How Top-Notch Senior Living Communities Craft Their Dining Program

Food is more than just fuel. It’s a medication, a supplement, preventative care, and a source of immense pleasure. 

The best senior living communities understand that your relationship with food matters. Sure, you need to eat healthily, but you also deserve to enjoy your food. Some of the most delicious food is also some of the most nourishing. Senior living dining at the best communities consistently stays ahead of the foodie curve, embracing new trends and providing old favorites while offering healthy year-round fare. 

Poor nutrition is a leading cause of poor health across the globe, and almost all heart disease is preventable through healthier lifestyles. In addition, some of life’s best moments happen over a meal, whether it’s a stimulating conversation with a new friend or a chance to bridge gaps of time and distance with a family member you haven’t seen in years. 

At Cedarhurst, we work with professional chefs and residents to craft delicious, inspiring menus that prioritize health goals. Here’s what makes our approach to senior living dining so special. 

A Delicious Menu 

Good health is all about forming the right habits. Food that’s healthy for you should taste good, too. It’s easy to embrace healthy eating when food is accessible and delicious. 

Cedarhurst offers a varied menu inspired by local culture and seasonal fare. Whether you crave savory food or prefer the comfort items of your youth, there’s something on our menu you can get excited about. 

Consider these sample items from our recent menu: 

All-Day Foods

Who doesn’t love all-day breakfast? Some recent offerings included: 

• Oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins, walnuts, or dried cranberries
• Granola or cereal 
• Ham and sausage omelet with cheddar cheese and your choice of toast 
• Blueberry and granola pancake with seasonal fruit and sweet honey 
• Egg white omelet, spinach, caramelized onions, and tomatoes with seasonal fruit 

Soups and Salads

Whether it is a hearty bowl of soup or a crisp salad, there are classic and healthy options for a variety different palates. Check out some of our favorites: 

• Soup du jour offerings are always tasty and fresh, varying by region and time of year
• Baby spinach, blueberries, strawberries, goat cheese, and red onions with poppy seed dressing 
• Classic chef’s salad with ham, turkey, egg, and cheddar cheese 
• Side garden salad with seasonal greens and your choice of dressing 

Sandwiches

Is there anything more classic than a fresh sandwich for lunch? Some recent options included: 

• Clubhouse turkey with crisp bacon, bibb lettuce, swiss cheese, and cranberry mayo with savory smoked turkey 
• Tuna melt grilled with Swiss cheese on whole wheat bread with a fresh pickle 
• Classic burger with choice of cheese on a rich brioche roll 
• Craft-your-own deli sandwich 

Specialties

These seasonal offerings represent some of our tasty and ever-changing specialty menu items: 

• Margherita pizza 
• Lemon-garlic shrimp
• House-made crispy chicken strips 

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Easy, Accessible Food Options

When you live at home, eating healthily means planning, shopping for, and preparing each meal or shouldering the expense of eating out. At Cedarhurst, we believe that healthy eating should be easy and accessible. We offer an always-available menu so you can eat when you want. 

We know that comfort food is more than just nourishment. For many people, it’s deeply emotional, triggering happy memories and a sense of safety. That’s why we offer a predictable list of accessible comfort foods you can eat anytime. 

We supplement these perennial favorites with seasonally and culturally influenced menu items. Whether you prefer to eat the classic items you’ve always loved or endlessly experiment with new foods, you’ll find something you love at Cedarhurst. 

A Focus on Health—Without Compromising Flavor 

Sick of “healthy” food that does little to nourish your mind? Think that having a chronic medical condition means resigning yourself to a life of bland food? Think again! 

Cedarhurst offers specialized menus for a number of nutritional needs. And don’t worry, when you live here, you can enjoy delicious meals every day without getting the side-eye from your doctor or dietitian. 

Our specialized menu options include: 

• Gluten-free: If you live with celiac disease or have gluten sensitivity, there are still plenty of delicious offerings, including comfort foods and classic meals without gluten. 
• Diabetic-friendly: Living with diabetes doesn’t mean living off of water and lettuce. You can enjoy flavor and good health with our diabetes-conscious menu options. 
• Low-sodium: Sodium is an easy way to add flavor to meals, and many prepackaged processed foods are high in this nutrient. You need a little sodium, but too much can hurt your heart. We find creative ways to season food and prioritize fresh, whole foods over prepackaged fare. 
• Heart-healthy: The nutritional decisions you make today will affect your heart for a lifetime, whether you have heart disease or not. Our heart-healthy menu helps keep your ticker in good shape now and in the future, while still prioritizing flavor and fun. 
• Boost Your Brain^SM: Did you know that certain foods, especially those rich in omega-3 fatty acids, can protect your brain and optimize cognitive health? Your brain is your body’s control center, and Cedarhurst helps you nourish it with our delicious brain-boosting foods.

Plenty of Variety

Our comfort foods are really good—so good, in fact, that many residents fall in love and want to eat the same thing every day. We have residents who are the first ones in the dining hall each day to grab a bite of their favorites, and we love that! 

We also know that variety is the spice of life, so we cater to our most adventurous eaters with a rotating list of seasonal fare. Whether you want to try something new every day, to cultivate a seasonal favorite, or to mix your old favorites with new offerings, we think you’ll be delighted with the variety you find at Cedarhurst. 

Want to master the art of food preparation and entertaining at home? We can help there, too. We offer seminars on exceptional food, cooking classes, and more. Our Summer Charcuterie Board seminar recently had everyone spreading delicious meats and cheeses as they talked about summer dining plans. 

An Exceptional Dining Experience

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? What details do you remember most? While the food might have been important, the company, setting, and presentation probably all figure prominently in your memory, too. Food is an immersive experience, and we believe the best meals cater to all five of your senses. 

We also know that no two people’s dining preferences are exactly alike. That’s why we’ve intentionally designed a number of dining experiences. 

• Take your meal home and eat in cozy, familiar settings. 
• Grab a friend and head out to the green space to enjoy fall weather or spring blooms. 
• Get dressed to the nines and enjoy a date in our restaurant-like dining space. 

Living in a community means a chance to eat with new friends, old confidantes, and plenty of dinner companions just looking to make your acquaintance. You have plenty of options for eating with others, but you can always choose to eat alone when you want a quiet moment.

Learn More About Senior Living Dining at Cedarhurst

Many residents are surprised by how on-trend our dining experiences are and how much they enjoy truly healthy eating. 

Want to learn more about the dining experiences you can expect in a Cedarhurst community? 

Check out our Crafted by Cedarhurst^SM program, and download our guide, More Than a Menu: What’s Cooking at Cedarhurst.