Bland plates are out! Aged care food is finally getting delicious and exciting

Delicious food can spark more than just a full stomach—it can reignite a zest for life in older Australians.

Yet, in many aged care homes, meals are often treated as an afterthought rather than a highlight of the day.

One renowned culinary advocate believes this neglect could be costing residents more than just flavour.

Aged care homes typically spent an average of $15 a day on meals for each resident, a figure that might seem modest but posed a real challenge for quality and creativity.

Chef and advocate Maggie Beer said it was entirely possible to operate on that budget and still improve standards with a little ambition.

'Food is not a pill to be swallowed or a care task to be ticked off, or a prescription to be filled,' she added.

'Whilst food is about nutrition, it's so much more than that, because food creates an appetite for life.'

More than four years after the aged care royal commission delivered its staggering findings, Ms Beer said there was still much work to be done, particularly on urgent recommendations to improve food standards.

She noted that cooks and chefs in aged care often worked without adequate support, prompting her call for accredited training that equipped them with the specific skills needed to serve older Australians from diverse backgrounds and those living with disability.

Ms Beer's foundation already ran a program linking aged care kitchen teams with a qualified chef to guide them in serving flavourful, nutritious food.

Schemes like this could spotlight an alternative path for passionate chefs, she said.

'If you give people pride and knowledge and a path, you will get people in,' Ms Beer said.

As more older Australians chose to live at home for longer, Ms Beer hoped to inspire them to take pride in their own food and cooking.

She said many people living alone lost motivation to cook, while others did not realise that nutrition needs evolved as they aged.

Her foundation aimed to provide ideas and recipes that could help older Australians maintain health, independence, and joy.

'Eating well is aging well and gives us the joy that will give us the strength, the muscle mass, to be involved in exercise, to continue doing as much as we can to retain independence,' she said.

Have you ever noticed how a simple, well-cooked meal can change the mood of an entire day?