MAGAZINE

Do you live to eat or eat to live? Do you regard eating as one of life’s great pleasures, or is food merely the fuel you need to help you power through your day? Does every meal have to deliver a taste sensation, or are you happy to just grab whatever is available as long as it is edible and filling? 

I expect that like most of us, you probably veer between these two extremes, plumping for the quick and easy option day to day, while also savouring those occasions when you can enjoy something really delicious.

However, whether we are gourmets or gourmands the one thing that we should all be more focused on is whether the food that we eat is providing all the nutrients that we need to ensure that we live long and healthy lives. 

Good nutrition is, of course, a key part of successful care catering, but how can care caterers ensure that every mouthful matters when they are feeding residents with a multiplicity of different needs? On pages 42-45 BANT-registered nutritionist and passionate foodie Eva Humphries explains how chefs can pack the optimal amount of nutrients into every meal by using a selection of superfoods that have the power to transform both physical health and cognitive function. And if that sounds daunting, you’ll be happy to learn that the superfoods definitely don’t include kale!

Meanwhile on pages 52-53, David Titman, a director of the social enterprise RaisingNutrition, explains why so many of us find it so difficult to stick to a healthy eating plan and suggests how some of these challenges can be successfully circumnavigated.

Both Eva and David were speakers at the Care Home Catering Forum, which took place on a sunny Wednesday this past June, at Farmers & Fletchers Hall in London’s Barbican and focused strongly on nutrition. To our great delight, the event attracted a gratifyingly large number of delegates, but if you missed it, turn to pages 23-29 for a full resumé of the topics covered by all eight of our wonderful speakers. We also used this occasion to announce the winners of the 2024 Care Catering Awards and present them with their trophies. You can learn more about our five valiant victors on pages 30-31.

Optimal nutrition is the overriding theme that runs through this Autumn issue, which fortuitously coincides with the long-awaited publication of the British Dietetic Association’s Care Home Digest. This free guide, which follows the format of the highly successful Nutrition and Hydration Digest that was primarily designed for use by hospitals, is expected to set the standard for catering in care homes, as it offers a clear set of objectives that will help care caterers to understand what they should be providing. To read the review of this important new aid, turn to this issue’s Big Read on pages 18-21, where our regular columnist, consultant dietitian Rachael Masters reviews the Digest in depth and delivers her verdict.

Nutrition will also play a big part in the forthcoming NACC Training and Development Forum, which takes place on 2nd-3rd October at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham. This two-day event, which is running under the banner Aspire-Empower-Innovate, is undoubtedly the pinnacle of the care-catering calendar. Delegates will be able to enjoy presentations from a wide range of speakers, plus a whole variety of different workshops and cookery demonstrations, as well as having an opportunity to catch up with industry friends and colleagues. For a preview of all the delights in store, visit pages 60-63.

Elsewhere, in addition to our usual news pages, you’ll discover new ideas for afternoon tea on pages 36-41, everything that’s new in the world of energy-saving equipment on pages 45-51 and inspiration for vegetarian and vegan meals on pages 54-57. Autumn is of course, the time to start thinking about that big annual event that takes place towards the end of December. And no, I’m not going to use the ‘C’ word in September. Suffice to say, if you want to start formulating the first tentative plans for this year’s festive menu, you should turn to pages 32-34!

That’s about it for this issue, but in the Winter magazine we’ll be covering frozen foods, ovens, combis and microwaves, breakfast food and drink and dairy and dairy alternatives, as well as providing a comprehensive review of the NACC Training and Development Forum. Until then, please top up your intake of vitamin D while enjoying the last of the Autumn sunshine!

Val Hirst
Editor