Eating well and making sure that you are hydrated is a matter of course for a healthy body. Having a focus week is a great opportunity to re-evaluate menus and food systems to make sure you meet all the needs of the people you cater and care for.
As humans we all have the same basic dietary requirements: protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, minerals, water, and so on. However cultural differences, physical and mental wellbeing, and age can all play a part in specific requirements. Smaller appetites, medication, as well as access to food can all have an impact on dietary health. As a carer and caterer this makes it particularly important to make every mouthful count as well as making the dining experience an enjoyable one.
Now specifically on to older vegans or vegetarians in supported living. It is important to make sure as caterers you are familiar with not only the basics but also how to be creative with your menus. Menus should include a broad range of food that not only meets nutritional guidelines but also reflects individual preferences. Vegans and vegetarians are a broad group of people with different tastes and preferences.
Vegetarian for Life is here to help. Recently we have been working with the Care Inspectorate in Scotland and have set out what people should expect when accessing health and social services. These standards of course can be applied to the rest of the UK.
Certain food options, although nutritionally valuable, may present challenges when it comes to eating. Spaghetti or noodle-based dishes can be delicious but if dexterity is lacking, they can become a challenge to eat. However other pasta dishes such as lasagne may be a better option.
Salads, sometimes the cliché fodder of vegans and vegetarians, are not always nutritionally dense. These still do have their place but should not be the mainstay of your menu.
Many dishes can be fortified to increase the calorie and nutritional value. Simply adding peanut butter to curries, chilli, or even treats such as flapjacks and cakes will increase the protein content. Try these easy-to-make flapjacks everyone will enjoy.
Powdered soya milk is a good source of protein and can be added to plant milk sauces and desserts such as rice pudding, custard, cheese-style sauces, and others.
Gram flour (ground chickpeas) is a good source of protein and can be added to a range of dishes such as pancakes, onion bhajis, pakoras and fritters. This pancake recipe can be filled with just about any filling you want. It can also be served as sweet pancakes topped with vegan ice cream, strawberries, or lemon and sugar.
Silken tofu can be blended into a batter mix for pancakes or served as an alternative to scrambled eggs. In addition, it can be used as a base for chocolate mousse, or banana fool. I recently made these chocolate pots at a cookery session with chefs from HC-One and they went down a treat describing them as being like “posh chocolate puddings”. I also made banana fool for a group of older people in Salford, which was well received.
Engevita (nutritional yeast) can be a valuable source of B vitamins including B12, a vitamin not available from plant sources, so it can be especially important to include it in a vegan diet. Engevita has a cheesy savoury flavour that can be added to just about any recipe from scrambled tofu to soups, sauces, pasta dishes and others. The good news is that most commercially fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, some breads, plant-based milk, margarine and even some biscuits are fortified with a range of vitamins including B12.
In addition to making sure that meals are nutritionally valuable, good hydration is equally important. Dehydration is a common problem for some older people. It can be caused by a number of factors from lack of access to fluids, issues with incontinence, dementia, and medications that may have a diuretic effect. Some of these can be easily remedied by making sure the people you care for have access to fluids and are encouraged to drink. This of course needs to be done in a sensitive manner. Although water is ideal for hydrating, it can be dull. Simply adding cordial or lemon juice, slices of fruit or cucumber can lift the flavour and attraction of a drink. Other drinks are also perfectly acceptable such as tea, coffee, milk. Even whole fruits such as melon, grapes or oranges will improve hydration.
Drinks can also be fortified. Soya milk powder can be added to milkshakes and fruit smoothies in the same way milk powder may be used. In researching this blog, I have only found soya milk powder available online. So, if you are planning to use it, it may be a good idea to check with your supplier. Peanut butter can also be used to fortify milkshakes.
The worst kind of nutrition is no nutrition at all. Food and drink not consumed, however well intended, has zero benefit. Catering for older vegans or vegetarians is not complicated but does need a little thought. Talk to the people you care for and ask what they like to eat.
Our website has a great recipe collection as well as specific publications on improving nutritional wellbeing. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please feel free to give us a call and we will be happy to help. In addition, we offer online and in-person training from our team of skilled chefs.
To mark Nutrition & Hydration week, we are currently offering 10% off our best resources for nutrition information, when bought together. Visit our online shop and click on 'Nutrition bundle'. This offer is only available until Sunday 17 March.
Finally, if you are not on our UK List of care homes – and we have over 1,500 members now – you may want to join. All of the details can be found on our website.
Recommended resources
Nutrition for older vegetarians and vegans
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Nutritional Advice