16 June 2026
Silvera’s Dining Services team is reshaping the menus in its supportive living communities with a strong focus on gluten-friendly cooking and sugar-conscious choices.
“Making foods gluten-friendly has become easy to achieve as the products are delicious and readily available,” says Krista Gerelus, Silvera’s Technical Advisor for Dining Services. “We now have the ability to build menus that are about 80 per cent gluten-friendly.”
Dining Services chefs regularly get creative, trying made-from-scratch recipes that aim to satisfy resident palates. Recently, the team has been trying gluten-friendly alternatives, such as a blend of rice flour and cornstarch, to get the same results without relying on traditional flour.
“We can make regular items gluten-free by incorporating techniques and ingredients to create delicious recipes everyone can eat,” she says. This includes soups, stews and even classics such as Krista’s personal favourite, a gluten-free Yorkshire pudding created by Chef Nathan Ferrec at Westview Town Suites.
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| Westview Town Suites Sous Chef Younes Zarkani created this low sugar, gluten-free, almond flour blueberry muffin! |
The modified menu also supports residents who are managing blood sugar or simply trying to feel their best. “Reduced sugar options are available for people who are trying to manage their diets, eat better, and live better,” Krista says.
One of the first changes was a simple swap: instead of baked desserts at both lunch and dinner, residents are offered a baked treat at lunch, and fruit at dinner.
To offer choice and accommodate reduced-sugar preferences, Silvera offers lighter options, such as sugar-friendly bran muffins, yogurt-and-fruit parfaits, and protein bites, that are healthier but still offer something sweet at the end of a meal.
The Dining Services team is also adding more plant-based proteins to the menu, such as tofu, legumes, beans, lentils, chickpeas, and high-protein cheese. Krista points to a broader shift in how people eat and to practical benefits for seniors: higher fibre, higher protein, and less saturated fat than many meat-based meals.
The healthy focus doesn’t stop at the plate. At Silvera coffee stations, the team has added infused water towers filled with ice, water, and fresh ingredients, including lemon, orange, strawberry, or mint, to help residents stay hydrated throughout the summer.
Many of the changes to the menus are due to resident feedback. Krista is proud that her team listens to and responds to resident needs, requests and requirements. Throughout the year, Silvera gathers comment cards from residents and employees. Krista’s team also regularly gathers feedback from pulse surveys in resident dining rooms.
Her favourite approach, though, is resident-led cooking: when someone insists a dish isn’t quite like the one they used to make, Krista asks for their recipe, tests it, and if it’s a hit, adds it to the menu. The dish is usually named in the resident’s honour, like “Doreen’s cabbage rolls” recently rolled out at Shouldice Commons.
“Residents really love it when this happens,” she says. “They feel heard, they’ve contributed, and everyone gets to enjoy the foods that make a place feel like home.”