A mountain of pasta for starters. Breaded chicken, rice salad and steamed three veg as a main. A piece of fruit for dessert.

On Tuesday, I took a seat in the sterile canteen room of Mater Dei Hospital before a plate of food nurses have alleged to be so bad it has caused drastic industrial action.

It looked like canteen food. It smelled like canteen food. Did it taste bad enough to stall operations? Well…

The first course was a chunky portion of pasta with a basic red sauce. As far as pasta goes it was tasteless but edible.

One of the nurses, who had left his portion half eaten, said it gave him “heartburn”. But he added: “The pasta they serve with white sauce is normally quite good.”

His expression conveyed the message he was less forgiving about the main.

There was breaded chicken cutlets made out of processed chicken and three veg – the sort you get in frozen packets. Then rice salad, tomatoes and cucumber.

It was something you might tolerate on an aeroplane or when you were on the road but it was definitely not something you would choose to eat every day. But, then again, the food, supplied by Corinthia Caterers, is free.

One of the nurses, who had left his portion half eaten, said it gave him “heartburn”.

The nurse explained that he had been in healthcare for 32 years and felt this issue reflected badly on healthcare professionals that were meant to be role models for healthy eating.

“We are meant to be promoting a healthy lifestyle and this isn’t healthy,” he said.

And he was right, in the hot meal there was very little nutritional value except for the cucumber and tomatoes, which were fresh and had crunch.

But on the menu were also sandwiches, wraps and salads available as an alternative to the hot meal. There was food for vegetarians, vegans and gluten intolerant people too.

“I don’t know what people are complaining about,” a phlebotomist said. “I eat a salad every day and I’m very happy with it… I don’t know what people expect.”

Other nurses were not as optimistic and said the meals were heavy on carbohydrates and not always fresh.

Was the drastic industrial action by the union justified? A group of phlebotomists all agreed that the strike was an extreme reaction to discontent with the food.

“The patients shouldn’t have to suffer,” one insisted.

I don’t know what people are complaining about,” a phlebotomist said. “I eat a salad every day and I’m very happy with it…

However, a nurse said it was the only way to get things done. She commented that refusing to accompany patients into operation theatres was one of the only ways in which nurses could make a statement.

“This problem with the food has been ongoing. If we don’t do things like this, nothing will change,” she said.