Sunrise Senior Living Showcases Importance Of Senior Nutrition During National Nutrition Month

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Chefs serving today's seniors are expected to balance the need for personal choice with the demand for healthier, locally sourced food. During National Nutrition Month, Sunrise Senior Living, LLC, a senior living leader, is showcasing its Dining Program and how it is meeting these demands through Taste of Sunrise events to be held at its nearly 300 communities in the U.S. and Canada during March 10 – 16.

"Sunrise has always been committed to serving foods high in quality, nutrition and taste," said Laura McDuffie, chief operating officer for Sunrise. "What we're seeing with today's seniors is a growing demand for food that not only brings comfort and happiness, but also supports local economies and promotes healthfulness."

Sunrise's Dining Program is based on personal choice and preferences. A resident can dine in the community's well-appointed dining room or the comfort of their own suite, and choose from a comprehensive menu that changes daily. The food is prepared from scratch with the freshest ingredients, as Sunrise works with local vendors to ensure that seasonal and regional specialties are available to its residents.

With its 30 years of experience in serving seniors, Sunrise is an expert in senior nutrition and well prepared to meet the lifestyle demands of seniors today and generations to come. Sunrise offers families the following cooking tips to make prepared meals more nutritious:

• To make a low-fat, low-sodium salad dressing use a little vegetable stock thickened with cornstarch as a base.  Then whisk in vinegar, oil and other flavorings.  You can easily replace half of the oil in a typical dressing with the thickened stock.
• An easy way to eliminate nearly all of the fat from cream soups is to add some peeled and diced potato to the soup during cooking.  When the soup is pureed, the potato lends the soup a creamy, silky body that you would otherwise have to add fatty cream to achieve. 
• If a recipe seems flat, don't think to add salt right away.  Almost always, a flat-tasting recipe actually needs some acid to wake up the flavors, not salt. Try adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, a splash of vinegar, or a little tomato paste.

"Our Dining Program is based on our residents' special requests and needs, offering meals as nutritious as possible while maintaining a wide variety of flavorful, home-style options," said Tim Whelan, vice president of Dining Services for Sunrise. "Taste of Sunrise gives us an opportunity every year to showcase the important role food plays in the health and well-being of seniors."

Taste of Sunrise events during the week of March 10 – 16 will celebrate Sunrise community chefs and highlight residents' favorites and regional fare through a variety of offerings, including community brunches, holiday-themed meals, cook-off competitions, informational sessions and more. Event attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the third annual Sunrise Recipes from the Heart cookbook. To find a Taste of Sunrise event at a community near you, visit http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/taste.aspx.  To learn more about cooking for seniors, download the Taste of Sunrise Infographic: The 5 Key Ingredients to a Premier Dining Experience, and visit Sunrise's Food Blog, Senior Eats^TM.

About Sunrise Senior Living
Sunrise Senior Living, a McLean, Va.-based company, employs approximately 31,600 people. As of September 30, 2012, Sunrise operated 303 communities located in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with a unit capacity of approximately 29,400 units. Sunrise offers a full range of personalized senior living services, including independent living, assisted living, care for individuals with Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss, as well as nursing and rehabilitative services. Sunrise's senior living services are delivered by staff trained to encourage the independence, preserve the dignity, enable freedom of choice and protect the privacy of residents. To learn more about Sunrise, please visit http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com.

Contact:
Sara Abriatis
Corporate Communications
(703) 744-1829

SOURCE Sunrise Senior Living, LLC