Transitioning from Frozen to Fresh Ingredients in Senior Dining

Senior living communities continually search for the very best dining experiences for their residents. With dining as a prime opportunity for togetherness, socializing, and rejuvenation, we’re seeing more communities emphasize exceptional nutrition, food presentation, and dining experience; to achieve this, senior living teams are swapping frozen for fresh ingredients in their kitchens and relying on foodservice partners who can train teams in place to become a structured fresh-ingredient kitchen atmosphere.  

This move toward wellness-first, whole-ingredient cooking is an exciting modern-day shift for senior living communities; but not all foodservice providers are on board with such a bold change. Transitioning a kitchen from frozen, pre-packaged food to using more fresh ingredients, means kitchen teams will need to be trained to prep fresh ingredients, use custom recipes, and learn how to present food in a striking manner for each mealtime. Determined teams who are led by seasoned chefs learn that scratch cooking provides higher nutrients, beautiful plating opportunities, and more flavorful meals for valued residents.