Courage at the Table: Captains’ Dinner Unites Healthcare and Food Sectors
On Tuesday, June 24, a special Captains’ Dinner took place at Koppert Cress, organized by EatThis and Caring Doctors. The evening brought together leaders from hospitals, health insurers, caterers, food producers, and government bodies in a unique setting: between the greenhouses, united by a mission. The goal: to reflect—and more importantly, to push forward—on the role of nutrition in healthcare.
Following previous successful collaborations, including Caring Doctors’ “In Residency” and earlier gatherings at the same location, this evening was carefully curated.
The tone was set by anthropologist Jitske Kramer, who spoke about liminality: the in-between phase where old structures have been dismantled, but the new ones have yet to take form. It is precisely in this discomfort, she argued, that the potential for true transformation lies—provided we have the courage to step into it. “It’s not about knowledge or power,” Kramer asserted clearly. “It’s about courage.” And that message resonated—especially in the silence that followed her question: “What are YOU going to change?”
Comedian and presenter Dolf Jansen added both levity and confrontation. Between courses, he held a mirror up to the sector and hospitals: everyone—from growers to executives—acknowledges that nutrition is part of the solution, so why is real change still lacking?
“Poor nutrition is part of the problem; good nutrition is part of the solution,” remarked Bas Turk (TommyTomato) at the end of the evening. And yet, hospital food is often still appalling. There is no shortage of ideas—what’s missing is guts and courage.
Courage is a Must! That rallying cry rang out strongly at the end of the evening, when all participants filled out postcards with their own intentions, ideas, and ambitions. EatThis plans to follow up with each of them in the coming months.
Puck van Holsteijn (CEO of World Horti Center and HortiHeroes) publicly reflected on the ‘liminal phase’ her sector is currently experiencing. “It’s exciting, confusing, and uncomfortable,” she wrote, “but transformation requires questioning norms and building new narratives.” And that is exactly what happened that evening in the greenhouses of Koppert Cress.
What remains is action. In the weeks following the dinner, more hospitals joined the ambition to shift their nutrition policies toward an 80/20 ratio: 80% plant-based, 20% animal-based. The urgency is palpable, and the momentum is real. EatThis and Caring Doctors will continue to fuel the fire, aiming to make what is now extraordinary, soon the norm.
What can YOU do? Share the video below on social media—or have other ideas or plans? Email ed@eatthis.info.
