Assisted Living Menus Boast Variety and Gourmet Flair

Forget cafeteria fare - residents at Assisted Living facilities around the country are sitting down to a host of palate-pleasing gourmet meals. From setting international themes, to preparing an array of colorful cuisine choices, chefs at Assisted Living communities are busy whipping up five-star meals that aren't just great tasting....

They're good for you, too.
At Woodbridge Assisted Living in Peabody, MA, for instance, every meal is an occasion. Offering a diverse and extensive kosher menu, the senior living community's chefs pair colorful and delicious seasonal foods with resident favorites to create nutritious cuisine. Some clever and colorful meals on Woodbridge Assisted Living's menu: Tuna burger nicoise with lettuce, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, olives, cucumbers and potatoes, Nicoise dressing on the side. A few other favorites are eggplant parmesan, turkey in a mushroom wine sauce with steamed red bliss potatoes, and Hawaiian veal roast. And, in order to serve a variety of health and taste bud needs, many of these tasty dishes are prepared to accommodate sugar-free, salt-free, and fat-free diets.

They're prepared by master chefs.
David Greenwald, a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York, has been a full-time staff member of The Evergreens community in Moorestown, NJ, for three years, earning his title as Executive Chef. With the help of his Sous Chef Michael Amos of Johnson & Wales Culinary School, The Ritz Carlton, and The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, PA, Greenwald delivers fine cuisine to The Evergreens' residents, staff members, and guests. His latest creation, Salmon Oscar, is a variation on the traditional "Veal Oscar," featuring cooked salmon topped with crab meat, asparagus, and a creamy bearnaise sauce. Although Greenwald's inspiration was to infuse a bit of sauce-based French cuisine in the diet of the residents, Greenwald remains mindful of preparing healthy meals.

"Salmon is considered one of the "super foods" that have been proven to help lower your cholesterol," he says, "which made debuting this on Valentine's Day a meal that was truly full of heart."

International flavor abounds.
According to Tony Bejko, director of dining services at the The Plaza at The Buckingham, senior housing located in Houston, TX, "International cuisine is one of the things we focus on." Currently featuring Mediterranean fare, the Plaza plates cabbage with mango and peanut salad followed by shrimp risotto prepared Tuscan style. Another way food service folk at The Plaza at The Buckingham try to set themselves apart is by offering it senior living residents an "Always Available" menu of favorites such as filet mignon as well as the choice to order off of the current theme menu.

It's conscientiously prepared.
Rob Bennick, the resident chef at Highview in the Woodlands, a Rockton, Illinois, assisted living facility, stays focused on unsuspecting "little" details when designing menus. "In addition to basic nutrition, it's important to take into consideration potential challenges seniors may face when eating. For example, everything we prepare is boneless to prevent choking." Bennick also makes it a point to prepare meals in solid state, which most residents can eat, as well as in therapeutic options, including a mechanical soft state for those with chewing and swallowing challenges, as well as puree and liquid states for those who require it. And, the amount of food served is also important to Bennick, who serves both a heavy and light dinner option to meet the needs of seniors who are accustomed to a larger dinner, as well as those who prefer a lighter option, such as soup.

He also takes requests. "I talk regularly with residents and ask for meal suggestions, and as long as it's something that can be prepared according to the food pyramid guidelines, I make it."

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