Nutritional Support for Effective Diabetes Care for Older People

Diabetes currently affects a whopping 4 9 million people in the UK And with the condition more commonly prevalent amongst the elderly population catering to those with medical conditions such as diabetes is incredibly important

Effective diabetes care for older people requires nutritional support to help maintain healthy blood sugar level and reduce the risk of complications However Bidfood has recognised through customer insight that catering for diabetes within the care sector is especially challenging as care homes continue to operate under tight budgets and are feeling the impact of rising food costs

Consistently creating nutritious and delicious meals tailored to residents’ individual requirements isn’t always easy especially when you are juggling time budgets stock levels and the skill level of your staff So to help navigate these challenges Bidfood has launched Caterers Campus an online learning platform exclusive to Bidfood customers that takes the hard work out of supporting your team – so you have more time to focus on your residents

Designed by our chefs for your chefs the specialist diabetes module includes understanding the causes and symptoms how to cater for diabetes as well as inspiration to help with menu planning all to aid and equip care home staff with the right information and guidance they need Made up of over 30 chapters the unit also features a knowledge test at the end to really make sure everything has sunk in

To accompany Caterers Campus we ve also devised a comprehensive guide to help carers support residents with diabetes Packed full of advice our guide will fill you with confidence when discussing diabetic care with your team members and residents

Bidfood’s Culinary Development Chef for the care sector Wayne Wright has put together a full seven day meal plan to help inspire those in the care setting when catering for diabetes Here are some of his top tips:

* Be careful with the carbs try to not overdo it by adding in too many

* Make healthy swaps like whole grain sweet potatoes wholemeal flour and lean cuts of meat

* Instead of adding sugar and salt for flavour add herbs spices lemon and lime juice

* Lastly, remember to keep an eye on the portion sizes

See the advert on the previous page for further information