Food and beverages

The Food and Beverages hostess (or host) comes by with a buffet cart six times a day, offering a fixed assortment of bread, spreads, cold cuts, dairy and fruit, and a menu listing the dishes of the day. The hostess can answer any questions and respond to any special wishes you might have. If the hostess is not available and you want something to eat or drink, you can consult your nurse about the possibilities.
Complimentary coffee and tea are always available in the pantry and the vending machine in the outpatient's waiting room dispenses chocolate milk.

The buffet cart also makes rounds in the outpatient clinic between 10 am and 2 pm on weekdays, offering a standard assortment of food and beverages. Parents can purchase meals for themselves from the buffet cart.

Special food
The department keeps most tube feeding formulas and nutritional drinks in stock, besides which the nurse can request any special (bottle-feeding) formula your child might need.

Something to celebrate?
If you have something to celebrate, you can arrange for a celebratory treat, such as a 'high lemonade' or muffin decorating, through the restaurant or via the Food and Beverages hostess. They are only too happy to help you come up with ideas.

Parents' meals
Parents are served a complimentary breakfast in the amount of €3.50 per parent-child suite. Should this not suffice, you can purchase more by debit card. Breakfast is served during the buffet cart's early rounds between 8 am and 9 am. All other meals are to be settled by debit card.

A meal voucher can be provided for low-income parents through social services. Parents receive 1 voucher per day for one meal for two people from the buffet cart or from the restaurant. This is facilitated, in part, by the non-profit organization Mag ik dan bij jou.

Questions and wishes
The Food and Beverages hostess and the chefs are always willing to answer any questions you might have. Particular wishes can usually be accommodated.

The restaurant is open all day for a variety of hot and cold meals, including soups, sandwiches, dairy products, fresh juices and a salad bar. The assortment depends on the time of day. You can also buy candy, salty snacks and gifts there.

Restaurant hours: Daily from 7:30 am to 7.30 pm.

Treats and small gifts can be purchased in the restaurant. The Vereniging Kinderkanker Nederland also sells gifts, such as wrist bands.

Our baristas prepare a delicious cup of coffee and tea, but you can also purchase other beverages, croissants and cakes from them.

Espresso bar hours: Monday to Friday from 7:30 am to 5 pm.

We recommend that you do not take out any food from a restaurant or a snack bar, other than from the Princess Máxima Center.

You can prepare your own food in the Ronald McDonald family room. A list is posted there on which you can reserve a time in the fully equipped kitchen. The volunteers in the family room will help you find your way around.

Cooking for your child

• Let the hostess know that you will be cooking for your child.
• Remove rings and bracelets and wash your hands.
• Check that the kitchen utensils are perfectly clean.
• Choose only fresh, undamaged fruit and vegetables and wash them meticulously.
• Keep unwashed and raw products separate from washed and prepared products.
• Thoroughly cook meat, fish, poultry and eggs.
• Make sure that a pre-prepared dish is heated right through.
• Tightly cover the food when carrying it to your parent-child suite
• Serve it to your child as soon as you arrive.

PLUS offers free delivery for your online grocery orders. It's very easy to use:

1. Go to plus.nl.
2. Select ‘PLUS Smaragdplein in Utrecht’ as your store.
3. Enter the postal code 3584 AE.
4. Choose your desired items and fill your shopping cart (minimum €25.00).
5. Once your order is complete, click on ‘order’ at the top right corner.
6. Fill in the requested information and follow all the steps.
7. Include your department and room number with your name.
8. Enter the following as the delivery address:

Prinses Máxima Centrum
Heidelberglaan 25
3584 CS Utrecht

A few minutes before delivery, the delivery person will call you. The groceries will be delivered at the main entrance, where you can pay for them using a PIN.

If you have any questions or need help, please call our store, PLUS Smaragdplein, at 030 267 45 33.

The Princess Máxima Center has different rules for bringing and storing food products than those that apply at home.

Bringing food into the Princess Máxima Center

• Keep perishable food, separately wrapped, in the fridge and prepared food on the top shelf in the fridge until you leave for the Princess Máxima Center.
• Cool prepared food quickly, for example by placing it in a bowl of cold water, and then put it in the fridge.
• Transport refrigerated food in a cooler bag with ice packs.
• Transport other food items properly packed.
• Do not bring any hot meals into the Princess Máxima Center.

Storing food in the Princess Máxima Center
You can store your food products in your parent-child suite or in the fridge or freezer in the Ronald McDonald family room.

• Make sure your perishable products are properly wrapped before storing them in the refrigerator or freezer.
• Label each product with your name or the name of your child, the contents of the package and the date it is put in the fridge.
• Check the food's shelf life every day.
• Frozen products should not be kept in the freezer for more than a month.
• Throw out any dairy products that have been left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.

Our service employees are allowed to check the fridge and freezer in the Ronald McDonald family room and remove any food that is not labeled or food that has been in the fridge or freezer for too long.

The Princess Máxima Center bears no responsibility for the safety of food brought in from outside.

How long can you store foodstuffs?
The shorter you store food, the safer it is for your child.
So take good note of the expiry date and storage instructions on the packaging. Observe the storage period stated on the packaging.