Tips for Menu Planning and the Mealtime Experience in Home Care & Aged Care
Jun 03, 2025
With the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards taking effect from 1 July 2025, it’s recognised that food and dining in aged care offer more than nutrition alone, they are essential elements of resident wellbeing. Under Standard 6: Food and Nutrition, greater focus is now placed on quality, choice, and a person-centred approach to care.
Whether you're managing a residential aged care facility or supporting individuals through home care, these practical tips will help improve your menu planning and dining experience - while preparing your service for compliance in partnership with an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD).
1. Plan menus around the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
Start with the basics. Menus should give older adults the opportunity to meet the recommended food group serves from the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. And with a 4–6 week menu that is also rotated seasonally, variety, enjoyment, and alignment with individual preferences and nutritional needs can be provided.
2. Involve residents and families in menu development
Authentic choice begins with collaboration. Engage residents and families through meetings, surveys, and informal conversations. Present draft menus for feedback before implementation and include culturally relevant dishes and seasonal favourites. Involvement fosters ownership, satisfaction, and respect.
3. Keep menu language clear and accessible
Simple language can encourage intake and choice. Residents are more likely to recognise and accept foods with familiar names like ‘egg and bacon pie’ rather than ‘frittata’. Include key ingredients and consider using images to support decision-making. Ensure texture-modified meals offer the same level of choice and documentation as standard menus.
4. Focus on presentation and meal timing
Presentation impacts appetite. Meals should be visually appealing, served hot, and offered at times that suit residents’ routines. Cold or delayed food can quickly undermine the dining experience; a calm, homely dining room with warm lighting and minimal noise creates a comfortable and enjoyable space.
5. Create a dining experience, not just a meal
Dining should feel personal and enjoyable, with mealtimes seen as shared experiences. Use crockery and napkins that would be used at home - not bibs or institutional accessories. Consider flexible service styles, such as bain-marie stations or table-side trolleys, to offer residents real-time choice.
Book Your Menu and Mealtime Assessment Today
Improving your menu and mealtime experience is more than best practice, it’s now a regulatory requirement. From 1 July 2025, all aged care homes must engage an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) to conduct an annual menu and mealtime quality assessment and actively contribute to menu development.
Nutrition Professionals Australia (NPA) offers tailored assessments and practical recommendations for aged and home care settings. Our APDs bring deep industry experience to help you meet compliance while enhancing the quality of your food service.
Book your assessment now [email protected] or learn more on our website:
www.npagroup.com.au.
