In keeping with the spirit of March’s National Nutrition Month, Cura shares a responsibility to incorporate nutrition into every medical, dining and wellness care plan, not only during the month of March, but all year long!
To support Cura’s wellness efforts, residents experience healthy eating and nutrition education through BeWell, an Elior North America program that recognizes food is a powerful influence on health and wellness. A proud member company of Elior, Cura benefits from BeWell which offers healthy menu options that feature plant based and lean proteins, as well as meets the specific dietary needs of residents, patients and guests!
Making the healthy choice is an easy choice through BeWell! In fact, BeWell’s blueberry trademark is featured on Cura’s menus, which makes it easy for guests to identify, for example, items that are trans-fat free, gluten free, prepared with minimally processed ingredients, and are low in sodium and in sugar. These menu items are always convenient, attractive and normal!
BeWell also aligns perfectly with the 2021 National Nutrition Month campaign “Personalize Your Plate”. Many of Cura’s culinary teams are celebrating, using BeWell’s promotional, marketing and merchandising tools to help those who dine with us make informed choices and choose well!
Registered dietitians, nutritionists, dietetic technicians and clinicians also partner with Cura’s chefs to enhance BeWell presentations with education, helpful tools and guidance on food intake, nutrition and taste. Together, they help those to achieve specific health-related goals, and overall, help us all lead a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle!
Cura culinary team members like Dennis Rivera, a sous chef, presents monthly BeWell demonstrations where residents enjoy an educational and entertaining live cooking demo on easy to replicate recipes such as Tuscan spaghetti squash with kale and mini salmon turmeric almond cakes over blackberry spinach salad!
In addition to the robust collection of BeWell recipes, Cura inspires its chefs to personalize menus. Chef Rivera uses fresh ingredients and spices from his Puerto Rican heritage to infuse flavor while reducing, for example, sodium intake. “My favorite ingredients that are traditionally used in Puerto Rican cooking is sofrito,” he says. “It is the main ingredient used in most of our dishes.”
Sofrito is made with a mixture of white onions, assorted peppers which include yellow, green, and red peppers. Other ingredients include olive oil, garlic cloves, cilantro, a dash of salt and recao, an herb, similar to cilantro. Once all ingredients are cut and chopped, they are put into a food processor and blended until all are mixed well. “You can add Sofrito to soups, stews, rice, sauces, and many more dishes that will bring them to life with an amazing flavorful taste,” he adds.
BeWell is also offered to staff of continuing care retirement communities and healthcare facilities who rely on Cura to help keep them healthy! A “Plant of Action” station at Holy Redeemer Healthcare System in Meadowbrook, PA, featured vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options such as grilled vegetable panini with yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant and red peppers with guacamole and shredded mozzarella on a gluten free flatbread for patients, nurses and doctors.
At Pickering Manor in Newtown, PA, BeWell, was also used to leverage awareness for American Heart and American Diabetes months where chefs prepared heart healthy and low sodium dishes that incorporate lean proteins, vegetables and nuts.
The time is now to create a memorable, nutritious and delicious dining experiences safely for your residents, patients, staff and guests… ENHANCE LIFE AROUND GREAT FOOD by partnering with Cura… the specialists in innovative dining!
