Aged Care
Food in Aged Care: What Good Mealtimes Look Like (2026)
Ask anyone who lives in an aged care home what matters most in their day, and meals will be near the top of the list. Food in aged care is about far more than nutrition. A good meal brings comfort, routine, choice, conversation and a sense of home. A poor one can affect someone’s health, mood and quality of life.
Food is getting more attention than ever. This month, well-known cook Maggie Beer called on more aged care homes to rethink their menus after seeing the results of a year-long program at a Coffs Harbour home. Since 1 November 2025, food and nutrition has also had its own dedicated standard under the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. This guide explains what families can expect, what good mealtimes look like, and the questions to ask.
WHAT GOOD FOOD IN AGED CARE MEANS · The four ingredients
- Choice: food people actually want
- Nutrition: enough to stay strong
- Safety: right texture, right diet
- Enjoyment: a dining room worth sitting in
Why Food in Aged Care Matters So Much
As people age, appetite often falls, tastes change, and chewing or swallowing can become harder. At the same time, older bodies need good nutrition to maintain muscle strength, heal wounds, fight infection and reduce the risk of falls. Weight loss and dehydration can creep up quietly and lead to serious health problems.
Meals also shape the rhythm of the day. Breakfast, morning tea, lunch and dinner are natural times for social connection, and for many residents the dining room is where friendships form. That is why the strengthened standards treat the dining experience as part of quality care, not an extra. For families, food is also one of the easiest things to judge during a visit. You can see the menu, watch a mealtime, taste the food and talk to residents about what they think. Few other parts of aged care are so easy to check for yourself.
What the Food and Nutrition Standard Requires
Standard 6 is the first time food and nutrition in residential aged care has had its own standalone standard. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing confirms it commenced under the Aged Care Act 2024 on 1 November 2025. In plain terms, it says residents should get plenty of food and drink they enjoy, that meals should be appetising, nutritious and safe, and that dining should be enjoyable and help people feel they belong.
The standard has four outcomes:
6.1 Partnering with residents
Residents help shape the menu and food service, so meals reflect what they enjoy.
6.2 Assessing each person
Each resident’s nutrition and hydration needs, and how they like to eat and drink, are assessed and reviewed.
6.3 Providing food and drink
Menus offer choice and flavour, with safe food handling and meals that meet each person’s needs.
6.4 The dining experience
Residents are supported to eat and drink and to enjoy mealtimes, with choice and social connection.
What Good Mealtimes in Aged Care Look Like
Every home is different, but good food in aged care tends to share the same features. Here is what to look for, and what to ask, when you visit.
LOOK FOR: Meals that look and smell appetising, served at the right temperature
ASK ABOUT: Is food cooked on site, and how often does the menu change?
LOOK FOR: A real choice at each meal, not one set plate
ASK ABOUT: Can residents ask for something off the menu, or a favourite meal?
LOOK FOR: Staff sitting with residents who need help, not rushing them
ASK ABOUT: How do you support residents who need help to eat?
LOOK FOR: Drinks and snacks available between meals
ASK ABOUT: Can residents get a snack or a cup of tea at night?
LOOK FOR: A calm, social dining room where people chat
ASK ABOUT: Can family join a resident for a meal?
An Example of a Good Day of Meals
To give a feel for what variety can look like, here is an illustrative day. Every home’s menu is different, and a good menu is built around what residents themselves enjoy.
ILLUSTRATIVE DAILY MENU
Breakfast
Porridge or cereal, eggs cooked to order, toast, fruit, tea or coffee
Morning tea
Freshly baked scones or a fruit platter, with drinks
Lunch
A choice of two mains, such as roast lamb with vegetables or a fish dish, followed by dessert
Afternoon tea
Cake, cheese and crackers, or yoghurt
Dinner
Soup and a lighter main such as an omelette or sandwiches, with a dessert option
Supper
Warm milk drinks, biscuits or fruit
Example only. Not a Superior Care Group menu.
More Than Nutrition: Food and Wellbeing
The best aged care homes treat food as part of daily life, not just a service. Familiar dishes can bring back memories and comfort. Cultural foods help residents feel connected to their heritage. Birthday cakes, Christmas lunches, ANZAC biscuits and themed food days give the calendar something to look forward to.
Being involved matters too. Some homes invite residents to help plan menus, bake in small groups, grow herbs or vegetables, or set tables. Small moments of choice and contribution like these help people keep their sense of independence and purpose. Eating together also encourages people to eat more. Residents who share a table with friends often enjoy their meals more than those who regularly eat alone, so a welcoming dining room is good for both wellbeing and nutrition.
Special Diets and Texture-Modified Food
Many residents need meals adapted for their health. Common needs include diabetic-friendly options, low-salt meals, food allergies and intolerances, cultural and religious diets, and vegetarian choices. A good home records these needs in each resident’s care plan and makes sure the kitchen and care staff both know about them. Ask how information passes from the care plan to the kitchen, because mistakes with allergies or textures can be serious.
