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Bon Appétit: How Senior Living Dining Trends Cater to Active Retirees’ Lifestyle and Gourmet Palates

Apr 26, 2019

Everybody has to eat. And who wants to live on a diet of food that’s bland, boring and tasteless? (Or worse – tastes awful?) “Fine cuisine” isn’t a phrase that springs immediately to mind when you hear the words “senior living dining,” but retirement communities around the country are on a mission to change that. Instead, they’re focused on creating an experience that rivals what you’d experience at a Michelin-rated restaurant.

“Our retirement community has been created and designed for senior retirees who expect more out of this stage of their life,” says Doris Lea, Executive Director of Hidden Springs of McKinney. “When seniors move to Hidden Springs of McKinney, they have more time to enjoy the things that make life truly great, like spending quality time with the people they care about. And, as you very well know, spending quality time often happens around the dinner table.”

According to Doris, the gourmet dining experience at Hidden Springs is just one of the ways that the luxury retirement community elevates retirement to new heights of fulfillment. “Although you won’t eat at the community every day – since you’ll want to be out and about – it will more than likely be your home base for meals,” she says. “When you choose a senior living community, to a degree you’re selecting what restaurant you’ll be eating at frequently. In that case, it needs to be a restaurant that you know you will enjoy!”

Senior living communities are incorporating recent dining trends to completely reinvent the dining experience for their residents – with professional Culinary Staff that combines quality, freshness, taste and nutrition. Walk into today’s community dining room and you’ll find family favorites as well as international cuisines. You’ll find staffs sourcing local ingredients to ensure everything that is served is as fresh and flavorful as possible (and supports partners in the community). And you’ll find communities that listen to their residents, hear their suggestions, take their needs into account and make sure that dining is always a celebration.

Treating Dining as An Experience, Not A Chore.

Dining is more than just an action. Just turn on Food Network if you don’t believe us! These days, cooking and cooking well is a hot trend that bring people together. It’s no surprise that retirees want to have that same experience when it comes to their senior living community. More and more senior living communities are adopting this “experiential” dining feel and are creating open-concept kitchens that allow residents to watch professional chefs cook, craft, slice and dine their meals from start to finish. Cooking demonstrations and lessons are just another way to get residents to enjoy the entire creation of the meal.

Thinking Locally with Farm-to-Table Cuisine.

Active retirees with gourmet palates are generally better traveled and more choosy than previous generations. They’ve seen the world, educated themselves and have adjusted their tastes accordingly. This is a generation that watched the “locally sourced” movement blossom and flourish, and they’re expecting that same level of care and compassion to be extended into the food they eat at their retirement community. They want to know where the food they’re eating has come from, and if it’s been raised in a sustainable way. From pairing with local farmers to choosing in-season produce for optimal nutrition and taste, many communities are leading the charge to design nutrition that’s also in harmony with nature.

Hiring Top Chefs.

The best way to get a fine dining experience is by hiring a fine dining kitchen staff. Senior living communities like Hidden Springs have gone from hiring “cooks” to having “chefs” on staff who’ve been thoroughly vetted and trained by some big names in the culinary world. It’s all part of the focus of providing a world-class dining experience each and every meal.

Providing Variety – the Spice of Life.

It used to be that senior living communities served meals at specific times each day and residents had assigned seats. Not so anymore. Today’s active seniors want a plethora of options when it comes to eating time, what they’re eating, where they’re eating – they want more than just the same old, same old. To meet those expectations, Hidden Springs will provide a main dining room called Las Boquillas. Crazy Waters Café’ and Bistro will also be on-site.

Hidden Springs Caters to Gourmet Palates and Active Lifestyles

When seniors in the North Dallas area are looking for a senior living community, delicious and nutritious food is certainly at the top of the priority list. Mealtime is an important part of our social well-being, and Hidden Springs takes that into consideration by providing a rich dining experience at each and every meal. Here’s what you’ll discover at our luxury retirement community.

  • A true restaurant experience. Walk into Las Boquillas and you’ll feel like you’ve entered a 5-star restaurant (which, actually, you have!). White linen tablecloths. Elegant and efficient servers. Gorgeous design. It’s all to make you feel like an honored guest.
  • A variety of options. Although there is a planned menu for each meal, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from – meaning you’ll never be bored.
  • Healthy and nutritious options. We know that delicious dining has to be balanced with proper nutrition. Our chef and culinary team are wizards in the kitchen, adapting dishes and recipes to ensure optimal healthiness without sacrificing taste or enjoyment.

We invite you to visit Hidden Springs of McKinney and discover The Secret to a Life Well Lived. For more information about our innovative, active senior living community or our beautiful location in McKinney, TX, please contact 972.445.9844. 

Active Retirement Living for a Healthy Tomorrow

The secret to a life well-lived awaits you at Hidden Springs of McKinney. Envisioned and developed by Madison Marquette, a company with a 25-year track record of investing in vibrant communities and a stellar reputation for developing luxury residences, you’ll discover all the possibilities your retirement brings … as well as the confidence of knowing your future is secure.

Our beautifully appointed, active retirement living community is created for those who expect more out of life. Luxury living, gracious services, resort-quality amenities, engaging programs and stunning apartments in 15 floor plans are just a few of the benefits awaiting you. And with assisted living and memory care services offered on campus, you can retire with complete peace of mind, knowing that if needs change, the care you deserve is right at home.