Redefining Healthcare Dining: How Chef Nazim Khan is Leading the Way in Lincoln, Nebraska
Executive Chef Nazim Khan is revolutionizing hospital dining. His celebrated culinary career has taken him from bustling sushi restaurants and prestigious New York City hotel kitchens, all the way to his current role as Executive Chef for Bryan Health in Lincoln, Nebraska where he’s taking plant-based dining to the next level. Greener by Default had the opportunity to interview Chef Nazim to take a closer look at how he’s brought his training and passion to plant-based foods, captivating diners along the way.
At Bryan Health, Chef Nazim found a unique opportunity to merge his high-end culinary experience with the needs of a healthcare setting. Overseeing food service for 5,000 daily visitors at two cafeterias on the Bryan Health campus, he used the reduced service during the COVID-19 lockdown to experiment and update the cafeteria menus. Working directly with Bryan Health architects to consult on the reconstruction of the hospital cafeteria, Bryan Health shifted away from traditional scoop-and-serve lines to dynamic stations offering a variety of cultural cuisines with multiple plant-forward and plant-based options every day.
One of Chef Nazim’s most notable innovations is the Noodle Bowl station. Despite initial skepticism from colleagues, he introduced a variety of flavorful plant-based broths and fresh ingredients, creating a customizable and delicious option that all guests could enjoy.
“You have to realize, I’m in the Midwest. We’re all about meat and potatoes. So when I put in the Noodle Bowl station they said, ‘What is a Noodle Bowl’? My director and the operations managers, they were kind of afraid… But I said, ‘We have to try.’”
Chef Nazim created a variety of new recipes for the station, complete with four different options of house-made broths. Then, he began educating diners about the ingredients. He would stand by the noodle bowl station and describe each of the broths, showing diners the lotus roots that resemble pinwheels and the flavor and crunch sweet jicama wedges bring– demonstrating his deep knowledge and passion for his craft. With Chef Nazim’s delicious recipes and enthusiasm for promoting the new station, the Noodle Bowl quickly became one of their best-sellers, demonstrating the potential of a well-crafted plant-based meal.
Education is Key
Chef Nazim emphasizes educating both his staff and customers about the benefits and flavors of plant-based foods. He conducts ongoing training sessions with staff, and engages in frequent conversations with diners. “Some customers ask, ‘What is falafel? I never heard of it.’ I say ‘Falafel is a great story. I tell them the story of falafel, where it’s from, and how we cook the chickpea. Soak it 24 for hours, then we wash them, drain them, and blend with the parsley, onion, and garlic…’” Chef Nazim’s knowledge and pride in his falafel recipes shines through, enticing diners to taste dishes and flavors they’ve never tried before.
Utilizing nutrition software, the cafeteria provides detailed nutritional information, helping customers make informed choices that align with their dietary needs. “If people are trying to eat low sodium or low carb or low fat or anything, the information is all there. And the plant-based dishes easily fit people’s dietary needs.” He also promotes the new plant-based dishes with mouth-watering photos on the digital display menus. “We have to think about customers and how to engage them. We help them choose their order with their eyes.”
In addition to educating diners, Chef Nazim emphasizes the importance of educating his culinary team and front of house staff. When he implements a new plant-based dish, he serves it alongside the service staff for the first 2 weeks. He even encourages a “secret shopper” diner. A Bryan Health staff member dining in the cafeteria will walk around the stations and ask servers various questions about the ingredients, the allergy labels, the nutritional content, and flavor profiles, to give the staff more practice in answering diner questions, and “get comfortable selling the deliciousness of the dish.” Chef Nazim says, “The key to me [is to], educate your server. No matter how great a dish we make, if the server doesn't know what they're serving to our clientele, then it's a problem.”
Cultural Awareness and Learning
At the heart of Chef Nazim’s culinary expertise is a foundation of cultural respect. Taking the time to understand the diverse cultural backgrounds of the Lincoln community ensures that the cafeteria accommodates various dietary needs, including halal and kosher options, and flavors that feel like home. “Bringing that kind of cultural respect and respect with flavor,[we’re] trying to help [patients] enjoy their meals while they're healing in the hospital. Lincoln has [a lot of patients] from Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq recently.” As these populations age and potentially experience more frequent hospitalizations, Chef Nazim understands his role in creating a respectful culinary environment, by researching and curating dishes that are flavorful and familiar. He proudly proclaims his role at Bryan Health,
“We can nourish our clientele, our patients, their families, and doctors and nurses and, I can provide them with a good meal. That's awesome.”
Chef Nazim’s inclusive practice enriches the culinary experience for all customers.
Chef Nazim described a recent personal experience visiting his mother-in-law in a hospital unaffiliated with Bryan Health. Although she is Muslim and observes halal dietary practices and abstains from eating pork, she was repeatedly served pork during her hospital stay. As patients like Chef Nazim’s mother-in-law recover in the hospital, there is opportunity for hospitals to create more inclusive and nourishing meals by serving plant-based meals by default. Chef Nazim sees plant-based meals as a bridge for cultural inclusivity and respect.
Notably, the Bryan Health cafeteria is unique in that it has become a profitable entity for the hospital during Chef Nazim’s tenure. While implementing plant-forward menus wasn't without challenges, Chef Nazim’s persistence, and willingness to educate and adapt, allowed him to overcome these hurdles and establish a successful, inclusive, and profitable dining program at Bryan Health.
Tips for Chefs
Chef Nazim advises chefs to embrace a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability. He stresses the importance of understanding where food comes from and being passionate, patient, and persistent in culinary pursuits. By staying informed about trends and being open to experimentation, he hopes to lead other chefs in successfully incorporating plant-based options that appeal to their audiences.
As a World Chef Certified Master Chef, Chef Nazim continues to share his knowledge globally, participating in culinary conferences and events. You can find him this year at several prestigious events, including the AHF Association of Healthcare Foodservice and the World Chef Congress in Singapore. And for more insights and recipes from Chef Nazim, stay tuned for the release of his cookbook on Bryan Health’s website.
Favorite Plant-Based Recipes
Chef Nazim was kind enough to share several of his favorite plant-based recipes that will be in his upcoming cookbook. Check them out below!
Chickpea Cucumber Tomato Salad:
Raspberry Chia Pudding:
