How many times have you read that you need to change your diet, eat clean, or only eat specific foods? Unlike the old days, nutrition advice is easily accessible for everyone everywhere, at any time. You hear it on TV, YouTube, Facebook, etc... Not to mention the neighbours, family, and friends!
With so much information available, people are facing a lot of misconceptions and false advice. Ideally, an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) is who you need! Dietitians are qualified professionals who provide you with expert nutrition advice. But what if you are seeking nutrition information, is Google your Friend?
It is important to know that online nutrition- related information is often inaccurate and does not offer valid nutrition information. This article summarises evidence based nutritional guidelines for Australians of all ages to guide you with where to seek the nutritional advice.
First, Why Evidence Based Guidelines?
Evidence-based nutrition involves using the best available research evidence, combined with dietitian’s experience to support the clients to prevent, resolve, or manage nutrition related problems affecting their physical, mental, and social health.
Australian Dietary Guidelines
Overweight and obesity have increased dramatically over the last 30 years, leading to increased prevalence of chronic diseases. The Australian Dietary Guidelines were developed in 2013 to provide guidance on foods, food groups and dietary patterns that protect you against chronic disease and provide the nutrients required for optimal health and wellbeing. The 2013 Guidelines are currently under review with new guidelines expected to be released in 2024.
What are the Australian Dietary guidelines?
The Australian Dietary Guidelines offer advice on dietary patterns – outlining the types of foods, food groups and dietary patterns – to promote health and wellbeing and reduce the risk of diet-related conditions and chronic diseases.
The main takeaway points are simple:
Achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your needs.
Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five groups every day and drink plenty of water.
Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol.
Encourage, support, and promote breastfeeding.
Care for your food; prepare and store it safely.
Who should use the Australian Dietary Guidelines?
The target audience for the Guidelines comprises:
Health professionals including dietitians, nutritionists, general practitioners (GPs), nurses and lactation consultants.
Educators
Government policy makers
The food industry
Researchers
Are the Australian dietary guidelines for everyone?
The Australian Dietary Guidelines apply to general Australian population except for those with medical conditions or frail elderly people who are at risk of malnutrition.
Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating is a food selection guide which shows the proportion of the five food groups recommended for consumption each day: vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meats, milk, and dairy products. It is based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines that provide advice on the types and amounts of foods to eat for health and wellbeing.
Nutrition guidelines for Aged Care Homes
Australia has an ageing population. While most of elderly people live in the community, some require support in aged care homes.
Food and nutrition play a major role in the health and wellbeing of residents. Older people are vulnerable to malnutrition. They have higher requirements of certain nutrients but have reduced food intake due to changes in taste, smell, appetite, and ability to eat certain foods. With health and nutrition challenges in older population, nutritional guidelines were developed to maximise residents’ food intake and enjoyment and minimise malnutrition.
Best Practice Food and Nutrition manual 2015
What is the Best Practice Food and Nutrition Manual?
The content of the manual suggests ways to:
Maximise meal enjoyment.
Increase meal appeal.
Avoid unnecessary food restrictions.
Increase meals and snacks variety.
Prepare food that is culturally appropriate.
Reduce nutrition related health issues such as malnutrition, pressure injuries, and falls.
The manual includes 4 sections:
Section one discusses residents’ nutritional needs and menu planning guidelines - including menu checklist and tips on maximising the nutritional content of the menu items.
Section two emphasizes on enhancing mealtime experience.
Section three focuses on food fortification and malnutrition screening tools to prevent and treat malnutrition.
The final section provides advice on modified diets common in aged care homes.
These include:
Texture modified diets.
High fibre diets
Diabetic diet
Tube feeding and many others.
Who was The Best Practice Food and Nutrition Manual written for?
This manual is designed to support all aged care home staff and community care staff in their approach to improve residents’ quality of life, including:
Food service staff planning and preparing meals.
Staff who serve the food and care for residents.
Families and friends of those who are in aged care.
Dietitians working in aged care homes.
For more information on the Best Practice Food and Nutrition Mannual, click here.
Aged Care Quality Standards
The Aged Care Quality Standards focus on a person-centred approach. The standards were developed to ensure that the provider’s care and services are:
Safe
High quality
Meeting the needs and preferences of the residents under their care.
What are the Quality Standards?
The updated Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards highlight:
The Person ‘I am valued and have choice over the life I lead.’ - This standard reflects dignity and respect acknowledging residents’ diversity.
The Organization - This standard discussed the expectations of the organisation to meet the requirements of the Quality Standards and deliver quality care and services.
The Care and Services - Standard 3 describes the way providers must deliver care and services of all types.
The Environment - The aim of Standard 4 is to ensure that older people receive care and services in a safe and supportive environment to meet their needs. Effective infection prevention and control measures are crucial to protect older people, their family, carers, and workers.
