C H R I S T Y E D WA R D S , R D N , C D

PUTTING THE “ME” IN MENUS

DHS 83.41 FOOD SERVICE

• The CBRF shall make reasonable adjustments to the

menu for the individual resident’s food likes, habits,

customs, conditions and appetites.

• The CBRF shall prepare weekly menus and shall

make menus available to residents. Deviations from

the planned menu shall be documented on the

menu.

WEEKLY MENU

DHS 83.41 FOOD SERVICE

• Nutrition: The CBRF shall provide each resident with

palatable food that meets the recommended

dietary allowance based on current dietary

guidelines for Americans and any special dietary

needs of each resident.

NUTRITIONALLY ADEQUATE

FOOD CODE

• Person in charge has the responsibility to include

food allergy awareness in food safety training for

employees.

• Make part of the new employee orientation and do

periodic training.

ALLERGEN PROGRAM CONSIDERATIONS

• Have policy to ask every resident upon admission

and before first meal if they have any food allergies.

• If yes, require a visit from the kitchen manager,

chef, supervisor or dietitian before serving a meal.

• Validate sanitation program to avoid cross

contamination.

• Dedicate storage areas with allergen warnings on

container.

WHAT WOULD MICK JAGGER WANT?

http://www.retirementhomes.com/library/what-would-mick-jagger-want

#1. Choice of Dining—

What and where to eat

#2. Holistic Health

Feed their mind, hearts and souls.

#3. VIP Service

Concierge desk to service needs

#4. Technology

EMERGING TRENDS

Choice

Bistros/Menu/

Restaurant Style

Soup/Sandwich option or Soup Kettle Feature

Salad Bar/Buffets

Made to order breakfast

Happy Hour

Coffee Time

Dessert Carts

Salad Carts

Beverage Carts

Signature Dishes

Snack Shops/Stations

Pizza Delivery

Room Service

Pasta Bar, Baked Potato Bar, Pizza Bar

Choose Your Portion

Ice Cream Shop

Breakfast All Day

Food courts

Ethnic Foods

Green/Organic Foods

24 hour dining options

Fresh Food

Grab & Go Items

Fireside Grill

Bleu Barn

Restaurants in Senior

Communities

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):

Liberalized diets should be the norm, restricted diets should be the exception. Generally weight stabilization and adequate

nutrition are promoted by serving residents regular or minimally restricted diets.13

Research suggests that a liberalized diet can enhance the quality of life and nutritional status of older adults in long‐term care

facilities. Thus, it is often beneficial to minimize restrictions, consistent with a resident’s condition, prognosis, and choices before

using supplementation. It may also be helpful to provide the residents their food preferences, before using supplementation. This

pertains to newly developed meal plans as well as to the review of existing diets. Dietary restrictions, therapeutic (e.g., low fat or

sodium restricted) diets, and mechanically altered diets may help in select situations. At other times, they may impair adequate

nutrition and lead to further decline in nutritional status, especially in already undernourished or at‐risk individuals.

LIBERALIZE DIETS

HOW IS YOUR DINING PROGRAM PERCEIVED?

• Potential Customers

• Current Customers

• Employees

• Community Members

• Healthcare Partners

• Competitors

Find out what others are Doing……

Enhance the Dining Room

SATISFACTION SURVEY

Resident Observations

Family Observations

Employee Observations

Mystery Diner

RESIDENT COUNCIL MEETINGS

Complaints:

“The vegetables are too mushy”.

“The vegetables are too hard”.

“The meat is too dry”.

“I have to wait too long for my meal to be served”.

“Who do you have cooking back there?”

“The food is cold”

“This isn’t how I used to make it”

RESIDENT COUNCIL

• Likes and dislikes are different.

• Food is personal to your customers.

• This is there home.

• Everyone has an opinion on food.

• Food network has made many “food experts”

RESIDENT COUNCIL

• Bring a treat or new recipe idea to the food

council/resident council meeting. Food usually

makes people happy!

• Consider letting residents plan a menu occasionally

and use their recipes.