Some residents have difficulty chewing or swallowing, often after a stroke or as a result of other health conditions. A speech pathologist can assess swallowing and recommend food and drinks of a safer texture. In Australia, these textures are usually described using the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework.
| IDDSI level | Foods | Drinks |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not applicable | Thin |
| 1 | Not applicable | Slightly thick |
| 2 | Not applicable | Mildly thick |
| 3 | Liquidised | Moderately thick |
| 4 | Pureed | Extremely thick |
| 5 | Minced and moist | Not applicable |
| 6 | Soft and bite-sized | Not applicable |
| 7 | Regular, or easy to chew | Not applicable |
Texture-modified meals should still look and taste good, because people are far more likely to eat food that looks appealing. Ask whether pureed or minced meals are presented attractively, with each part of the meal kept separate so residents can still enjoy different flavours.
Don’t forget hydration
Older people often feel less thirsty, so dehydration can develop without obvious warning. This is especially important during Queensland summers. Good homes offer drinks throughout the day, include fluid-rich foods such as soups, jelly, fruit and ice blocks, and keep an eye on residents who are at risk.
Signs Your Loved One May Not Be Eating Enough
Weight loss and poor appetite in older people are not something to accept as normal ageing. Look out for:
- Clothes or rings becoming loose
- Meals regularly left unfinished
- Coughing or choking while eating
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dry mouth or dark urine
- Sore mouth or ill-fitting dentures
If you notice any of these, ask the nurse whether your loved one’s weight is being monitored and whether a review by a dietitian, speech pathologist or dentist would help. Often a simple change, such as smaller and more frequent meals, softer foods, fortified snacks or fixing dentures, makes a big difference to how much someone eats each day.
Eating Well Through a Queensland Summer
Hot weather changes what people feel like eating. During a Queensland summer, appetites often drop and the risk of dehydration rises, especially for residents who are frail or rely on staff to offer drinks.
Good homes adapt their menus as the weather warms, with lighter meals, salads, cold soups, fresh fruit, smoothies, jelly and ice blocks alongside regular drinks rounds. Dining rooms and bedrooms should be kept cool and comfortable so residents are not put off eating by the heat. If your loved one seems less interested in food over summer, mention it to the care team early.
How Families Can Help
Share food history. Tell the home about your loved one’s favourite meals, foods they dislike, cultural dishes and lifelong routines, such as a cup of tea before bed.
Join a meal. Eating together is one of the best ways to see the dining experience for yourself, and it gives your loved one company.
Watch for changes. Clothes becoming loose, food left untouched or new difficulty swallowing are all worth raising with the nurse or care manager.
Speak up. If something is not right, raise it with the home first. Residents and families can also call the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission’s Food, Nutrition and Dining Hotline on 1800 844 044 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) for advice from dietitians and speech pathologists, or to make a complaint. Our guide on how to raise a concern in aged care explains the process.
Free Menu Reviews for Aged Care Homes
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission runs a Menu and Mealtime Review Program, which gives selected aged care homes a free onsite review of their menu and mealtimes by an Accredited Practising Dietitian. The review helps homes improve their food service and meet Standard 6.
When you are comparing homes, it is reasonable to ask whether a dietitian has reviewed the menu recently and what changes were made as a result. A home that welcomes these questions is usually one that takes food seriously.
Questions to Ask About Food in Aged Care
- Is food cooked fresh on site?
- How many choices are there at each meal?
- How do residents give feedback on the menu?
- Has a dietitian reviewed the menu recently?
- How are special and cultural diets managed?
- How do you monitor weight and hydration?
- Can residents eat in their room if they prefer?
- Are birthdays and special occasions celebrated with food?
Food quality is one of the clearest signs of how a home cares for its residents. For more questions to ask on a visit, see our questions to ask when touring an aged care home, our guide to the aged care quality standards, and our article on activities and lifestyle programs.
Mealtimes at Superior Care Group
Superior Care Group is a family-owned aged care provider that has cared for older Queenslanders for over 45 years. At Wellington Park in Wellington Point and Merrimac Park on the Gold Coast, we know mealtimes are one of the highlights of our residents’ day. Wellington Park even has its own Eden farm, set among gardens and native bushland. When you visit, we would be glad to show you our menus and dining rooms and talk about how we cater for each resident’s tastes and needs, from favourite family recipes to special diets. You can also explore our full range of aged care services.
COME AND SEE FOR YOURSELF · Book a visit around mealtime
Wellington Park (07) 3822 1876 · Merrimac Park (07) 5618 1111
Sources: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Food and nutrition support · Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission: Food, nutrition and dining · NBN News, 20 October 2026
