Nutrition and hydration are essential for older people’s health and wellbeing. While 3 main meals are vital, snacks between meals should be offered to support overall health.
Filling gaps in nutrition and supporting healthy weight
As people age, their appetite can decline. This makes it hard for some to get enough energy and nutrients through 3 main meals alone. Snacks between meals can fill gaps in nutrition. Small serves of nutrient-dense foods can help meet nutritional needs and maintain a healthy weight.
Increasing hydration
Dehydration is a dangerous health risk for older people. Snacks with high water content, such as fruit, yoghurt or soups, can help increase hydration. These snacks can be a good option for residents who forget or don’t like to drink water. Offering nourishing options can support not only hydration, but nutrition too!
Making the most of the snack trolley
Most aged-care services deliver snacks and drinks to residents by trolley in between main meals. This helps residents get extra nutrition and hydration throughout the day and at night. It also gives them a chance to have a friendly chat. This can help to break up the day for residents who choose to spend a lot of time in their rooms.
- Tell residents what’s available. Always ask, ‘what would you like today?’ You may have residents’ preferences recorded, but it doesn’t mean they want to eat and drink the same things every day.
- If your service offers kitchen-baked treats, cheese and crackers or seasonal fruits as snacks, always explain the choices. Let people know if there’s more than one option available. Use a sample plate to show residents what they can choose from.
- Make sure trolleys are well stocked with texture-modified food options and thickener for drinks. Always check the dietary requirements list before serving a resident, in case their food or drink recommendations have changed.
Taking your snack trolley to the next level
Here’s how some services are adding excitement at snack times:
- At a service in Victoria, when food service staff take the trolley around for morning-tea, they play songs the residents have requested through a portable speaker.
- A service in Tasmania has a summer smoothie trolley. Residents can choose from several smoothie and milkshake options that use seasonal fruits and local produce.
- A service in Queensland took on feedback from residents and now offers more savoury options at morning and afternoon tea. Options include kitchen-made cheese soufflés and mini baked potatoes with sour cream.
- Working with a dietitian and speech pathologist, one Western Australian service created a supper trolley which included a selection of items for those on regular and modified food and fluids. They included resident favourites, such as malted hot beverages, fortified milkshakes and tasty snack options.
