IL food is mass produced. You're not going to get anything terribly special from them. Just the nature of the beast. Everyone complains about the food, have for decades. It'll never change.
Sorry
Is there a kitchenette or somesuch in your apartment? Cooking for yourself is likely the only way you'll get food that's up to your standards.
I'm not sure about the 'never change' thing. School meals in a lot of places have improved enormously. We have a local Trade School turning out trained chefs and bakers, and the standard at local shops and restaurants is heaps better than it used to be. If trained staff are available and good food is a selling point, things might turn around. Ya gotta have hope!
Are you voicing a concern over flavor, texture, smell, and appearance...or actual nutritional value? I’m guessing that your Chief Complaint is not nutrition. Why don’t you get a petition going around your facility? Also, Since it’s Independent Living, why not whip up your own meals?
Any facility that is providing meals I believe is required to follow certain guidelines, as do the Meal on Wheel programs, however they are fairly loose, meaning a measure of so much protein, vegetable, grain, and fruit must be provided at each meal, but it can be anything from tacos with a side of rice corn and beans and a small banana, spaghetti with sauce from a jar, to a hotdog on a bun with a green salad and a portion of canned fruit. There is no requirement that they provide fresh vs canned, organic, non processed, etc. It is similar to the guidelines of school lunch. Whatever they serve, odds are it will be mass cooked, scooped into portioned trays, and dropped off for the client to eat. Any special dietary needs, sch as allergies, aversions, etc. would probably be an added expense. I personally dread going into any kind of facility, even a short stay at a hospital, because I have Celiac and allergies to numerous things, so my diet needs to be rather clean and plain, or else I risk anything from hives and swollen tissues to digestive upsets. The few times I have had to stay in a hospital, it has been a nightmare explaining to the cook that I can only have absolutely PLAIN chicken, no bread at all, not even breading on the chicken, no tomatoes, no garlic, no onion....
Who are you speaking to about the issue?
Sorry
Is there a kitchenette or somesuch in your apartment? Cooking for yourself is likely the only way you'll get food that's up to your standards.