At Church Resources, we understand that for our members in the aged care sector, when it comes to their residents, food choice presents an opportunity to promote food intake at a time of convenience and selecting an appetising meal. Readymade meals which are already produced either in bulk or single serve can provide enormous support to menu planning across foodservice sectors. Readymade meals are produced in two different ways. The first is through cook-chill, to produce a long-life shelf stable product. The second is through cook-freeze, to produce a product which can have a longer shelf life. Either way readymade meals will provide meals solutions which can be sorted and used when ready. Finally, ready-made meals can provide choice, break up the menu and allow your aged care home to be COVID/Flu ready.
Readymade meals have many features:
- Pre-portioned & bulk trays
- Easy to heat & serve
- Labelled with nutritional & ingredient info
- Snap frozen from manufacture
- Store frozen
- 12 months+ shelf life
- Large range
- Manufactured under stringent Food Safety Programmes
The benefits of readymade meals are:
- Easy to calculate your cost per serve
- Great emergency option – equipment failure, staff leave
- Ideal for non-skilled labour
- Consistent every time – quality of menu and memory
- Convenient
- Save time & kitchen stress
- Easy to reference for dietary assessment
- Provide residents with choice
- Provide choice around religious and culture diversity
How can readymade meals components support menu planning:
- Different catering sizes
- 1 to 2 kg+ trays or pouches of curries & casseroles with meat and or vegetables
- Individually portioned complete meals to support single menu changes
- Pouches of soups & sauces to supplement choice
- Use to supplement your offer or just heat, re-plate and serve
- Add salad or vegetables to serve
- Cook your own rice or pasta to serve with the curry & sauces
- Serve the soup with some fresh bread
Through our supply partners, Church Resources memberships grants your aged care home access to a large ranges of readymade meal solutions. Click on the below to learn more about our supply partner ranges, including Bidfood codes for ease of ordering:
- Patties – Delicious and Nutritious Meals for Healthcare
- Patties – Product Catalogue
- Patties – National Product List
- Patties – Finger Food Catalogue
- Riviana – Fruitcake Slice
- Riviana – Plum Pudding
- Riviana – Snacking
- Don KRC – Product List
- Vesco – Product List
- Trumps – Snacks to Go
Blog written by Dr Karen Abbey – Procurement Australasia Foodservice Ambassador
