Dining used to be a neglected feature for senior living in Travis County, TX. However, the quality of food and dining in retirement communities has considerably increased over the last few decades. Many senior living complexes are increasingly providing a more upscale dining experience.
Meal times in a retirement community used to entail bland food owing to overcooking, a lack of healthy fresh fruits and vegetables, and little to no menu variety. That is no longer the case. Residents now demand greater food quality, especially as more individuals begin to downsize and move into retirement communities. As a result, many retirement communities are forced to change their dining options to become more restaurant-like.
If you are planning to move into a retirement community, you can expect an exclusive experience as far as dining is concerned. Of course, this depends on the type of community you choose to live in. Generally speaking, some of the things you can expect concerning dining in senior living in Travis County, TX include the following:
More Options in Terms of Seating Arrangements
Most communities now emphasize creating social environments that also include superb cuisine. This implies that eating establishments have a far wider choice than in the past, giving various options. While one end of campus may contain a fast and casual restaurant, the other may have a more formal atmosphere. Depending on the environment, many new communities include café spaces and outdoor eating.
Professional Chefs Prepare Food
In the past, average chefs prepared meals in retirement communities. This is no longer the case today. The qualifications of chefs producing meals and working in senior communities are a noteworthy development in senior living dining. Retirement communities recruit skilled chefs and dining room employees with hospitality credentials instead of average chefs, waiters and waitresses, and other hospitality team members. This has transformed the dining experience in the communities to be closer to five-star restaurants rather than regular cafeterias. Guests get value for money in this regard.
While this is a newer trend, it is not unexpected. Today’s assisted living residents have greater educations, more earning power, and more funds, and they understand the difference between hospital cuisine and a genuinely gourmet dinner. The fact that most people prefer the latter is partly why this trend is catching on.
More Attention to Detail in Sourcing Ingredients
Most retirement communities used to buy cooking ingredients in bulk, often of low quality. This is no longer the case for most. Senior housing communities are implementing new food-sourcing strategies. For some, this involves growing produce on-site. For many others, it entails paying great attention to where the product is obtained, how far it has traveled, and if it is in season. Only fresh ingredients are used in cooking.
Many communities now cultivate their own herbs and veggies on-site. Seasonal herbs and greens such as lettuce, rosemary, and peppers are often grown in on-site gardens in some communities. In urban centers, spaces such as rooftop gardens are used to grow food, herbs, and spices. This allows them to acquire fresh, organic food and provide gardening as an activity for the guests. The result is that all ingredients used are fresh, and the food is, therefore, as close to perfect as possible.
