Care Home Food Menus That Might Surprise You

If you've ever asked, “How can I find a care home where the food is really good?” then this blog may help you.

The standard of food available in care homes is on the rise thanks to such initiatives as the NACC’s Care Chef of The Year competition and Autumna’s Choice Dining accreditation. 

Nowadays it’s much easier to identify a care home near you that takes its food service seriously.

Care home chefs have created exceptional and thoughtful menus to provide a superior standard of food to the people who live in care homes or receive respite care.

Nutrition for people over 65 has become a focus within the care sector, as the knowledge of how food affects our general health and recovery abilities grows. 

After a delicious dive into care home menus, through a quick search on Autumna, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite 5 care home meals.

Roast leg of lamb with rosemary and mint sauce, served with roast potatoes and a garden vegetable selection of the day

Where can you try it? The Lawns Residential Care Home in Leicestershire. 

Menu example: The Lawns Residential Care Home food menu. 

Mushroom, lentil and red wine wellington (V)

Where can you try it? Sedgley Court, residential, dementia and respite care home, Dudley

Menu example: Sedgley Court, Dudley food menu.

Pork Loin with sage stuffing served with gravy

Where can you try it? Fountains Care Centre in Swinton, Manchester

Menu example: Fountains Care Centre, food menu

Pasta Roma

Where can you try it? Ashley Court residential, nursing, dementia and respite care home in Edinburgh.

Menu example: Ashley Court food menu

Vegetable tempura with Asian soy & sweet chilli dipping sauce

Where can you try it? Groveland Park residential and dementia home in Bexleyheath, Kent

Menu example: Groveland Park care home food.

How can you tell if a care home has good food?

An easy way to spot the care homes with a high standard of food and service is to look out for the Choice Dining Badge. 

After listening to so many care seekers enquire about the food on offer, the Autumna team created a badge that care homes can add to their Autumna profile which details exactly what types of food residents can expect to receive at meal times.

To be awarded the Choice Dining badge, a care home will have committed to delivering an exceptional dining experience with a strong focus on:

• Preference
• Individuality
• Hygiene
• Care
• The environment

Search for care homes with the Choice Dining badge

For the first time, you can now explore all about the food a care home offers, how it is served and presented and what they’re doing to cater for personal taste.

Begin your search by going to the Autumna homepage and typing in your postcode. 

Next, select the orange button that says ‘Additional Filters’ and scroll down to find the ‘Choice Dining’ button. Select ‘Yes’ and press ‘Search.’

You will now be presented with a list of care homes in your area that take their food and mealtimes seriously. To see exactly what each one has to offer, go into the profile and click on the Food (Choice Dining) tab.

Dietary considerations in care homes

You can also use Autumna to search for care homes that serve food that is:

• Pureed
• Gluten-free
• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Halal
• Kosher

Again, go to the Autumna homepage and type in your postcode. 

Next, select the orange button that says ‘Additional Filters’ but this time scroll down to find the ‘Dietary Options’’ button.

Finally, select the options that you want to filter for, for example, 'Vegetarian' and press search.

Care homes share information about their food on Autumna

Food plays a huge contribution towards quality of life and we encourage care home managers to provide as much detail about the food and service they provide. The greater the information, the higher their profile appears in the search because we value transparency and want people looking for care to have the information required to decide where care is received. 

For example, if you search for care homes with the Choice Dining badge in Leicestershire, you may find Moat House in Hinckley.

On their Autumna profile, they have thoughtfully explained that their menu has been approved by a registered nutritional therapist or dietician.

Can friends and family visit a care home for mealtimes?

Yes, lots of care homes, including Priors House in Warwickshire, encourage family and friends to come along, usually for lunch or dinner. 

On an Autumna care home profile, you can see information about the dining settings, including whether families and friends are invited for meals.

Look at care home food menus

Before you move into a care home, look at the food menus for different care homes in your local area and compare pictures of the meals and snacks on offer too. 

Look for sample menus on Autumna. Some care homes, with a Choice Dining badge, make them available to download. <

So, for example, if you want to see a care home menu, you can search Autumna by your postcode and filter by ‘Choice Dining’.

Being able to look at a 4-week cycle menu for a care home that you like is just one of the reasons why so many people searching for care rely on Autumna. 

You can also look at pictures and videos of the care home, including the dining areas, as well as pictures of food served on-site. 

There may also be useful information about the chef and serving staff as well as the care home manager of course.

Find a care home for someone with dysphagia needs

Not everyone with dysphagia needs has dementia but it’s common for people with this progressive disease to need support with eating and drinking.

Being able to enjoy mealtimes is important for the well-being and happiness of older adults with dementia. After all, food is a source of joy. The tricky part comes with preparing and moulding food that is also visually appealing and therefore appetising. It’s a skill that takes practice and one that many chefs in care homes have honed through experience in cooking for people with dysphagia needs. 

Care home food for people with dementia can be enjoyable but every good care home manager knows that the environment affects how comfortable a person is and therefore, how much food is eaten. 

That’s why information about the dining environment is also available on care home profiles with the Choice Dining badge on Autumna.

Book a visit to a care home near you and try the food

Visiting a care home you like is a good way to test the waters and find out how you feel about moving. 

Food is a great icebreaker and settling somewhere new is easier when you’ve already met the residents during a spot of lunch or dinner. 

Why not book a visit to a care home that you’re interested in and ask if you can join them for a meal? Just select the ‘Book a Visit’ button on the care home’s Autumna profile or call them using the contact information provided on the profile.

What’s on the menu for dinner tonight at the nearest care home near you?

So, whether it's roast lamb or vegetable tempura, seafood jambalayah, pork loin or mushroom and lentil wellington you fancy on your care home menu, there's no need to guess. You can find menu examples for care homes in your local area by searching for care homes with the Choice Dining badge on Autumna.

Alternatively, call our elder care experts to talk about the care home food options you’re looking for and they will assist you with your search. 

The Autumna telephone number is 01892 335 330 and the lines are open 7 days a week.

Autumna is a free care home finding service. Autumna does not take referral fees or commission payments from the care homes we highlight for you. Every registered care home in the UK is listed on our site so you can trust us to provide unbiased, impartial and independent advice.