At Novae, we’ve always led with the goal of creating a good nutritional balance on our menus. Irène Rolfo, an ASDD dietician with 35 years of experience, has been our go-to expert in nutrition and food safety for more than 17 years. She works closely with our on-site quality and nutrition managers. Their work includes:
- Ensuring a good balance and nutritional quality on our menus
- Monitoring compliance with hygiene standards (e.g. through microbiological analyses and HACCP procedures)
- Sharing expertise, for example through events with our consumers or employee training.
In this article, we will explore some of this work across our three areas of activity: business, schools and healthcare.
Let’s take a seat at the table and explore how our commitment to a healthy, balanced diet is transforming culinary experiences in our communities.
1-Business catering: nutritious food in service of productivity
In the world of work, nutrition has a central role to play in supporting employees’ productivity and wellbeing. At Novae, we are committed to offering healthy, balanced meals.
Bespoke nutritional concepts
As specialists in bespoke community catering, we regularly collaborate with our customers to offer personalised nutritional concepts. Our expert, Irène Rolfo, creates these bespoke offers to meet the needs of consumer profiles. The concepts are developed in line with the Swiss Nutrition Society guidelines. Among the most popular are:
- The Wellness Menu – a maximum 500 calorie menu that meets public health guidelines for optimal nutritional balance on a plate, limiting the fat and salt contained in food
- The Balanced Veggie Menu, ideal for vegetarians and omnivores alike, since it ensures a good balance of proteins without meat throughout the week
- Our offer designed especially for night workers, a standalone concept which includes:
- An offer rolled out in vending machines to provide low-fat, low-sugar, less processed products
- Conferences, workshops and private nutrition consultations
Activities, workshops, conferences and private consultations
At Novae, we believe that to be well nourished, you need to be well informed. We regularly organise events in our establishments to help strengthen our consumers’ knowledge and awareness of nutrition.
From excess salt and cardiovascular disease, May Be Less Sugar, to strengthening the immune system and adding more colours to the plate… These are all activities that allow us to share and discuss the Swiss Nutrition Society’s recommendations and specific needs with our consumers.
On request, we also organise workshops, conferences and private consultations outside meal times.
2-School canteens: nourishing minds to grow
Education is the key to the future, and a healthy diet is essential for young students’ physical and intellectual development.
At Novae, our goal is to provide nutritious, healthy meals in schools. We understand the importance of supporting children to have new food experiences that are good for them and good for the planet.
Nutritional concepts adapted according to children’s age
The Novae menus served in our schools are developed and monitored by a specialist commission made up of our Executive Chefs, the head of the school, and a nutritional manager.
Our talented chefs create balanced menus adapted to children’s specific needs, helping them adopt healthy eating habits. Particular attention is paid to the 14 allergens that need to be declared, and we have excluded peanuts and other nuts from our menus.
We always apply the “Green Fork” mark or the “Growing up well in my region” concept, both of which follow Swiss Nutrition Society recommendations.
For older children, the “neuro-nutrition” concept supports young students throughout the school year by following the seasons, as well as stages of learning and assessments.
Activities, workshops and collaboration with teachers
Our activities and workshops are varied in nature and suitable for all ages.
One classic event we never miss is the annual Swiss Taste Week. The week is an opportunity for us to offer menus, games and materials on the theme set by the Foundation for the Promotion of Taste, making it fun and engaging for children.
One of our biggest areas of focus is sustainable food. This offering is designed by our dietitian, our nutrition managers in collaboration with managers, chefs, our CSR Director, the marketing team and some of our employees. We offer sustainable food activities throughout the year, centred on 3 themes:
And we don’t forget the little ones in nursery school, who discover the story of a food and all its variations – for example, apples that turn into slices, compote and juice.
Working with teachers, we can also offer workshops (outside meal times) to encourage special discussions with students during meals. Among our most popular offerings are educational trips, where we take children to meet our farming partners.
Successful interventions: as part of our sustainable food offering, a nutrition manager comes to introduce seasonal fruits and vegetables in their raw form. Our young epicureans’ senses are awakened, as we invite them to smell, touch and taste each food.
3-Catering for nursing homes and healthcare establishments: healthy, delicious food
In nursing homes and establishments for people with disabilities, nutrition is of crucial importance.
At Novae, we understand that menus specifically adapted to residents’ nutritional needs should be accompanied by moments of sharing to stimulate their appetite and encourage social interaction. Our goal is that residents continue to eat well, and their families are reassured.
Nutritional concepts specially developed for residents
When we create menus adapted to residents’ specific needs, the process varies from one organisation to the next. Our sector managers work closely with our dietician and executive chefs to design menus that meet demanding nutritional needs without compromising on taste. A balanced, delicious diet is at the heart of our approach.
Activities, workshops and training for our health partner employees
Our expert dietitian Irène Rolfo is also very active in this sector. In addition to our offerings, she is involved in training our clients’ teams on food safety and nutrition.
She enables educational nutritional offerings as well as fun activities throughout the year, such as the dark chocolate workshop by our pastry chef Alain, run in collaboration with the establishment’s manager.
Our commitment to nutrition in Switzerland’s community spaces goes beyond simply preparing meals. It is also a key part of our discussions and training, so that our customers and employees can make the right choices based on each person’s specific needs.
As part of our commitment to a smooth transition towards more sustainable food, we have also made it a priority to monitor nutritional quality in our Eco-toque offer.
We are taste advocates and artisans of food that nourishes the body, awakens the mind, and creates memorable food experiences.
Join us on the journey to healthier eating with every bite.
