Making Every Bite Count
Fresh fruit and seasonal vegetables, sustainable seafood, healthy oil alternatives – sounds like a trendy intown restaurant. But it’s not, it’s Lenbrook where we believe that every bite counts, and good food is the key to lifelong good health.
Now that pandemic restrictions are easing, independent living residents are back to dining areas and enjoying additional options and keeping fit. No pandemic weight gain here. Since reopening the dining areas, we now provide a nutritional chart so residents can see calories, items that are high in fiber, fat, and sodium. We also have our Fit and Fresh menu. That way residents can select what’s best for them. If they want to treat themselves then they can easily choose other items to balance out that yummy dessert.
One area that we focus on is educating residents about salt intake since older people can have an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart conditions. Also, we all have less tastebuds as we get older, so we offer tasty food without a lot of salt. We also offer dietary advice to residents on an individual basis. We help them navigate our menus and guide them on what to choose and what to avoid based on their individual dietary needs.
On the healthcare and memory care floors, we continue our emphasis on nutrition. We work with these residents in our teaching kitchen to make yummy and healthy items not usually on the menu like chia seed pudding cups with fresh berries. The residents also enjoy taste-testing activities such as what ingredient is added to a brownie. Sweet potatoes, black beans, and zucchini brownies have all been popular!
No matter what stage of life a resident is in, we work hard to offer delicious food every day. We also understand that community connection leads to longer life, so we’re encouraged by having the dining rooms open and at a safe capacity. In the warm weather, our outdoor venue, Tim’s Terrace, will be open for the season to enjoy dining outside in the fresh air.
We act as advocates for our residents to encourage healthy eating and make sure there are nutritious options available at every meal. Making pizza crust from scratch, using antibiotic-free chicken and turkey, and pasteurized cage-free eggs in our meals is our standard fare. We try to have every meal served packed with protein and high in antioxidants with beautiful green leafy vegetables, seasonal berries, and nuts. Healthy food is delicious food!