Holiday Retirement prioritizes resident health and happiness with new menu changes

March is National Nutrition Month, but Holiday Retirement chefs and their teams think about nutrition all year long.

Back in October, residents may have noticed a new menu in their Holiday Retirement community. Offering greater variety, new heathy choices and an updated format, the changes were a hit with residents across the country.

How do we know?

Well, residents sent us feedback on their daily meals through survey kiosks in each community. At Holiday Retirement's Venetian Gardens, one resident, Bill, shared his thoughts through the kiosk: "We've seen such a change lately. The food is so much more flavorful and comes out hot. We have zero complaints."

Each senior living community's chef can use this information to tailor future menus based on residents' feedback. Is one item a big hit? Chefs can make sure it's a staple on future menus. A lackluster response to another meal? Chefs tinker with the recipe or replace the item altogether on the next menu.

However, these dining surveys aren't the only high-tech changes to your menu. Behind the scenes, Holiday's new menu technology links all the ingredients that make up the meal on a resident's plate to USDA's National Nutrient Database for accurate nutritional information. This data is then used in menu planning to make sure residents have access to nutrient-rich, delicious meals.

Have food allergies or sensitivities?

There's no need to play guessing games with your food. Holiday's new menu technology aligns each ingredient to major allergens, flagging foods that may be dangerous for residents with food allergies or sensitivities.

While all this new technology may seem complicated at first glance, it all boils down to a simple concept: making sure Holiday residents have healthy and delicious menu options to choose from at every meal.

What's ahead?

Residents' feedback on past menu changes have led to endless possibilities for the future: vegetarian items? sugar-free desserts? The options are limited only by your imagination, as Holiday continues to work to incorporate resident feedback into upcoming menus.

If you'd like to experience Holiday Retirement's dining and menu options for yourself, find a community near you and stop by for a tasty meal. Or, if you'd prefer to explore healthy eating from the comfort of your own home, download our free e-book for tips on how to eat and stay healthy at any age.