Redefining aged care dining and nutrition at HillView Care

At HillView Care, we’re proud to offer beautiful meals prepared by our on-site chefs. Our team truly believes nutrition is key to exceptional care and we go above and beyond to ensure residents not only receive the best nutrition but also enjoy visually appealing meals that ignite their senses. 

We had a chat with our Catering Manager, Nanette, to discover more about the dining experience at HillView Care Merrimac and Ashmore. 

Tell us about meal planning and preparation at HillView Care

As a Gold Coast residential aged care home, nutrition is always at the heart of our meal planning and preparation. Our team designs each day’s menu to ensure the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates, fresh fruits and vegetables, calories and iron. We prepare meals fresh daily, whenever possible, ensuring residents receive food that is both wholesome and flavourful. Fresh produce is delivered to our kitchen 2-3 times per week, guaranteeing the highest quality ingredients. 

But our commitment to nutrition doesn’t end there. Our menu is checked by a dietitian to ensure it exceeds the highest nutritional standards and caters to the diverse dietary needs of our residents. 

How does HillView Care cater to special dietary needs? 

We understand every resident has unique dietary requirements. That’s why our team comes up with innovative solutions that cater to a range of needs and preferences. For example, we make a pizza with an egg frittata base, transformed with pizza sauce, sauteed mushrooms, onions, capsicum, roasted chicken pieces and a generous layer of cheese. The result is a delicious dish that is suitable for soft and bite-sized diets. 

We cater to vegetarian, gluten-free and lactose-free diets and work with a range of suppliers who provide us with beautiful ingredients that offer tasty solutions for these specific dietary requirements. 

How do you make pureed meals look more visually appealing? 

One of our most innovative approaches, and one we’re very proud of, is transforming pureed meals into something more visually appealing for our residents. It all starts with our food moulds, which allow us to reshape texture-modified menu items into their original forms. For instance, chicken is shaped back into the likeness of a drumstick or breast. 

Our residents enjoy the mini cottage pies we prepare for pureed and minced moist meals. The cheesecake looks amazing and those on regular diets would still love it! We use agar-agar, a plant-based gelling agent, to set cakes. This ingenious technique allows us to cut and present these cakes in a manner that mirrors traditional slices.

“When we stopped serving food that all looked the same, residents who would normally avoid their food, began to eat their meals! This inspired me to push the boundaries, using different colours and shapes. Our team is producing new ideas all the time (especially with desserts) and it’s great to see how inspired everyone is to present the meals in this way”, said Nanette.

Nanette’s innovative approach to meal presentation has not only transformed the dining experience for our residents but has also created a renewed sense of enthusiasm within our culinary team. Meals are more visually appealing and this approach has significantly improved residents’ appetites and overall enjoyment of their food. It’s truly remarkable how a simple change in presentation can have such a positive impact on our residents’ dining habits. 

Dining at HillView Care

At HillView Care, we place a strong emphasis on preparing healthy meals for our residents and our menu is constantly changing. It consists of breakfast, morning tea, a hot lunch or salad, afternoon tea and a three-course dinner and light supper. We love providing delicious, healthy meals that bring joy, health and delight to our residents and our commitment to culinary excellence is at the core of what we do. We take pride in making mealtimes special for every resident, regardless of dietary requirements.