Divison Spotlight Food & Nutrition
Senior Services Food & Nutrition grew out of the need to provide delicious and nutritious meals for seniors 55+ and adults with physical and adaptive needs. Our team members creatively prepare hot, nutritiously balanced meals incorporating traditional foods for those who are unable to cook or who would otherwise not receive proper nutrition. Meals are available dine-in or delivered to our 220+ homebound clients in partnership with Senior Services Transportation. “As we get older, we lose our sense of taste and our appetite, so seniors will sometimes skip meals or choose highly processed foods that have flavor, but aren’t nutritious,” said Jo Figueroa, Food & Nutrition supervisor and chef. “We want to make sure that our seniors and vulnerable adults are getting all the food groups in their diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and vitamin C.” Meals are prepared according to USDA MyPlate guidelines and menus are approved by a certified nutritionist. But it is about more than nutrition. Our team of cooks and cook aides are educated and have years of experience in the food industry. Many have a culinary degree. They bring that creativity to preparing meals that are nutritious and that includes new and traditional food items. “I enjoy the expressions [our clients] make when they really like something,” said Jo. “I think about nutrition but also ask myself, Is this something they will enjoy—something that maybe they’ve not tried before?” Jo recalls a time when an HDM driver shared how much his client enjoyed his lunch, “He never had a steak salad before and he enjoyed it so much that
he wanted to know when we could do it again.” As much as possible, Jo and her team try to incorporate traditional foods. “We’ve had cactus, tepary beans, squash and foods that many of our seniors ate growing up, like Spam and potatoes, homemade tortillas—foods that they find comforting,” explained Jo. “It’s a balance in providing new and innovative foods like mesquite flour cornbread and food they remember from their youth that brings comfort.” In addition to considering the flavor and nutrition of meals, the team is always looking for opportunities to better serve our seniors and adults with physical and adaptive needs. Breakfast To-Go was recently added as an option for working seniors. To-go breakfasts are available at the Salt River Senior and Lehi Community Centers starting at 7:45am Monday through Friday. Simply come in and sign for your meal. In addition, Food & Nutrition recently acquired a smoker to create new options for meat and vegetables. “We are always looking for new flavors and ways to prepare foods that add variety and interest to our menus,” said Jo. Dine-in meals are provided Monday through Friday at Salt River Senior and Lehi Community Centers. Breakfast is served 8-9am and lunch is served 11:30am-12:30pm. “We invite all of our seniors to come in and enjoy a meal and visiting with one another in our dining rooms. We’ve missed everyone so much,” said Jo. “Bon appetit.” SRPMIC SENIOR SERVICES
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