BREAKFAST is widely seen as the most important meal of the day, especially within care settings where residents may have a long gap from the last meal of the previous day or find tiredness impacting on their appetite as the day progresses.
For individuals living with swallowing difficulties, varied breakfast options can be especially challenging.
That is why apetito, leading meal provider to the care home sector, has launched a new version of its IDDSI Level 4 Purée Porridge, designed for care homes to provide a safe and nourishing meal to start the day – reducing risk and improving mealtime confidence.
During recent research carried out by speech and language therapist Tracy Broadley Jackson it was found that options readily available off the retail shelf like wheat biscuits and smooth porridge, often provided at breakfast in care settings for people requiring a puréed diet, do not fully comply with the IDDSI Level 4 standards.
Whilst these may seem like reasonable options, several factors were identified by Tracy as to why they cannot be safely recommended, including small granulations that require additional effort to clear from the mouth, a sticky texture that worsened when left to sit and inconsistencies in texture dependent on the brand and preparation methods.
A full video of the testing process on each product can be watched at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVexLhZ7_qE
Utilising a pre-prepared solution for texture modified meals ensures that residents receive reliable and consistently safe meals all day that are nutritionally balanced to support resident health.
Richard Jones, head of specialist nutrition at apetito, said: “Every resident deserves access to safe and nutritious food at every mealtime, regardless of their dietary needs or preferences.
“Porridge, while a breakfast staple in many care settings, is known for being particularly difficult to prepare to a true Level 4 Purée consistency, especially under the daily pressures of a busy kitchen. For care home teams who may be short on staff in the kitchen, or time to prepare, achieving a safe, IDDSI-compliant texture every time can be a real challenge.
“Yet, the health and wellbeing of residents living with dysphagia depends on it. All meals served must meet the required standards without any compromise or substitution for convenience.
“We are proud to offer preprepared options for all day dining that care homes can be confident meet IDDSI standards and nutritional guidelines set by the British Dietetic Association – delivering reliable safety and consistent quality, every day.”
Alongside the newly launched Purée Porridge, apetito also provides a selection of other breakfast options in the range such as Purée Beans on Toast, Purée Scrambled Eggs on Toast and a Purée All Day Breakfast, providing variety and enjoyment for residents living with dysphagia.
Find out more at carehomes.apetito.co.uk/bookatasting