HOW TO EAT WELL ON $8.33 A DAY
The provincial funding to feed a resident living in a long-term care home in Ontario is $8.33 per day. That’s $8.33 a day to produce three meals and the appropriate snacks and beverages for each resident. That’s $8.33 a day to produce high quality, appealing, delicious, and nutritious food. As I quickly calculate the cost of my morning Tim Horton’s tea and blueberry muffin as $3.20 I realize that the provincial funding is not enough.
Providing residents with nutritious food to meet their personal needs is important for preventing and/or reducing the risk of health issues such as malnutrition, infection, pressure sores, and dehydration. For many residents mealtime is one of the main events of the day and the type of food they receive plays a big role in their quality of life. Most food service departments at long-term care homes are looking for creative ways to use the money they have in order to produce delicious and healthy food on such a tight budget. To do this, I’ve come up with 5 tips for producing meals with only $8.33 per day.
- BUY IN-SEASON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Not only are in-season fruit and vegetables more fresh and flavourable, but they’re also cheaper! Planning meals around what’s in season, such as asparagus soup in the spring and blueberry muffins in the summer, can help the organization save money while still providing delicious meals and snacks!
- SHOP AROUND
Before buying food and beverages, LTC homes should look for any sales that may be available. It’s important to find a supplier that provides high quality products, but at a reasonable price. Many suppliers will offer savings to food service organizations that order products in bulk or have reward/rebate programs if you purchase from their company! By shopping around and asking questions before making a final decision, your company could save hundreds of dollars!
- USE LESS EXPENSIVE CUTS OF MEAT
Following a tight budget doesn’t mean you can’t serve meat to residents. Instead look for less expensive cuts of meat such as chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts or flank steak instead of sirloin. If you’re using a tougher cut of meat consider different cooking methods and sauces to make the meat more tender and palatable. Bonus: Some cheaper cuts of meat actually have a richer flavour!
- EMBRACE WHOLE GRAINS AND LEGUMES
Meatless Monday’s are becoming more and more common because of the number of health benefits they offer such as high protein and high fibre. But, incorporating whole grains and legumes into dishes also allows for substantial food cost savings! The cost per serving of lentils is approximately one-tenth less than that of beef. Making small changes, such as substituting lentils for ground beef in a sloppy joe recipe, can lead to even more cost savings!
- MAKE MORE FROM SCRATCH
Long-term care homes can save a significant amount of money by preparing foods from scratch. If your organization has the time and equipment and your employees have to skills needed to prepare foods from scratch – utilize it! Since pre-made food is considered more convenient, it is often more expensive and packed with unhealthy fats and sodium. Facilities that choose to prepare some recipes from scratch not only save money, but can also adjust the ingredients in order to make meals healthier!
With such a minimal amount of money dedicated each day to producing meals and snacks, some LTC homes don’t have the extra money to provide their residents with special dinners at holidays such as Christmas or Easter. Residents deserve better. And, with the continuously rising food costs, the Ontario government really needs to re-evaluate the funding they are providing to long-term care homes because I’m pretty sure that they spend more than $8.33 per day on food for themselves.
