Senior Living Chain Struts its Culinary Chops

In support of National Nutrition Month, Sunrise Senior Living plans to host Taste of Sunrise events at its over 300 communities from March 8 to 14, with the public invited to sample home-cooked meals such as sautéed striped bass with quinoa tomato salad and minted lemon parsley vinaigrette as well as meet Sunrise culinary professionals and learn about the company's Sunrise Signature Dining program and the importance of senior nutrition.

“Taste of Sunrise is an opportunity to get in touch with the local community and have a dialogue about the unique nutritional needs of seniors, while demonstrating that a well-balanced meal can also be incredibly delicious,” says Tim Whelan, vice president of Dining Services.

“Our Sunrise Signature Dining program adheres to the notion that choice is paramount for residents,” adds Caitlin Rogers, national director of dining and nutrition services. "Menu options change daily and home-style meals are prepared by our chefs using the freshest ingredients—always keeping in mind the special dietary needs of seniors, such as providing high-fiber or low-fat choices. But we won’t compromise flavor."

The company's latest offering iis a series of regional menus with nutritional information for each recipe posted on the assisted living communities’ dining webpages. The online menus complement the existing table menus that are available in dining rooms and give web visitors the option to filter choices by five different diet approaches: high calcium, high fiber, low fat, low sodium and vegetarian. An additional feature includes the opportunity to pick choices from the menu and calculate the total meal’s nutritional value based on the items selected.

The Taste of Sunrise events will include cook-off competitions and demonstrations, holiday-themed meals, informational sessions, special lunches and more. Attendees will also receive a complimentary copy of the fifth annual Sunrise Recipes from the Heart cookbook, featuring personal recipes from Sunrise staff and residents. Sunrise operates 302 senior living communities in the U.S., Canada and the UK, including 15 Gracewell Healthcare communities, with a total unit capacity of approximately 27,100.