08 Oct Tips to Improve Meal Presentation & Food Quality in Disposable Containers
During the pandemic of COVID-19 many facilities have been delivering meals to residents in disposable containers for isolation patients. Our staff provided this information to help us make those foods for isolation because we have facilities that have had up to 60 people COVID-19 positive. So what did we do? Well, we were using isolation and the cups & plates. Darren Dewitt, Johnny Dean and Eric Jones have a culinary background and also are RDS that work with Nutritious Lifestyles. They provided us with these tips to improve our meals for residents:
- Top hot food with aluminum foil – they have found that increases heat retention. Casseroles for example, in a casserole increases heat retention.
- Batch cooking.
- Keeping cold in your cold containers, hot in hot.
- Avoid soggy food by using portion cups for your sausage, personalize that tin with the name and a smiley face. They will appreciate that, that is a way of socializing with them.
- Use bags/Ziploc and put ice in it for cold items on the cart
- Use garnishing more for those isolation trays again, they don’t get to get out of their room and see people add pops of color. Add an orange wedge, a slice with mellon, pickle wedge, pickle spear, lots, and lots of opportunities. a slice of beef, slice of spiced apple rings, fresh herbs, use shredded cheese and bacon bits on potatoes and soups. Desserts, you could easily make a short sheet cake for $10 to serve most of the nursing time. Put a cool whip topping on it and put a chocolate chip for two and you get a great dessert or drizzle with sauce and sauces and condiments using squeeze bottles.
These are just a few ways to improve meals for your residents during this difficult time. If they are COVID-19 positive and in isolation, it is important we take these extra steps to ensure their meals are enjoyable and delicious. By improving our meal presentation and food quality we can help residents meet nutritional goals and combat weight-loss, issues with chronic illnesses and malnourishment. For more information on ways to support our residents during the pandemic, listen to our webinar: Keeping You, Your Clients, and Staff Healthy While Delivering Safe, High-Quality Food and Dining Services.
