{"id":34,"date":"2025-11-21T15:21:21","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T15:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/?page_id=34"},"modified":"2025-12-04T10:54:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T10:54:53","slug":"provide-your-attendees-with-a-meal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/provide-your-attendees-with-a-meal\/","title":{"rendered":"Provide your attendees with a meal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"mealtop\">This section covers the following areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"color:#0c06ff\" class=\"wp-block-list has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-b25e8af1f0ee4f0ed458846a7c013861\">\n<li><a href=\"#hotfood\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#hotfood\">Providing food &#8211; Hot meals<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#should\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#should\">Should we provide food?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#learning\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#learning\">Key learning from the Food Glorious Food project<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#provide\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#provide\">How should we provide food?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#culture\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#culture\">Providing food &#8211; Culturally appropriate food<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#should1\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#should1\">Should we provide food tailored to ensure it is culturally appropriate?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#learning1\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#learning1\">Key learning from the Food Glorious Food project<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#provide1\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#provide1\">How should we provide food tailored to ensure it it culturally appropriate?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fb89aca005262023cf2a093b8e5886cf\" id=\"hotfood\" style=\"color:#2e0606\"><strong>Providing food &#8211; Hot meals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-d3a60427fd15853afcf8922ff142725e\" id=\"should\" style=\"color:#2e0606\"><strong>Should we provide food?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What are the benefits?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can provide reliable access to hot, nutritious meals for attendees who do not have this at home<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can be enjoyable and an incentive to attend if done well<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Removes worry about how\/where\/when attendees will get food when out at the group, which could be a barrier to attendance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eating together can stimulate conversation, reminiscence and discussions about health and diet<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can encourage social connection, and group cohesion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offers opportunities for peer support<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May help attendees to feel safe, supported and looked after<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Staff\/volunteer fulfilment at providing something of tangible benefit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People may eat more when served meals in social settings due to social and environmental cues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What are the risks?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cost and demand on staff resources may make impact on the sustainability of food provision, or even the sustainability of the group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Harm may be caused if dietary requirements are missed, or not catered for and adhered to<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attendees may need to adjust their intake before or after attending to maintain their usual dietary balance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May add to stigma or feelings of dis-empowerment by drawing attention to difficulties with eating or separation of carer\/cared for<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attendees may feel disempowered if they do not have autonomy or choice over what they are served and how<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attendees may be discouraged from attending if they do not find the food and how it is done appealing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Higher attendance fees for including hot meals may create inequalities in access<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b66207e9cf546d0ad45a63c7d84a57fa wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#0c06ff\"><a href=\"#mealtop\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#mealtop\">Return to the top of the page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-e39da9c099e1effe43b96d323f10842e\" id=\"learning\" style=\"color:#2e0606\"><strong>Key learning from the Food Glorious Food project<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Access to a good quality, hot, nutritionally balanced, dietary-requirement appropriate meal can be a major draw for people, as they may not be able to easily get such meals elsewhere \u2013 but offering this takes significant staff resource and can be prohibitively costly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People are more likely to attend if they do not have to worry about how\/where\/when they are going to get food when out at the group, especially if the session covers traditional meal times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shared meals can spark conversation, reminiscence, \u2018health by stealth\u2019 discussions and peer support, creating group cohesion and reducing loneliness and isolation \u2013 however, if not well managed, mealtimes can also create separation and stigma by drawing attention to difficulties with eating or care\/cared for distinctions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>People may eat more when served meals in social settings due to social and environmental cues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing hot food can be a demanding undertaking for a small team of staff and volunteers, especially where there may be changes and uncertainty from session to session, so teamwork, flexibility and contingency plans are needed.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b66207e9cf546d0ad45a63c7d84a57fa wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#0c06ff\"><a href=\"#mealtop\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#mealtop\">Return to the top of the page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-6e3c0663237a146d79949ffc7f4cb9b4\" id=\"provide\" style=\"color:#2e0606\"><strong>How should we provide food?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What helps?