As the year draws to a close, your food menu program – and your residents’ health — may benefit from a fresh start for the new year.

Now is the time when many of us make our own resolutions for the new year. Why not set a few goals to upgrade your senior menus in 2017 as well?

Making your meals more nutritious will benefit the health of your senior residents. Fortunately, to achieve this worthy goal, you don’t have to completely revamp your recipes. In fact, you can create tasty, healthy and balanced food menus for seniors much more easily than you can lose that pesky extra pounds you’ve been battling.

Boost Fruits and Veggies in Your Senior Food Menu Program

Most older residents need fruits and vegetables each day. Senior women need 2 cups of veggies and 1 ½ cups of fruit each day. Senior men need more than that – 2 ½ cups of veggies and 2 cups of fruit every day.

Encourage your senior residents to eat more servings by augmenting the quantities of fruits and vegetables in your meal plans.

For example, if you plan to serve a tossed salad, don’t limit the recipe to iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Instead, choose healthier options like romaine or spring mix greens, and pile on extras like shredded carrot, diced red onion and bell pepper. You can also add a few blueberries, strawberries or mandarin oranges to add a fresh hint of sweetness that seniors love.

The same trick works for sandwiches, soups, omelets and pizza. You can easily boost the amount of veggies in these common food menu recipes. Another simple way to increase the produce in your menu program is to serve a fruit or a veggie with – or as – between-meal snacks.

Include More Healthy Fats in Your Food Menu Program

A low-fat diet can help in the prevention and management of a variety of health problems. But not all types of fat are the same – and healthy fats are a necessary part of balanced food menus.

Evaluate your recipes to identify where you can replace the trans- or saturated fats with healthier options. Many packaged, processed and fried foods contain high concentrations of trans fats. So, for healthier eating, limit how many of those types of foods are a part of your menu program.

At the same time, increase the amount of healthy unsaturated fats in your senior meals. Good sources of healthy fats include avocados, olives, nuts, seeds and fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna. Many of these foods also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are especially beneficial to senior health.

Serve Less Red Meat in Your Food Menu Program

Meatless Monday, anyone? A diet high in red meat increases the risk of heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. Consequently, reducing the amount of red meat in your menu program is an effective resolution for healthier eating.

Instead of red meat, opt for fish or chicken more often. You can also decrease the portion size of meat, treating it more as a side dish than a main course. This works well when pasta dishes or casseroles take center stage in your senior food menus.

For more dietician-approved recipes and healthy eating tips for your senior meal planning, consider using the comprehensive Grove Menus program. Our easy-to-use food services and meal planning program makes it easier and more cost-effective to meet your residents’ quality and nutritional needs. Contact us today for a free demonstration of our exclusive food menu program.