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7 Free Resources to Help Senior Living Operators With 2024 Menu Planning: Meal Inspiration Calendar, Plant-Based Recipes and More
To the dedicated foodservice professionals who pour their heart and expertise into creating nourishing and delightful meals for their communities...
As we approach the dawn of 2024, your commitment to enhancing the dining experience for seniors is truly commendable. In appreciation of your dedication, we’re continually sharing new resources to help make menu planning as easy and effective as possible.
Read on for a guide to our collection of resources to date, offering culinary inspiration to ensure the coming year's menus are not only nutritious but also brimming with flavor and variety.
And, yes, they’re all completely free to you!
1. Digital 2024 Food Day Inspiration Calendar
Perfect for: If you're looking for year-round menu and activity ideas inspired by fun monthly ‘food days’ like National Herb Day, International Pickle Day, National Burrito Day, etc.
What you’ll get:
- A PDF copy of the calendar – ready to download, save and refer to when planning your upcoming menus
- Exclusive links to 12 Multi Yield Recipes (+ Nutritional Analysis) curated by MealSuite’s team of in-house dietitians
- Each month, you will receive via email a Printable Activity Resource that complements an upcoming food day in the calendar (printable placemats, games and more), so you can add even more fun to meal or snack time.
2. 10 Plant-Based Recipes to Bring More Fiber & Micronutrients to the Table
Perfect for: If you want to serve more plants to your seniors – or if you need inspiration for Meatless Monday! These MealSuite recipes celebrate ingredients like: beans, lentils, nuts, vegetables and fruits, without skipping on the flavor.
What you’ll get:
- 10 delicious multi-scale recipes curated by our in-house Nutrition Services Team. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and side dishes like:
- + Peaches & Cream Oatmeal
- + Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- + Chickpea Salad
- + Greek Spaghetti Squash
- Full Nutritional Analysis for each recipe
3. MealSuite & Fabio Viviani Share Celebrity Chef-Inspired Recipe: Miso Glazed Cod
Perfect for: Serving on a special occasion! As seen on the Food Network, Fabio Viviani is a celebrity chef, restaurateur and best-selling cookbook author known for his Italian flavors.
What you’ll get:
To show appreciation to the incredible cooks, chefs and foodservice frontline heroes across senior care and healthcare, chef Viviani has joined forces with MealSuite to share a recipe inspired by one of his own, fully extended by our dietitians for your patients and residents to enjoy:
- A Miso Glazed Cod Recipe
- 3 additional recipe extensions to allow for maximized use across therapeutic and texture modified diets
- Full recipe Nutritional Analysis
4. Fortified Recipes: Fall/Winter and Summer
Perfect for: If you need support combatting unintentional weight loss in seniors, even if your patients/residents have a low appetite.
What you’ll get with the Fall/Winter recipes:
- 5 fortified, easy-to-consume and season-appropriate recipes curated by MealSuite dietitians
- Plus, a breakdown of nutritional analysis for each recipe
Download the Fall/Winter recipes
What you’ll get with the summer recipes:
- 14 fortified, easy-to-consume and season-appropriate recipes curated by MealSuite dietitians
- A breakdown of nutrient analysis for each recipe
- BONUS: A collection of non-fortified summer recipes to help you bring fun, cooling treats to the season for your seniors!
5. Low Labor Emergency Menu
Perfect for: If you’re currently experiencing labor shortage challenges your community and looking for a way to take a burden off of your team.
What you’ll get:
The Low Labor Emergency Menu can be scheduled for 7 unique days of service, and includes...
- 1000+ pages including nutrition analysis, production guide & shopping lists
- Menu items that allow for maximized use across therapeutic and texture-modified diets
- Ready-to-bake menu items and/or simple recipes containing few ingredients
- Options for labor to be further reduced by using more ready-to-serve and PC products (e.g. Pudding, Cookies, Protein Salads, Fruit) as available for your community
6. 7 Days & 7 Countries: Complimentary ‘Global Menu’ to Celebrate a World of Flavor
Perfect for: Celebrating flavors from around the world as an exciting way to nourish your residents, celebrate your diversity and bring new and enticing textures, tastes and experiences to the table!
What you’ll get:
- 7 delicious multi-scale recipes with global-inspired flavors curated by our in-house Nutrition Services Team. Travel with your taste buds to:
- Mexico with our Pork Carnitas Recipe
- Italy with our Caprese Chicken Recipe
- Ireland with our Colcannon Potatoes Recipe
- And so much more.
- Full Nutritional Analysis for each recipe
7. Older Adults & Gut Health: A Downloadable Guide
Perfect for: If you want to learn more about supporting the gut health of the older adults you serve. Including more gut-healthy foods on our menus can help promote optimal nutrient absorption while supporting the overall health and wellbeing of seniors!
What you’ll get:
- A summary of the importance of gut health for seniors: immune system support, better digestion and more
- Steps you can take to support their gut microbiome (prebiotic and probiotic foods)
- How you can apply these tips even when seniors have chewing and swallowing difficulties
- 4 MealSuite Recipes that feature gut-supporting ingredients (with full Nutritional Analysis)
About MealSuite®
MealSuite® is a fully integrated, end to end, dietary, food production, inventory, kitchen management and point of sale solution on a mission to revolutionize the continuum of care through foodservice technology. Since 1989, their industry leading innovations have empowered foodservice operators across North America to streamline administrative labor, cut down on food waste, reduce risk and meet regulatory requirements, so they can spend more time focusing on what matters most: improving the quality of life for their patients and residents. Dedicated to delivering SMILES & SATISFACTION to healthcare & senior living communities, MealSuite® prides itself on providing personalized solutions matched with unparalleled customer service.