• Meet with chronic complainers one-on-one.

• Ask for ideas for events—involve them in the

planning of the event.

• Review progress from previous meeting.

RESOURCES TO HELP YOUR COOKS

• Review vegetable

cookery

• Consider implementing

batch cooking.

BATCH COOKING

JUST-IN-TIME FOOD PREPARATION WORKSHEET 1. Determine the number of portions for each service period. Ÿ What is the estimated number of portions to be served for the whole meal? A. ____Ÿ How many 15, 20 or 30 minute service periods during the meal period? B. ____

(Determine whether the product should be in batches for the amount served in a 20 to 30 minute service period. Some foods will need to be cooked in batches served in a 15-minute time period.) Ÿ Calculate the number of portions needed for each service period (A ÷ B = C). C. 2. What is the total amount of time needed to finish pre-preparation for one batch? Consider the time needed for: Ÿ Loading and unloading the equipment Ÿ Cooking Ÿ Finishing the product with seasoning, sauces, and/or garnish Ÿ Taking the finished product to the service line 3. Determine the “Start Time” and the “Service Time” for each batch of the product. Set up a production schedule for the convenience product.

Example: Individual Cheese Pizza Estimated servings: 500 Batch Pre-Preparation Time Batch Size: 6 pans = 96 servings

Task: Time Needed:Planning/prepping 5 minutesBaking/Finishing 13 minutesLine Replacement 2 minutesTotal Prep Time 20 minutes

Production Schedule:Start Time Service Time Servings Needed11:10 a.m. 11:30 a.m. 6 pans/96 servings11:30 a.m. 11:50 a.m. 6 pans/96 servings11:50 a.m. 12:10 p.m. 6 pans/96 servings12:10 p.m. 12:30 p.m. 6 pans/96 servings12:30 p.m. 12:50 p.m. 6 pans/96 servings

DO YOUR COOKS HAVE STANDARDIZED RECIPES?

•Achieve consistent product

•Know food/labor costs

•Know how much time to prepare

•Know the ingredients required

•Offer a consistent yield

HOW DO YOU MAKE A TURKEY SANDWICH?

• 2 slices bread or bun or wrap?

• Cheese or no cheese

• Lettuce and tomato

• Butter or mayo?

• How much turkey?

CONVENIENCE VS HOMEMADE

• Ice cream cups

• $15.00/48/4oz

• $.31 each

• Hand dipping ice cream

• $24.00/3 gallon

• 96 servings

• Labor: 1 hour/$8.00

• Total $32.00

$.33 per serving

CONVENIENCE VS HOMEMADE

• Krusteaz• $41.00/144 each

• Labor 15 min at $8.00/hour = $2.00

• Total = $43.00

• $.30 each

• Homemade• 50 slices texas toast $7.42

• 3 cup liquid eggs $1.90

• 1.5 qt milk $1.19

• ½ cup sugar $.10

• Labor 45 min at $8.00/hr = $6.00

• Total $16.61

• $.33 each

STANDARDS FOR PLATE PRESENTATION

STANDARDS FOR MEAL PREP

STANDARDS FOR CHOICE MENU PREP

PENNIES TO GARNISH…..

REMEMBER MODIFIED DIETS TOO…

Mechanical Soft Pureed

CREATING THE “PERFECT” MENU

• No complaints from customers

• Meeting customer expectations

• Marketing tool for senior community

• Little food waste

• Meet Nutrition regulations

• Dietary staff able to prepare meals

• Meet your budget

EVOLVING MENU

• What new items do your residents want or

items that they don’t like?

• Involve your dining team!

• What is trendy?

• Consider help from your sales rep

• Plate waste study

• Theme days

• Have menu meetings to discuss recipe

changes, menu changes, etc.• Is there a meal that involves too much oven space?

CAN YOU AFFORD IT?

