Menu software is a necessity in planning menus for seniors in nursing homes, assisted living, and other group situations. A dietary manager must manage many aspects of meal planning that can be computerized to ensure that each resident receives a meal that is palatable, in line with dietary restrictions, and within budget.

Menu Planning Poses Many Challenges

In addition to the challenges of planning daily meals and snacks several times a day, a food service manager in charge of meal planning must answer to many “authorities,” including residents, their families, higher ups, accountants, government agencies, and physicians. The menu may be a simple one of chicken breast, rice, green beans, bread, and pudding, but it raises questions in a number of areas.

• Shopping: What ingredients are needed to fulfill a particular menu? In what quantity? What needs to be purchased, in view of inventory on hand? What alternative ingredients can be substituted if desired items are unavailable?
• Dietary concerns: Do modifications need to be made for some residents? What type of dietary guidelines does the menu meet, as requirements for low sodium, low calories, diabetes, gluten-free, and other conditions vary? What is the nutritional breakdown for calories, carbohydrates, protein, and other dietary variables? Can all or part of the menu be pureed to create a palatable meal for residents unable to chew their food? Does the menu meet USDA standards for nutrition?
• Resident preferences: How do menus match resident likes and dislikes? What controls are in place to ensure that residents receive only what they can eat? Do residents feel that they get adequate portions? How can waste and overproduction be controlled? Do menus match up with changing resident census?

Cost Is the Major Concern of Food Service Managers

The very reputation of a facility can depend on whether the residents like the food choices and how it is prepared, and whether it meets dietary standards and requirements. For the manager, the major concern is cost. As food, including the purchase of supplies and labor, is a one of the largest cost components in senior facilities, the main concerns are “What is the cost of each meal per portion?” and “How does the meal impact food PPD (per patient day)?”

Depending on the facility, an institution may have less than $4 to spend per day on food for three meals and two snacks per person. With such a tight budget, cooking extra to meet possible demand and food waste from returned trays costs dearly. Using menu software addresses these concerns by precisely figuring the amount of food to buy and cook, based on residents’ likes and needs.

Grove Menu Software Saves You Money

Besides reducing the potential for food waste, menu software can make a big impact on reducing other costs in the dietary department:

• Provides tested recipes that can be modified to meet preferences and allow for substitutions with available ingredients.
• Simplifies menu planning with meals that offer proper nutrition and that comply with dietary requirements.
• Develops shopping lists for easy ordering of precise quantities that account for inventory on hand.
• Accurately costs all menus.
• Drastically reduces man-hours required to manage menu development, nutritional, and cost calculations, ordering, and shopping.
• Reduces need for employee overtime.

Grove Menus offers menu planning solutions your residents will love and that will save you money, with menus that will meet all nutritional requirements. For information or an online demo, contact us today.