I have been in communication with Ma Hoyt on the topic of cafeteria eating and after giving her a list of guidelines in dealing with institutional food, I figured I would pass along the following precautionary words to my readership as well.
When eating in a cafeteria be careful to heed the following:
1) Avoid any meat that is rendered so you cannot differentiate between meat, gristle and fat.
2) Soup and stranges sauces are to be likewise avoided unless you can clearly distinguish all of the constituent parts.
3) Hamburgers are your friends, as is cereal and anything that is pre-packaged (food contained is food the hospital cooking staff can't have touched.)
4) Find out if your cafeteria is the kind that the milk goes bad or the kind that can't get the mixing settings right on the soda fountains and fruit drink dispensers. If both categories apply, stick with water from the fountain (outside of cafeteria jurisdiction.)
5) If all else fails, Walmart and vending machines are there to help you.