In 2013, Nathan Allman started Chefs for Seniors with his Father Barrett, a long time restaurant owner. Chefs for seniors makes customized meals for the week in their clients home while offering companionship and nutrition safety checks.
Nathan Allman explained, “My father and I started cooking for clients in the Madison, Wisconsin area ourselves, but quickly realized that we’d tapped into a real need in the community. We were soon hiring chefs and expanding to new markets. We now have franchises operating throughout the country and have served thousands of clients. I’ve seen firsthand the impact proper nutrition has had on our client’s lives.”
Nutrition Tips for Seniors
For older adults, proper nutrition is especially important for maintaining or improving health and overall well-being. While everyone’s exact dietary needs are different and should be discussed with a healthcare professional, the following nutrition tips are some of the best practices for seniors.
Portion Control
To reach or stay at a healthy weight, how much you eat is almost as important as what you eat.
Aging causes changes in metabolism and activity levels. Seniors typically have a slower metabolism, which means the body doesn’t digest food and absorb nutrients as quickly. Therefore, seniors don’t need to eat as much, but should focus on the nutrient density of their food choices.
It’s important to eat healthy foods to ward off disease and illness. We have an epidemic of diabetes in our society, along with cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Healthy Eating Tips
• Eat less sugar
• Limit sodium
• Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit
• Eat calcium-rich foods
• Eat breakfast
• Eat more protein
• Add beans, nuts and seeds to your diet
• Ask you provider about the best diet for you
There is no one diet that is right for everyone. Diets should be custom tailored to your specific needs.
About Chefs for Seniors
As individuals age, shopping and preparing meals can become a difficult task. With so many other issues to worry about such as being a caregiver, suffering from arthritis, or other disorders that limit mobility, cooking is one thing that many seniors wish they didn’t have to do. Chefs For Seniors is a welcomed answer for many that want nutritious, flavorful foods custom-prepared right in the comfort of your home by a licensed chef that not only provides gourmet-style meals, but also compassionate companionship. They also have specialty meals for low sodium, low fat, and other dietary needs.
The company’s local professional chefs prepare affordable meals for the week in the home using the freshest ingredients, while offering a fun interactive experience. Chefs for Seniors is a private meal preparation service which specializes in providing companionship with the chefs preparing the meals in the home of the client. Clients select meals from a regional menu which can be customized to the client’s dietary preferences and needs. The process aims to be an affordable option for seniors who may want fresh home-cooked meals, but who may be physically unable to cook the meals for themselves.
Professionally Prepared Meals and Clean Up!
Chefs for Seniors offers rotating menu options, which includes select Chef creations inspired by the region. Clients select their desired meal in advance, allowing the chef to shop and prepare the meals on the designated cooking day. Chefs prepare the meals between two to two and a half hours. And an added benefit is that after the meal is prepared and stored according to the client’s preferences, the chefs clean before leaving the house.
The price of our services are region-specific and depends on your individual needs. Our goal is to provide an affordable solution that seniors can use long-term. We offer three different service packages to meet a variety of needs: Standard, Custom, and Non-Standard. Some Long Term Health Insurance Policies may cover certain in-home services like Chefs For Seniors. During a 2-hour home visit, your personal chef will prepare 4 different entrées and 10-12 individually-packaged servings of meals. The exact number of servings depending on your appetite and the types of meals ordered and serving sizes can be adjusted with your chef.
Most clients have their personal chef visit their home every week, although some choose to schedule services every 2 weeks or 2x per week. We can work within your budget, appetite, and needs.
What if I Have a Special Diet or Dietary Concerns?
We can accommodate most dietary concerns and diets. Our chefs and menus are particularly well-suited for low-sodium, diabetic friendly, gluten-free, Kosher, and renal diet meals. We also take inspiration from the DASH Diet (Dietary Approach To Stopping Hypertension), when designing our weekly menu rotations. Our Custom Package is well suited for clients with less common diets or dietary concerns.
You don’t have to be a senior to enjoy the professional chef prepared foods! Contact Chefs For Seniors today at 239-776-1758 to find out more.