Clinical Care - Older people often have multiple chronic co-morbidities and complex care needs. These people may be experiencing sickness, frailty, disability, cognitive impairment or approaching the end of their life. Access to a range of health professionals is crucial to address these complex needs and optimise an older person’s quality of life. Clinical care provided should be person-centred, inclusive, safe, effective, and coordinated.
Food and Nutrition - This standard highlights the importance of engaging with older people about their food choices, delivering meals that are full of flavour, appetising and nutritious (including for older people with texture modified diets), and support older people to consume as much as they want and exercise dignity of risk.
Actions:
Ensure menus (including for texture modified diets):
are designed in partnership with older people.
are developed with the input of chefs, cooks, and an Accredited Practising Dietitian
are regularly changed to include more variety and align with resident’s choices.
are enabling older people to meet their nutritional needs.
are reviewed at least annually through a menu and mealtime assessment by an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
It is important that meals, drinks, and snacks provided to older people:
are appetising and full of flavour.
are served at the correct temperature and well presented.
are prepared and served safely.
meet residents’ nutritional requirements.
are in accordance with each older person’s choice Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards – Final Draft (November 2023)
reflect the menu.
are always accessible – including water.
7.The Residential Community It is critical that older people:
Feel safe and at home in the residential community.
Have opportunities to do things that are meaningful to them including participating in hobbies or community groups, seeing friends and family or activities such as gardening, cooking, and setting tables.
Non-compliance with Quality Standards:
A performance assessment is performed. The response to non-compliance is proportionate and risk based. This ensures the service returns to compliance. It also addresses any risks to the safety, health, and wellbeing of people under their care.
Quality standard Resources are updated regularly. Last update was done in August 2023. Updated standards will be effective 1 July 2025. For more information on the Aged Care Quality standards, click here.
Aged Care Quality Standards Toolkit for APDs 2020
This Toolkit is designed to provide APDs with practical strategies to best support aged care organisations, not only to be compliant with the eight Aged Care Quality Standards, but also to excel in the food, nutrition, and mealtime experience. It highlights the role of APDs in residential Aged Care, Community Care, and Home Care.
The toolkit is also helpful for aged care staff, carers, and consumers with resources included for the target audience.
The eight Aged Care quality standards are as follow:
Consumer Dignity and Choice
Ongoing Assessments and Planning with Consumers
Personal Care and Clinical Care
Services and Supports for Daily Living
Organization’s Service Environment
Feedback and Complaints
Human Resources
Organizational Governance
Each of these standards is followed by a checklist for consideration of food/nutrition and quality improvement ideas for APDs. To view the toolkit, chick here.
Nutrition Guidelines Childcare centres
Healthy eating advisory Service (HEAS)
Since 2012, the Healthy Eating Advisory Service has supported organisations across Victoria to promote healthier menu, foods, and drinks and meet government food and drink policies and guidelines.
These organisations include:
Early childhood education and care services – long day care, family day care, kindergarten
Outside school hours care services
Schools and Tertiary Education
Health services – hospitals, residential aged care, and integrated community health services
Sport and recreation facilities
Sports clubs
Community and council-run facilities
Other workplaces
Retail food industry and suppliers
The HEAS offers:
Informative resources including recipes, meals, and drinks ideas.
Food and drinks assessments
Training and coaching to promote healthy foods and drinks.
Dietary advice from Dietitians and Nutritionists
For more information about the Healthy Eating Advisory Service, click here.
Get up & Grow
Get Up & Grow contains resources designed to help parents and educators make sure children eat healthy foods and are physically active, so they grow up healthy and strong.
For more information about Get up & Grow, click here.
Nutrition Guidelines in summary
The guidelines summarized in this article are evidenced based and designed to support Australians of all ages choosing healthy foods and preventing chronic diseases. However, these guidelines may not be the right fit for every individual, as we are all unique with different health challenges, goals, and lifestyles.
An Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) offers a personalised approach to diet and nutrition therapy. Unlike other health professionals who recommend generic treatment plans to their clients, APDs develop unique treatment plans suited to their client’s specific health conditions, lifestyle, medical history, and nutrition goals.
APDs understand there is no single universal diet or treatment for everyone, that each of their clients is different, and thus deserves a special nutrition treatment designed for them alone. This personal approach enables them to come up with customised and more effective nutrition treatments for all their clients.
At OSCAR Care Group, our expert Dietitians assist you in achieving your nutritional goals and working towards better health and wellbeing. OSCAR Care Dietitians offer one on one consultations with clients at the clinic, in aged care homes, and at the comfort of your home. Our Dietitians also conduct menu reviews for aged care and childcare centres.
Reach out for your booking!