This approach to eating gets the thumbs-up from Arvida, which is why we put so much thought into designing our community menus twice a year. Our goal is to produce food that is both nutritious and delicious.

Compared to the other big names in retirement living, we do a few things differently at Arvida.

• The first thing that separates us from other retirement giants is the fact that we employ a national dietitian, Julia Scott, who oversees all our menus to ensure they deliver excellent nutrition for older adults, including those who have specific dietary needs.
• The next thing that sets us apart is how every community regularly changes its menu to accommodate in-season produce, changes in the weather and residents’ cravings for particular seasonal dishes.
• And thirdly, all meals are prepared on premises – you won’t see any large catering trucks full of ready-made meals pulling up outside an Arvida community. Every community has a commercial kitchen run by a real chef, who is carefully chosen by a panel that includes staff and residents.

How our community menus are worked out

There are 32 Arvida communities throughout New Zealand and each one of them has a unique personality that reflects the location and local culture. Food is a major part of this individuality, which is why every community has a personalised menu.

Twice a year, here’s what happens to ensure our residents always eat nutritious, freshly-made food that they love:

1. Base menu: Arvida's national dietitian Julia Scott designs a ‘base menu’ that ensures all requirements of the Dietitians NZ menu audit for aged care are met.
2. Chef personalisation: The base menu goes to the chefs at each community for personalisation.
3. Resident input: ‘Resident choice’ slots are incorporated into every menu and rotated through the weeks to provide surprises.
4. Dietitian approval: Personalised menus are returned to Julia for checking, just to make sure nutritional requirements are still being met.

Aside from careful menu design, there are some other food-related benefits that are unique to Arvida communities. They tie to our ‘living a life with soul’ philosophy, which is about living your best life according to your rules and preferences. Here are a few examples:

• Breakfast is not at a set time when you live in an Arvida community. We have a buffet breakfast system similar to a resort hotel. It means you can make your way to the dining room or have breakfast in bed when you’re ready.
• Instead of serving ‘empty calories’ at morning and afternoon tea, our communities offer cheese, crackers and dips, pikelets with healthy toppings and fresh fruit. Our snacks are on a four-week cycle, so each snack is only served once a month – no room for food boredom here!
• Residents always have a choice of two main courses and they don’t have to let us know in advance - they can decide at meal times.
• There’s always more than one place to eat, in addition to the dining room. Smaller dining areas are set up around the community to provide a quieter and cosier experience. Tablecloths, flowers, music, subtle lighting and comfortable chairs all contribute to a dining ambiance that everyone enjoys.
• If soup is on the menu, it’s made from scratch using a combination of fresh ingredients and lentils, split peas or other legumes that enhance nutrient value.
• Every month there are fun themed meals, like Italian night, pizza night, build-your-own-burger night and curry night.
• For residents living in our care centres, cooking is part of our weekly activities. They make things like no-bake cakes and slices, crock pot soups, pikelets and fritters.
• We love to have residents in our kitchen if they want to help out. Appropriate health and safety training is provided. Some of the produce we use comes from resident-run vegetable and herb gardens at the community.

Find out more about Arvida’s ‘living a life with soul’ philosophy.

Check out some of our communities.