We take great care and pride in making home-cooked nutritious and delicious meals in our family style kitchen. Taste and presentation is of highest important to us to ensure we provide our residents pleasure and satisfaction in terms of food and nutrition.
In order to achieve this we buy the best quality menu items possible in our local area surrounding Summerland. We try to shop locally and we buy organic as much as possible. We are blessed to be surrounded by organic farms and orchards, where we source our fruits and vegetables in season. LocalMotive deliver us a box of local, organic fruits and vegetables weekly from spring to fall, and we supplement this with visits to our local Summerland Farmers Market on a Tuesday and Sunday morning.
We have a wonderful organic meat source in Summerland - Ogopogo meats, who provide us with high quality organic meats whenever possible. It is a priority to make our soups with homemade stock, and serve various breads, baked daily.
Our residents are actively included in all aspects of our food service and, consequently their nutrition. Their input and opinion is discussed at every meal, every day. That way we know if an item on the menu is no longer a favourite, we can plan accordingly.
Our residents not only see the groceries coming into the home, they often help bring them in and help put them away. On occasion we will prepare a resident’s favourite family recipe, and they participate in the organization and preparation.
Our philosophy regarding our meal service is rooted in old fashioned family values. Enjoying each others company, taking an interest in the food, using traditional familiar recipes, and high quality ingredients. All residents can see the preparation of the food in our family style kitchen, and the anticipation of the meal is heightened by the delicious aroma of home cooking, and discussions with the staff about the meal being prepared. This encourages a senior person, whose senses may be in decline to look forward to each meal, and consider each meal time a small celebration. One where the home baked fresh bread is taken directly to the table so residents can savour the warmth and aroma, before the bread is sliced and buttered.
The happy smile on our resident Dorothy’s face says it all. (She is waiting for the fresh baked bread and the home made cookies - true story).
Ask about the quality of food in your prospective care home
If you are looking for a care home for a family member it is a good idea to ask about the nutritional value of the meals. For example; are the major food groups represented? Are meals low in salt and unhealthy fats? Are they cooked from scratch and are they fresh ingredients rather than from a can? Will a residents personal preferences be taken into consideration at every meal?
Our daily meal budgets are among the highest in the province as we know the value of making sure our residents are fed well and live a happier and healthier lifestyle at Prairie Valley Lodge.
