Recipes
for Long Term Care Residences

Nutrition in Disguise

Nutrition in Disguise (NiD) is a project aimed at enhancing menus in long-term care through the creation of nutrient dense recipes. Recipes that have higher amounts of micronutrients, protein and fibre can have a positive influence on resident immunity, function, overall health, as well as recovery from illness among residents living in LTC. Dr. Heather Keller’s research has identified that nutrition can be enhanced through nutrient dense recipe generation and menu planning.[1]

Did You Know?

• The majority of residents in LTC homes are 75 years or older
• Many residents of long term care need fewer calories, but they still need the same amount of nutrients
• Most residents are not consuming enough key nutrients to stay healthy
• Eating a nutrient-dense diet helps residents stay healthy and independent

Mealtimes bring residents much joy. The Ontario Centres for Learning Research and Innovation in long-term care (CLRI), hosted at the Research Institute for Aging (RIA) is developing a recipe catalogue based on the principles of NiD.  It is important to both support the overall health and well-being of older adults, while ensuring that they continue to enjoy their meals.

The nutrient dense recipes provided here have been developed and tested through the NiD program and have received final approval from LTC residents themselves! We encourage you to try these recipes and let us know how your residents liked them. We hope these recipes inspire you to create more nutrient dense recipes for your residents. See the NiD website for more information on this initiative.

[1] Keller, H, Pereira de Paula, F.L., Wei, C., Duncan, A. & Duizer, L. (2018). Nutrition in Disguise: Development, Testing and Cost-Analysis of Nutrient-Enhanced Food for Residential Care. Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Food Science, 2(1), 36-45.