A full commercial kitchen can be useful, but it is not the only way to provide residents with dependable meals. If your supportive housing residence has refrigerators, approved reheating equipment, and a clear delivery routine, fresh prepared meals can remove much of the cooking and cleanup from your staff’s workload.
At MealFix, we help organizations build practical programs around the space and equipment they already have. Keep reading to learn how!
Take Stock Of Your Space First
There’s nothing worse than discovering that 40 meals do not fit in the refrigerator. Before choosing meals, look at the room available to receive them.
How much refrigerator space can you dedicate to deliveries? Do you have enough microwaves for the number of residents eating at once? Is there a clear place for staff to check, sort and distribute each order?
We ask about storage, delivery timing and weekly volume before building your program so the plan works beyond the spreadsheet!
Choose Meals That Are Easy To Organize
Individually packaged meals can be labelled and arranged by resident, dietary preference or day of the week. Staff can find the correct meal without portioning food from large trays.
Our rotating menu includes balanced entrées alongside vegetarian, gluten-free, keto, low-carb and Protein Plus options. For residents who prefer familiar flavours or milder seasoning, we also offer a simple menu.
Not everyone wants a full-sized meal, either. Our Senior Portion provides approximately 75% of a regular serving at a lower price. It can be a practical option for residents with smaller appetites while helping reduce unfinished food.
Build A Routine Staff Can Follow
A good meal program should still work when the usual coordinator takes a day off. We can set up a custom order form, a shared document, or an account-based process with a clear deadline for selections.
Assign responsibility for placing orders, receiving deliveries, checking labels and organizing the refrigerator. Staff should also follow the storage and reheating directions provided with the meals.
When every step has an owner, meal delivery becomes part of the routine instead of a weekly scramble.
Match Delivery Frequency To Storage
Ordering more meals at once is not always more efficient. A residence with limited cold storage may benefit from smaller or more frequent deliveries, while another location may have room to receive a larger order.
We will discuss resident numbers, meal frequency, available space, delivery requirements and budget before recommending a setup. Starting with a pilot can also help your team test portions, menu variety and workflow before expanding the program.
Keep Residents Involved In Their Choices
Convenience for staff should not remove choice for residents. Where possible, ask about preferred flavours, familiar dishes, and portion sizes. Our published ingredient, allergen and available nutrition information can help staff compare selections!
Create A Kitchen-Free Meal Program With MealFix
A limited kitchen does not have to mean limited variety or another complicated task for staff. Ready to simplify mealtime? Contact MealFix with your resident count, storage details, available equipment, dietary requirements, delivery location and budget. We will help you build a fresh meal-delivery program that fits your residence.