Aside from the needles, shared rooms and backside-baring gowns that accompany a hospital stay, it’s hard to imagine many things worse than the food served in most hospitals. Patients get offended by it, staff feel weighed down and the hospital food industry is generally held in low regard.

But the good news is that this seems to be changing. Hospitals are teaming up with nutritionists and classically trained chefs to slim down dishes, revamp menus and make healthy eating a priority. The result: better food — and a whole lot less Jell-O.

Some of these hospitals are going so far as to turn their cafeterias into the kind of gourmet restaurants you might find at a fancy resort or a top-notch restaurant in town. Stanford Hospital is letting patients order their meals through room TVs, while Fauquier Hospital serves local organic dishes and Cancer Treatment Centers of America offers coffee-crusted prime rib.

And the rest of the time, they’re focusing on offering healthier options. UC Davis Health, for example, replaced disposable plastic cutlery with reusable flatware and switched to serving more salads, whole fruits and more vegetables. It also focused on reducing waste and implementing more sustainable practices, such as buying food in bulk and cooking from scratch – all while keeping the overall cost of food the same or slightly less.

Other hospitals are taking it a step further and partnering with the same kind of high-end chefs who work in hotels. This approach allows them to put all their meal planning, logistics and service expertise to work increasing retail revenues. This in turn can be invested in better, more nutrient-dense food, and an enhanced dining experience for everyone.

While it’s still important for consumers to be aware of the health risks associated with fast food and over-processed foods, it’s equally vital that hospitals take a leadership role in educating staff and patients about the benefits of a well-balanced diet. A diet rich in whole grains, lean protein and fresh fruit and veggies helps support recovery. It’s also a diet that can reduce the risk of disease and prevent illness in the first place.

A number of hospitals have embraced the Healthy Hospital Food Initiative standards, including New York City’s, which is prescriptive about the calorie, fat and sodium content of patient food as well as cafeteria and vending machine offerings. The standards call for leafy green salads, vinegar-based dressings and at least four kinds of fresh fruit to always be available. They also ban deep frying and limit the amount of sodium in sandwiches, salads and entrees.

While budget concerns are certainly a factor in most hospitals, it’s possible to offer healthier and more appealing choices that will satisfy everyone from patients and staff to visitors and the community at large. For the first time, hospitals can put their logistical skill to work for a better future of public health.