TOTAL COST $1.23

Sweet Potato

Fries

$0.39

Apple Chicken

Sandwich

$0.84

TOTAL COST $0.94

TOTAL COST $1.10

Garlic Chicken

Pasta

$0.95

Dinner Roll

$0.15

TOTAL COST $1.58

Sweet Potato

Waffle Fries

$0.35

Pot Roast Grilled

Cheese

$1.23

TOTAL COST $1.46

Vegetable Blend

$0.27

Honey Dijon Pork

$0.77

Garlic Mashed

Cauiflower

$0.42

TOTAL COST $0.95

TOTAL COST $1.43

Wild Rice

$0.20

Honey Mustard

Chicken

$1.13

Balsamic Kale &

Apples

$0.10

TOTAL COST $1.51

Balsamic Green

Beans

$0.25

Mixed Greens

$0.32

Tuscan Crusted

Cod

$0.94

TOTAL COST $1.98

Citrus Salsa

Salmon

$1.68

Quinoa

with Toasted

Walnuts

$0.25

HELP YOUR RESIDENTS TRY NEW FOODS

• Have a new recipe sampling event or mini food show.• Let guests sample new items and vote on their favorites

• Serve small bite-size portions

• Schedule the sampling during your guests’ hungriest time of day. Food tastes better when you’re hungry.

HELP YOUR RESIDENTS TRY NEW FOODS

• If you create your own menus, pair new recipes

with good ole’ favorites.

• This helps reassure that if your guest doesn’t like

one item, the whole meal isn’t a bust.

• Be able to describe new recipes/products

HELP YOUR RESIDENTS TRY NEW FOODS

• Post pictures of new menu items on bulletin boards,

in resident newsletters or on television monitors.

Turkey

Primavera

THEME MEAL EVENTS

Mad Hatter Tea Party

WHAT TO DO WITH CURRENT MENU?

• What can be done to market and improve satisfaction with service, plate presentation, marketing?

• Ready for a change? Consider ways to “spice up the old” • New breads for sandwiches

• Dessert cart options

• Re-name or add descriptors

• Sandwich spreads

• Plating ideas

• Pretty vegetable blends

TAKE OLD FAVORITES UP A NOTCH

ACTION STATIONS

Taco bar

Salad bar

Yogurt parfait

Build your sandwich

Gourmet grilled cheese

Waffle station

Omelet station

Pancake station

Pasta station

Macaroni & cheese bar

Typical Menu

Baked Fish

Mashed Potatoes

Broccoli

Bread & Butter

Apple Pie

Romance your Menu!

Enhanced Menu

Crispy Baked Tilapia

Creamy Mashed

Potatoes

Seasoned Broccoli

Fresh Baked Bread with

Butter

Dutch Apple Pie with

Whipped Topping

IT’S GREEK TO ME!

ITALIAN THEMEDPASTA LASAGNA

ROLL UP(53-3 oz)

ITEM

NUMBER: 983560

Riviera Vegetables

HAVE IT YOUR WAY….

SITE MENU

THE POSTED MENU…..

Implement

Choice

Offerings

DAILY SOUP OPTION

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

• Make continental breakfast available from 6:30 – 10

am, along with hot breakfast option. A relaxed

breakfast is becoming the industry standard.

GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE!

• Smile

• Call the customer by name

• Listen

• Have a sense of urgency

• Do what you say you will do

• Communicate if you cannot fulfill the request right

away

• Make the customer feel like the most important

person in the room

WHY CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING

• Same dining environment every day—3 times per day.

• This is what community will hear about first

• This is what prospective residents want to know—dining

experience and food quality.

SELLING THE MENU

• Train staff how to describe the taste and texture of

the new recipe

• Make sure servers taste the menu items

• Post pictures of new menu items

• Have serving staff circulate through the dining room

and offer second helpings.

• Celebrity chefs

• Chefware

LOOK THE PART

Have the cook wear a chef

jacket, and equip the

serving staff with crisp, clean

serving aprons and name

tags.

It gives a professional

appearance, and the

residents love knowing and

interacting with the people

who were responsible for

making their meals.

CHOICE IS BEST

• Choose what they eat

• Choose if they eat

• Choose how much they eat

• Choose where to eat