SCES staffers Isley Goulart Derick Monteiro, and Alaudia Ramos recently sampled the new Portuguese cuisine for the Meals on Wheels program. Somerville-Cambridge Elder Service will start offering Portuguese meals delivery in October.

The Meals on Wheels program at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is now offering home delivery of Portuguese meals during the week.

Nearly 10 percent of SCES clients are Portuguese speaking, and Meals Program Director Deb McLean expects the new options will be popular.

“We think this is going to get a pretty good response, because it’s a pretty frequent request from new clients, when we’re discussing the Meals on Wheels program,” said McLean. “We really strive to be a can-do agency, when people bring us requests.”

Adding Portuguese cuisine has been a goal of the SCES Meals Program for some time, and McLean said things really got on track this summer, when the agency found a vendor willing develop the menu from scratch.

Samples of the new menu—which included Creole chorizo chicken, shrimp/eggplant bake, and Feijada with pork loin—were delivered to the agency in mid-September. McLean said the new food scored well with Portuguese speaking staff.

“We got some really good feedback from the case managers, saying their clients would really like those meals,” she said.

The Meals Program at SCES provides a variety of meals options. In addition to the standard hot and cold meals, there are Caribbean/Haitian and vegetarian menus. Therapeutic meals, such as heart-healthy, gluten free, and low-lactose, are also available.

SCES clients interested in receiving Portuguese meals should contact their case manager. Non-SCES clients who are interested should contact the SCES Aging Information Center.

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is a non-profit agency that supports the independence and well-being of older people in Somerville and Cambridge. For more information, visit eldercare.org, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, or contact the SCES Aging Information Center at 617-628-2601 for free advice and guidance.