Food and Nutrition at the Dr. Peter Centre

Food is more than what’s on the plate.

It is nourishment. It’s care. It is an axis around which people meet, chat, and share joys and frustrations. It is the cohesive force of a community in the making.

At the Dr. Peter Centre, we take our meals seriously. From a health perspective, we offer robust, high-calorie, highly nutritional breakfast and lunch that meet a person’s basic needs for the day—even if those are the only two meals they eat that day.

And from a culinary perspective, we pour our all into mealtime. We’re fond of saying that we're the best restaurant in the neighbourhood. And it's true. With a kitchen staffed by red seal chefs, stocked with fresh ingredients and furnished with modern appliances, it makes sense that the food is exquisite. Because what says "dignity" and "love" better than a thoughtfully prepared meal shared among friends?

We cook for that person on their first day here, having just crossed the threshold of the Dr. Peter Centre—unsure of their new surroundings, perhaps harbouring some negative experiences with outreach programs in the past. Our food is an invitation to join in, enjoy yourself, enjoy the fine things in life. Our success metric: when they come back tomorrow.

In the past year, our kitchen staff served over 87,000 meals to more than 530 participants in the Day Health Program.

Our in-house dietitian works with our professional chef to create healthy meals that meet the necessary nutritional requirements (and taste great!). We develop menus that fit our participant needs and tastes. And the food is served with a smile by our staff members and volunteers—the cherry on top of a nourishing mealtime at the Centre.

Embedded in the program is a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who assist in building the bridge from a “food only” program, into a “food as harm reduction” program.

Our team of registered clinical counsellors (including our music as well as art and recreation therapists) attend meal time to build and maintain relationships. This provides opportunities for on-the-spot therapeutic, yet casual conversation. This “activity-based counselling” works well for participants, who have often experienced harsh treatment and stigma when in traditional health institution settings.

In these ways, food becomes the gateway to clinical and therapeutic services, all of which provide opportunities for people to take an active role in their mental and physiological health.