As you may already know, the Roulant prepares and delivers 100 meals per day to folks living with a loss of autonomy. But what exactly does that entail, and how can we ensure that each person receives a meal that they can actually eat and enjoy?
We asked Kateri, our Meals-on-Wheels Director: How does the Meals-on-Wheels (MOW) program respond to the varying needs of seniors and people living with health issues, as well as different cultural or personal tastes?
Kat breaks it down:
“Every year, the Roulant delivers more than 22 000 hot meals to seniors and others in a loss of autonomy. The majority of our clients are elderly, have reduced physical mobility and / or cognitive loss, and are living in social isolation. Some take medication that contradict with certain foods, have intolerances or allergies, or problems chewing and digesting. Our clients come from different cultural backgrounds with various eating habits, and of course everyone has different tastes and preferences. Our meals are prepared with special care and attention to the specific needs of our clients. We are the only meals-on-wheels service in Montreal that is able to adapt our daily meals to our clients with special dietary needs.
Upon receiving a referral for the service, the new Roulant member will be contacted by the client coordinator, Katrina, to discuss their food needs. Whatever the reason for their restriction, the Roulant works hard to ensure that we are serving people food that they can and want to eat!
Our regular menu is already made with no sugar or added salt, with organic meats and farm fresh veggies! Everyday, approximately 30 of the 100 meals we prepare are made specially for clients with restrictions. A regular meal may be puréed, certain ingredients removed from a dish and others added. Meat can be replaced by protein-rich beans or tofu, or broccoli could be replaced by an easy to digest vegetable.
At the Roulant, we believe that food security is enhanced through enjoyment of delicious food that is made right for you – and by that by carefully respecting the needs of our clients, we can increase their autonomy with every bite!”
If you have any questions about our meals or our service, don’t hesitate to contact Kateri by email or by phone at 514 284-9335.