold specialty drinks as well as a unique collection of pastries.
• Major credit cards are accepted in all dining areas.
• Dining gift certificates are available from the hospital cashier, the Robin’s Cove cashier and the Coffee Kiosk cashier.

Patient Food Service

• Our goal is to provide you with well-balanced meals and nutrition information.Our nutrition team knows that the foods you eat help your body heal. For patients, food can be nurturing and restorative, especially when you're experiencing discomfort and anxiety.
• Your meal service is initiated by a diet order prescribed by your physician. Our registered dietitians work closely with your medical staff to formulate, implement and support nutritional progress to enhance medical treatment.
• Nutrition services visit most patients twice a day to take the menu selections for the next meal(s). Nutrition services offers a wide variety of menu items, in addition to daily lunch and dinner specials to meet your dining preferences.
• Patient meals are served three times per day at approximately the following times:Breakfast: 7:10am to 8:45am.
  • Lunch: 11:10am to 12:45pm
    Dinner: 4:10pm to 5:45pm
• For questions about your meals, diet order or nutrition information, contact our Diet Office at 301-790-8085 any day between 6:00am and 6:30pm.

Our Resources

Nutrition Services supports Go, Slow, Whoa, a food education program developed by the National Institutes of Health and the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH). The program is an initiative to improve employee and visitors' well-being. While many fares are available in the Robin's Cove, wholesome foods get more visual attention and a green light.

The Go, Slow, Whoa scale:

• Green or "go" foods are high in nutrients, low in calories, minimally processed and natural foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain bread that you can eat every day.
• Yellow or "slow" foods contain more sugar and fat and are processed foods, such as white flour bread and 100% fruit juice. Yellow means eat these foods occasionally.
• Red or "whoa" foods, like French fries, doughnuts and soda, are highest in fat, added sugar and calories—and should be eaten every once in a while and in moderation.

Visitors and employees can easily identify the “Go, Slow, Whoa” items that are labeled with green, yellow and red identifiers to aid them in making healthier choices.