Nutrition


Foods that reduce cardiovascular risk: n Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, and avocados.


n Polyunsaturated fat found in sunflower, corn, rapeseed oils, nuts, seeds, and oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel.


n Wholegrains such as those found in wholegrain bread, brown rice, quinoa, barley, high fibre breakfast cereals, and oats.


n Plant stanols and sterols, which can be found in cholesterol lowering products and which need to be eaten in a particular dosage each day to have the desired effect.


Top tips for preparing seasonal meals for


A focus on seasonal produce can also have a positive influence on the nutritional content of the dishes created in your care home environment. In general, fruits and vegetables are


picked at the peak of their ripeness and the peak of their nutritional status. Domestic seasonal produce is available to eat soon after being picked, rather than having to wait to get to the point of being eaten. Seasonal produce has therefore usually aged less at the point it is eaten. As fresh foods age, they start to lose their nutritional density. This means that you do not get the same nutritional benefits that you would have if you had eaten it when it was freshly picked. And the impact of ageing produce is not just a small change or deterioration – in fact, one research associate at the University of Austin reported that fruit and vegetables found in supermarkets are anywhere from 5 per cent to 40 per cent lower in vitamins and minerals.


Why is this important in a care home setting? As one ages, one’s appetite tends to reduce. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that everything eaten by older adults is as nutritionally dense as possible. This helps to provide older bodies with all they need. So, if your care home team can base menus on food that is in season, you are potentially increasing the nutritional density of meals.


Seasonal produce It would be remiss of us as procurement experts to not mention the quality and value benefits of opting for seasonal produce. Choosing ingredients that are in season will deliver nutritional, environmental and budgetary benefits for your care home that are truly welcome all year round.


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older people: n Start by knowing what is in season and when.


n Use this when planning menus. n Ensure you provide variety. Although you might be choosing ingredients from a smaller pool, it is still important to focus on variety throughout the week. This will ensure you are delivering a variety of nutrients which will support overall health, including gut health. The more diverse the diet, the more diverse the good gut bacteria will be!


We could not explore the subject of nutrition in care home environments without addressing the fact that individuals with dysphagia may be at increased risk of malnutrition due to poor nutritional intake. Dysphagia relates to difficulty swallowing. Those who struggle with dysphagia are at risk of choking when they eat food or drink not suited to their swallowing abilities. They are also at risk of aspiration pneumonia. Dysphagia is reported by the World Gastroenterology Organisation to affect over 50 per cent of all older adult patients in care homes, worldwide Whatever the cause of the dysphagia,


those affected are likely to struggle with certain textures of food and drink. A texture-modified diet should be offered, where food is moistened, mashed, or pureed to make it safer for an individual to eat. Fluids may also need to be thickened. There are 3 steps to supporting the


A focus on seasonal produce can have a positive influence on the nutritional content of dishes


provision of a nourishing and tasty texture modified diet: 1. Knowledge and skills Given the risks associated with giving the wrong texture to an at-risk individual, care home caterers should be knowledgeable and require access to training on how to create dishes with the appropriate texture. You can also check out the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI), a framework to grade different textures between levels 1-7, at https://iddsi. org/framework/


2. Nutrition


Remember to think about how nourishing the meal is. Many individuals with dysphagia are at risk of malnutrition due to poor nutritional intake and may benefit from meals which are fortified with nutrient dense foods to increase the energy content of their meals. Be mindful that such additions may impact the overall texture of the food. You may also consider offering texture-modified snacks between meals. And we bring you back to the point made earlier that where possible texture modified meals should be the same as everyone else, or suitable alternatives provided.


3. Flavour If you are preparing your own texture- modified meals on-site, remember to think about flavour. Using herbs and spices can add interest to the meal without compromising the texture. You can also add a small amount of salt for taste and flavour... but go easy, as too much salt can contribute to high blood pressure.


Care Home Digest This summer saw the launch of the much anticipated – and very much needed – Care Home Digest. Given that no national food service standards existed to support care homes to meet the nutritional needs of their residents, The Food Services Specialist Group and Older People Specialist Group of the BDA worked with the National Association of Care Catering to develop the first menu planning and food service guidelines for care homes for older adults, to support residential and nursing care homes to provide high quality food and drink services for residents in their care.1, 2 The Digest covers four key areas and includes check lists on mealtime service and menu assessment.


Some broad advisory themes run through the Care Home Digest:


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com January 2025


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