In assisted living food menus, nutrition is necessarily the main focus.

But, because dining is an important social experience for assisted living residents, meal times are the best part of the day for many seniors. Providing delicious foods and a pleasant dining experience can go a long way toward promoting the health and happiness of your residents.

Getting your seniors involved in their meals is a great way to help your facility achieve these goals, and for providing residents with a sense of connection.

Ask for Resident Input on Assisted Living Food Menus

Everyone has food preferences, and these don’t go away when seniors join nursing home communities. Consulting with your residents is a key step in making menus that are not only balanced, but also appealing.

Senior care administrators typically speak with new residents about their dietary needs and preferences. But it can also be helpful to have an ongoing dialogue between senior residents and the dining staff. Creating a food committee of residents and staff members can make this easier.

Recipe contests and opinion polls are also fun and creative ways to solicit ideas and input from your residents, and make them feel more involved in the food service process.

Offer Cooking Exhibitions to Assisted Living Residents

The shows on Food Network and the Cooking Channel are popular among seniors, so why not provide your residents with a live version of these entertaining programs?

Celebrity chefs aren’t necessary, as members of your nursing home food service staff can provide the food demos.

Cooking exhibitions and classes allow your residents to see their food being prepared, which can boost their interest in your assisted living menus. After all, who wouldn’t want to take a taste after watching the chef? Live food demos are fun for seniors, and they can help encourage better eating.

Plan Assisted Living Food Menus for Special Events

Everyone looks forward to feasts at the holidays. But why should special meals be restricted to days like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter? Consider working with your nursing home residents to develop unique community-based events.

For example, your senior care facility could host a “Fifties Flashback” or “Sweet Sixties” party, complete with senior-appropriate menus and decorations that reflect the time period. Or, you could plan a backyard barbecue event and allow the residents invite family and friends.

Any day of the month can be a celebration, and special events that make meal time more social can bring your senior community together.

Preparing delicious and nutritious meals that are appealing to seniors is a challenge. But, the more you can involve your residents in planning, the easier it will be to keep them interested.

Grove Menus offers a wealth of tips and advice, while helping you save time and cut costs. Our advanced menu planning system includes hundreds of field-tested, dietitian-approved recipes that are designed to appeal to the senior palate.

Contact us today for more information, or to schedule a free demonstration. We look forward to showing you how you can improve your assisted living food menus.