Following the British Dietetic Association’s (BDA) rollout of the Care Home Digest last year, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading wholesalers, has produced an industry-leading, four-weekly menu cycle, aligned with the Care Home Digest.
Designed to support care operators in implementing the guidelines, the menu cycle offers unrivalled inspiration for Bidfood’s care customers, featuring over 300 Care Home Digest-aligned recipes available for download.
Until last year, healthcare foodservice guidelines were mainly aimed at hospitals, leaving care operators, many of which don’t have access to a dietitian, without tailored resource to support with menu planning.
However, using the new Digest, Bidfood’s expert chef and nutrition team have collaborated to develop this extensive bank of recipes and four-week menu cycle. The cycle demonstrates how operators can align their menus to meet the unique needs and preferences of their individual residents, incorporating food waste tips and a variety of dish types to suit a range of kitchen skill levels.
The menu plan features a balance of food groups including both animal and plant-based proteins, higher-fibre carbohydrates, “healthy” fats and plenty of fruit and vegetables, maximising levels of key nutrients such as protein, fibre and essential vitamins and minerals. The team have also worked hard to reduce sources of saturated fat, free sugars and salt where possible.
What’s more, every recipe has been nutritionally analysed and adjusted, tweaking both the ingredients used and the quantities, to ensure that nutrition is prioritised whilst also balancing taste, cost and other factors.
Nutrition Manager, Heather Dolan said “At Bidfood we pride ourselves on an evidence-based approach to nutrition, so we were delighted when the BDA’s Care Home Digest was released. We’ve been working on this menu ever since, with the aim of helping care homes to implement the Digest, and ultimately, supporting them in meeting residents’ nutrition and hydration needs.
“It’s been a pleasure collaborating with our healthcare chefs on this project. They’ve brought a wealth of culinary expertise and creative flair to the project. Together, I believe we’ve struck the perfect balance of classic dishes and fresh, innovative concepts.”
To view the four week menu cycle, please visit
https://view.bidfood.co.uk/bidfoods-four-weekly-menu-cycle/?page=1
The British Dietetic Association’s Care Home Digest was created to support care homes in developing varied and balanced menus that will tempt residents to eat and drink well, whilst being designed as a toolkit that makes it easy for care operators to dip in and out of chapters as needed. For more information on the Care Home Digest, visit
here.
