Promoting Nutrition and Taste Across our Centres and Services
“We follow dietitians’ recommendations in conjunction with the resident feedback and I think the diet is very balanced for people. It is also based on what people want as well,” says Lainie, The Salvation Army Aged Care’s Hospitality Manager. Lainie notes that when it comes to developing meals for older Australians, there should be a strong emphasis on ensuring that meals meet the nutrition and dietary considerations of older people. “A lot of our recipes are very high energy and very high in protein,” she says. “We use things like wholemeal flour in our bakery items, where it doesn’t affect the flavour, but we’re increasing the fibre there. We also use red lentils to fortify our soups to give residents protein before they retire for the evening.”
To ensure the nutritional standards are met, Lainie notes that all Chef Managers are re-trained every year and then expected to train other Chefs and Catering Attendants. “The Chef Managers have all been trained on high energy, high protein recipes, fortified foods, and things like this,” she states. “The bi-monthly Chef Managers’ meeting is also used to showcase anything new, that we need to go over again, and to make sure that we are continually improving,” Lainie says, and also that she visits the on-site kitchens.
Chef Sue, at Riverview Gardens Aged Care Centre (“Riverview Gardens”) is one of The Salvation Army Aged Care’s Chef Managers from Catering Industries, who strives to maintain the balance between delicious meals that meet these nutritional needs. Cooking for older people is significant for Chef Sue, noting that she was inspired by her own family history. “I’ve been cooking since I was seventeen,” she says. “My Nana and my Great Aunts were all farm people and taught me to cook. I’ve always had a respect for older people because I believe they’re our history. I have a real passion and respect for them.”
Chef Sue’s approach to cooking emphasises fresh and healthy food that still tastes delicious. “We cook fresh fruit; fresh vegetables. We cook it all from scratch,” she says, “I’ve just started making all our own stocks for our soups. With the cooking processes that we have here; braising, pressure cooking, and all those things - this keeps a lot of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the food,” Chef Sue says. “We steam the vegetables, rather than boiling them in a pot, so they keep their colour and nutritional value. Most of our food here is made in-house – our desserts, our morning tea. We make all of it ourselves.”
When it comes to ‘fan favourite’ meals at the Centre, it seems it can’t be narrowed down to just one meal. “Residents like Caesar salads in the summertime and we also do a Ploughman’s plate, which has meats, cheeses, pickles, and bread,” Chef Sue notes. “Residents also love barramundi, so we do that with salad or vegetables.” And of course, there is always room for the occasional dessert, with Chef Sue noting she continues to achieve a balance for those with a sweet tooth. “Residents do love lemon meringue pies, lamingtons, homemade scones, rice puddings, but we do fresh fruit platters as well.”
