The Nutrition in Disguise (NID) project focuses on creating nutrient-dense recipes by adding healthy ingredients to common foods that older adults enjoy.
NiD is a training program and recipe box that can be used by menu planners and chefs working in long-term care. Findings from the NiD project identified micronutrient content can be enhanced through specific menu planning using key ingredients.
Long-Term Care (LTC) homes are places where people live for support with most or all of their activities, such as eating and getting around, and access to daily 24-hour nursing, personal care and other services. People who live in LTC tend to be aged 75 or older.
Did You Know?
- As we age, we generally need fewer calories than we did when we were younger, but we still need the same amount of nutrients.
- Most older adults are not consuming enough key nutrients to stay healthy.
- The best way to get the nutrients our bodies need is through the foods that we eat. It is important to choose foods that are rich in nutrients (i.e. nutrient-dense).
- Eating a nutrient-dense diet helps older adults stay healthy and independent.
Resources
LTC Recipes Cards
Download enhanced recipes for common meals in Ontario LTC homes (in Microsoft Word format). Each recipe was vetted by a dietician and cost efficiency for long-term care homes.
Community Recipe Cards
A collection of tasty recipes enhanced with key nutrients for older adults living in the community.
The recipes were created as part of the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging’s Nutrition in Disguise research project. Each recipe card describes how to prepare the item. It also explains how the key ingredient in disguise makes the recipe more nutritious.
Webinar: Menu Planning to Enhance Resident Health & Well-Being
This webinar will share findings from research to help chefs and nutrition managers working in LTC create meals that are more nutritious for residents.
How to Run a Taste Test Event in Your LTC Home
Planning a taste testing event in your long-term care home is a great way to engage your LTC community in the Nutrition in Disguise recipes. This guide explains how to a taste test event in your home.
Related Resource
Follow the RIA’s CHOICE+ team on Instagram for educational content on dining in senior living spaces, including LTC homes!
NiD Recipes for Residents Contest
In the fall of 2021, we asked students from Conestoga College, George Brown College, and Humber College to make a recipe for a nutrient-dense breakfast item or snack that is healthy and tasty for residents living in LTC to enjoy! Students were given guidelines about what to include in a recipe for LTC residents and were guided by their instructors. We had a number of creative entries. After choosing finalists based on set criteria, judges tasted the dishes and selected three winners in December!
Acknowledgments
The Nutrition in Disguise resources are made available through the Ontario CLRI at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA). These resources are based on research completed by the RIA, the University of Waterloo and the University of Guelph, in partnership with Schlegel Villages. This research was made possible with the generosity of George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited.
