Fox Run's Restaurants Offer a Variety of Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes

When Sue and Larry Schweinhart were exploring their senior living options, they kept running into the same problem. They couldn't find a retirement community that would accommodate their vegan lifestyle.

"They would say, 'Well, we have vegetables, and we could fix you omelets.' We would tell them that we don't eat eggs. They'd say, 'We have vegetables,'" recalls Sue.

At a plant-based potluck, the couple discovered that Fox Run, an Erickson Senior Living community in Novi, Mich., was starting a plant-based dining program. It was just what they needed.

"When we came here, it was like night and day," says Sue. "We met with Executive Chef Mike Bootz, and he assured us that he would take care of us food-wise. He has definitely done that!"

Supporting residents

Sales Director Allison Murphy notes that Fox Run is offering a variety of plant-based dining options to meet the needs of current and future residents.

"Some residents choose a plant-based diet for religious or cultural reasons, some for social responsibility, and others for their health," says Murphy, noting that vegetarian and vegan options are a staple for the community's growing Indian population. "We realize that people have different wants and needs, and we are doing our best to accommodate them."

Sue and Larry began their plant-based diet 11 years ago, when Larry's physician offered two treatment options for his diabetes--begin dialysis or eat a plant-based diet. He chose the latter.

"It was sort of an experiment with me to see if it would work or not," says Larry. "It really worked! A month later, I didn't have diabetes anymore. That persuaded me to stay plant-based."

Delicious changes

Bootz partnered with Doug Sullivan, Fox Run's dining services director, to offer more plant-based choices at the community's restaurants.

"Mike was excited to take on this challenge--not only at Fox Run, but across Erickson Senior Living's nationwide network of communities," says Sullivan. "He has been creating new recipes for our plant-based diners across the country."

He adds, "At Fox Run, many of the menu items can be modified using different proteins or sauces to make them vegan or vegetarian."

When the Schweinharts initially met with Bootz, he gave them a two-page typed list of foods in the Erickson Senior Living dining database that were possibilities for them.

"He said the soup of the month is always plant-based, and we could ask the chef to change certain items on the menu to make them plant-based as well," says Sue.

For example, when the couple ate at Fox Run's Signatures restaurant, there was a beef stir fry on the menu--Sue asked them to hold the beef and substitute it with tofu. "It was very good!" she says.

Learning more

Fox Run has also launched several initiatives to inform residents about plant-based diets.

A kickoff meeting attracted 250 residents, who learned about the benefits of eating plant-based.

Attendees then had the opportunity to sign up for a six-week program of educational tasting sessions called Planting Healthy Habits. Fifty residents signed up for the classes, which were so popular that they had a waiting list.

At each session, an instructor made a featured dish, which class members were able to try. They left class with a copy of the recipe. Topics included Power Foods for the Brain, Food for a Healthy Heart, How Food Fights Diabetes, Introduction to Food that Fights Cancer, Designing a Diet for Maximum Weight Control, and Digestive Health.

"Plant-based diets have been shown to benefit individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cognitive issues. It can also help boost energy and mood," says Resident Life Director Pam Cameron. "We want to help residents care for their well-being. We feel like this is one more tool in their toolkit to be able to live a healthier, more vibrant life here at Fox Run."

After attending the classes, the Schweinharts took the program one step further by starting a monthly potluck of plant-based dishes, encouraging residents to share their favorite meals with friends and neighbors.

So many options

Although Sue and Larry have only lived at Fox Run for about a year, they say the restaurant menus have improved.

"They started serving plant-based, nondairy black cherry ice cream, and it's great," says Larry.

Sue points to the delicious vegan fruit pies. "We feel really blessed and excited to have so many plant-based foods here!" she says.

"We pride ourselves on being innovators in the senior living industry, and I think that adopting a plant-based diet is leaps ahead of many other communities in the senior living space," notes Murphy.

To learn more about affordable, independent senior living at Fox Run, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and much more.

By Michele Wojciechowski