Healthcare kitchens are taking multifaceted approaches to improving the physical and mental wellbeing of patients and residents. Their efforts are reflected in the food they serve and how it is presented.
In this article, we present foodservice products for senior living homes and other healthcare facilities that make it easier for people to maintain their health and happiness. Our focus is on portion control supplies and display cookware.
Portion Control Utensils
Healthcare cafeterias are glowing up. Whether in hospitals or senior living facilities, menu options are more enticing, nutritious, and consistent. Portion control utensils and prep equipment makes this possible and greatly contributes to resident satisfaction as well as operational success.
What Is Portion Control?
Portion control serving utensils dish out appropriate portion sizes that consider individual needs. This is very important in healthcare settings. Take senior living facilities for example.
As we age, our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) slows down. With this metabolic change come challenges. Our bodies burn fewer calories at rest, so we don’t need as much food to maintain a healthy weight. When seniors consume excess calories, the extra weight puts a strain on joints and increase the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. So, appropriate calorie intake is a must for healthy senior living.
Age-related changes can also affect leptin sensitivity. Leptin is a hormone that controls satiety and appetite regulation. It is what allows us to know when we are full. Practicing portion control with seniors can help train the body to recognize satiety cues and avoid overeating.
Portion control doesn’t mean deprivation. It’s about finding the right balance to meet your senior loved one’s individual needs and ensure they get the nutrients they need to stay healthy and strong. For patients in the hospital, this is crucial for managing weight, controlling blood sugar levels, and promoting overall recovery.
Portion Control Serving Utensils and Prep Equipment
Active portion control takes the guesswork out of prepping and serving. By utilizing color-coded ladles, dishers, and spoodle utensils designed for portion control, residents and patients receive the number of calories and nutrients they need, while adhering to specific dietary restrictions. There are also psychological benefits for senior residents and patients.
Portion Control Prevents Food Anxiety
Standardized portions guarantee consistent meal quality and ensure every patient receives the same amount of food, regardless of who prepares or serves it. While seniors and patients may feel a lack of control over many aspects of their lives, they can relax knowing their food will be consistently prepared, just how they like it.
Consistent meals also bring peace of mind. Pre-measured portions minimize the risk of human error when staff are serving meals, especially for patients with specific dietary needs.
Portion Control Minimizes Mental and Physical Discomfort
Since the 1980’s, restaurant portion sizes have doubled and consumers began to equate the enormous “American-sized” portions with value. However, too much food leaves the customer less comfortable and dulls the palate. Precise sizing leaves guests, residents, and patients satiated without overeating.
As we age, routines and familiar things provide a sense of comfort and security. And oftentimes, when served too much food, people will feel pressure to eat it all which feels overwhelming. Consistent meals can be a source of predictability and reduce decision fatigue.
How Portion Control Supplies Benefit the Entire Operation
Create a worry-free kitchen operation that minimizes waste and maximizes profits.
Portion Control Promotes Efficiency
Practicing portion control in your healthcare kitchen is also a practice of efficiency. Portion control equipment like color-coded scoops or ladles saves time and effort in the kitchen. Staff can quickly and easily serve the correct amount without having to measure each serving individually. See how using this handy chart.
For all of your left-handed kitchen staff, the squeeze dishers pictured below work wonderfully as ambidextrous tools. And for extra sanitary measures, operators may choose the extended handle disher option to keep their handles out of the food.
Control Costs While Reducing Food Waste
Controlling your food costs demands accurate, repeatable portion sizing. Every penny counts. By controlling portion sizes, healthcare facilities can use resources more efficiently because it allows operators to accurately predict food costs and budget accordingly.
Pre-measured portions minimize the amount of food that gets thrown away, which saves the business money and doesn’t contribute to the environmental problems food waste has created.
Display Cookware
Presentation is everything. Using attractive banqueting dishes and pans in senior living facilities has a positive impact on residents well-being for some surprising and not so surprising reasons.
What Is Display Cookware?
Display cookware is designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional at the same time. This means they can move from the oven or stove top straight to the table. Display cookware is often designed to keep food warm and fresh for long periods of time. It’s about functionality that is presentable. Pieces often have a polished finish and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Enhance Your Residents’ Sensory Experience and Memory
Presenting food in visually appealing vessels creates a multisensory experience of sight, smell, and taste that makes the experience more enjoyable. For seniors with memory decline, these sensory cues trigger positive memories and associations with past meals.
The aesthetic of dining environments greatly influences your residents’ moods. Attractive pans are more positive and stimulating than an average presentation, to the point it could reduce feelings of isolation and depression.
Attractive display cookware also makes food more visually appealing, potentially stimulating the appetite. The extra appetite stimulation is very helpful for residents with reduced appetite due to medications, illness, or age-related changes.
Increase Self-Esteem and Socialization
Using elegant serveware conveys respect and value to your residents, which in turn promotes feelings of dignity and self-worth. This boost is especially helpful for seniors struggling with their lack of independence.
Upscale presentations encourage conversation and social interaction among residents because the formality makes brunch or dinner time feel more like an occasion. The shared experience of a visually appealing meal provides a positive social cue that can help build community.
Unique Shapes, Novelty, and Stimulation
For residents with cognitive decline, adding some unusual shapes alongside your normal presentation is visually stimulating and sparks curiosity. Unique shapes are conversation starters. So, adding them to your usual repertoire could promote more socialization during mealtimes.
When incorporating unusually shaped vessels to a senior living facility, it’s best to introduce them gradually alongside familiar options. It’s also important to consider which unusual shape to use. For instance, shapes with gentle curves and a stable base are more comforting than sharp angles or uneven surfaces.
Most importantly, ensure the unusual shapes you choose still prioritize ease of use for residents with dexterity limitations.
A Dignified, Healthy Life
Combining the precision of portion control supplies with the visual appeal of display cookware, creates a dining experience that nourishes both the body and the soul. This two-pronged approach ensures residents and patients receive the right amount of food for their needs, while also stimulating their senses and promoting a sense of community. It’s a win-win for both health and happiness.
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Quality. Efficiency. Cost-effectiveness. These goals aren’t unique to just one industry. From schools to hospitals to hotels and beyond, the goal is to provide the highest quality meal possible for staff and customers. And for more than 150 years, Vollrath has been there to assist foodservice teams in every industry, every step of the way.
