For seniors entering assisted living, food programs are an important consideration. After all, delicious meals and good nutrition can help improve the quality of life for older adults living in senior care facilities.

When it comes to facility meal plans, people often have the wrong idea. Below we debunk four of the most common myths about assisted living food programs.

Myth No. 1: Seniors Don’t Get Food Choices

The institutional, assembly-line style of menu planning is what many seniors expect from assisted living communities, with everyone served identical meals. While this type of food program may have been the norm decades ago, today’s residential care facilities provide a much different mealtime experience.

Now, seniors are given choices for tasty and well-balanced meals and snacks. With many facility food programs, several different options are offered. So, residents are actually able to eat what they want.

Myth No. 2: Seniors Have to Eat at Scheduled Times

At senior care facilities, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are served only at specific times. Right?

Not exactly. Residential care community food programs typically do have scheduled mealtimes – but in most cases, the dining time is long enough to allow seniors to eat when they want. And, if anyone gets hungry outside the scheduled times, the kitchen staff can whip up a quick and satisfying light meal or snack.

Myth No. 3: Seniors Must Eat in the Dining Room

Residential care community dining rooms are typically bright, cheerful and comfortable, allowing seniors to enjoy socializing at mealtime.

But, that doesn’t mean eating in the dining room is a must. Seniors can choose to eat in their rooms or apartments, if they prefer. Some assisted living facilities also have beautiful outdoor areas that are perfect for a picnic.

Myth No. 4: Assisted Living Communities Have Terrible Food

In the past, developing tasty menus wasn’t the focus for many senior care food programs – mealtime was all about serving nutritious, easy-to-prepare foods. So, it’s no surprise that many seniors continue to believe that residential care facilities have awful food.

These days, however, senior care communities employ experienced chefs and utilize dietitian-approved menu planning systems to create a more enjoyable mealtime experience. The meals are restaurant-quality, not institutional. Seniors are often amazed by the appetizing, flavor-packed foods that are served.

Many residential care facilities across the country rely on the Grove Menus meal planning system, a flexible and cost-effective tool for developing high-quality, nutritious menus for seniors. For a free demonstration of our assisted living food programs, with thousands of dietitian-approved recipes, contact us today.