by croatiaweek
August 16, 2025
in
Hospital food often gets a bad rap, but what does a typical day’s menu actually look like in Croatia’s healthcare system?
Thanks to a loyal reader who recently spent some time in a Croatian hospital, we get a closer look at what patients are served.
Breakfast is usually served at around 8 a.m., followed by lunch at noon and an evening meal at 6 p.m.
Here is a look at what was served over four days.
Day 1
Breakfast: Some humble slices of white bread, butter, cold cuts of turkey, warm milk and some plums.
Lunch: Soup, soft cooked vegetables, piece of pork in a sauce, cucumber salad, bread and a vanilla pudding.
Dinner: Spaghetti with spicy sausages, bread, cabbage salad and a functional yogurt.
Day 2
Breakfast: White bread, a fresh cream cheese spread, a coffee substitute known as divka, and some plums.
Lunch: Soup for a starter, pork in a sauce, đuveđ – rice with peppers, tomatoes, cucumber salad, white bread and a piece of chocolate cake.
Dinner: A piece of chicken schnitzel, a bean and onion salad, more white bread, and a functional yogurt.
Day 3
Breakfast: Slices of white bread, cheese, boiled egg, divka and a nectarine.
Lunch: Soup, chicken with mlinci, tomato, paprika and onion salad, bread, and a peach.
Dinner: Barley risotto with small cuts of meat, paprika and carrots, slices of white bread, cabbage salad and and a functional yogurt.
Day 4
Breakfast: Cottage cheese topped with seeds, slices of white bread, divka, and a banana.
Lunch: Soup, piece of fish, blitva and potatoes, white bread, and a piece of cake.
Dinner: A piece of crumbed chicken filet, mixed vegetables slowly cooked, white bread, and a nectarine.