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Knowledge and management of attendees dietary requirements (including due to cultural background\/faith)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Knowledge and management of attendees support needs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sufficient staff and volunteers to prepare and serve food, and support attendees to eat<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sufficient (but not necessarily professional) level training for staff\/vols<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flexible food planning and a varied, good quality menu with input from attendees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tailoring food to familiarity and preferences of group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Safe use of excess or leftover food reduces waste (can offer additional choice)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contingency plans for interruptions to service, including changes or discontinuation of provision, equipment failure, staff shortages etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coordinated and adaptable teamwork (staff and volunteer flexibility around routines and roles)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing cold food or enabling attendees to bring their own if this is preferred<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advance preparation and additional cooking time for time consuming meals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seeking food donations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Growing potential ingredients in the setting (especially if hard to source)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What challenges might we need to think about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Availability of food at an achievable cost<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rising grocery and utility costs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Availability of enough staff with time and skills to prepare and serve food<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Volunteers in key operational roles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Varied\/changing preferences of attendees, especially if offer differs from what individuals have at home and their usual routines<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meeting varied support needs and dietary requirements (including due to cultural background\/faith)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Catering for variable\/unpredictable numbers (food waste)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some meals are time-consuming to prepare and cook<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meeting strict organisational or venue regulatory requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b66207e9cf546d0ad45a63c7d84a57fa wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#0c06ff\"><a href=\"#mealtop\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#mealtop\">Return to the top of the page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e5d807cdfd907070de01c89d7b26fdbe\" id=\"culture\" style=\"color:#2e0606\"><strong>Providing food &#8211; Culturally appropriate food<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-c340d68bb88fe933a6c5e9f1bae59612\" id=\"should1\" style=\"color:#2e0606\"><strong>Should we provide food tailored to ensure it is culturally appropriate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What are the benefits?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can provide reliable access to culturally familiar and acceptable hot, nutritious meals for attendees who may not have this otherwise<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eating together can stimulate culturally situated and relevant reminiscence and discussions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As part of culturally tailored group, can contribute to a sense of the group as a home or family for both attendees and staff\/vols<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Access to culturally appropriate nutrition for underserved older adults helps combat marginalisation and reduce both social and cultural isolation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can encourage recognition of attendees as holders of cultural knowledge and contributors to communal life<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Opportunities to reflect cultural health practices, such as the use of medicinal herbs or traditional teas in food provision<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What are the risks?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Disproportionately high cost of providing culturally appropriate food may impact on the sustainability of food provision, or even the sustainability of the group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attendees may be discouraged from attending if they do not find the food and how it is done appealing, including feeling culturally excluded (e.g. if emphasis is on certain cultural backgrounds only)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Higher attendance fees for including hot meals may create inequalities in access<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If culturally appropriate food offered is not as attendees are familiar with\/remember it (e.g. not with correct ingredients) can be more off-putting than appealing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b66207e9cf546d0ad45a63c7d84a57fa wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#0c06ff\"><a href=\"#mealtop\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#mealtop\">Return to the top of the page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-787a68e15d12ed3ddba9c9c0286c6d60\" id=\"learning1\" style=\"color:#2e0606\"><strong>Key learning from the Food Glorious Food project<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Culturally appropriate hot food can be key to engaging people and combating marginalisation &#8211; but authentic dishes may require more time and more costly\/harder to source ingredients.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Familiar and appropriate shared meals can spark culturally-situated conversation, reminiscence, and reflection on health and dietary practices, and give people an opportunity to contribute knowledge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attention should be paid not just to what food is offered but how (e.g. supporting familiar ways of eating such as with hands, correct utensils or acceptable alternatives).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In some cases traditional ways of preparing\/serving culturally authentic food can be unhealthy if consumed a lot, especially for people with certain health conditions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There is a danger that an emphasis on certain cultural backgrounds could exclude some, and no identified community or group is homogenous, so attention needs to be paid to recognising and accommodating the diversity of backgrounds, beliefs and practices off all attendees within the group.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b66207e9cf546d0ad45a63c7d84a57fa wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#0c06ff\"><a href=\"#mealtop\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#mealtop\">Return to the top of the page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color has-large-font-size wp-elements-3fc6e86022fb5486378c53a5abb040a0\" id=\"provide1\" style=\"color:#2e0606\"><strong>How should we provide food tailored to ensure it is culturally appropriate?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What helps?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Knowledge and management of attendees dietary requirements, including due to cultural background\/faith<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attention to how attendees prefer to eat\/are used to eating (e.g. with hands, chopsticks or utensils) \u2013 including culturally appropriate alternatives if usual methods are no longer accessible<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flexible food planning and a varied menu with input from attendees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tailoring food to familiarity and preferences of group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If making culturally authentic food, providing extended service (delivery, takeaway, food parcels, food banks) for additional value<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Staff and volunteers with culturally specific knowledge<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advance preparation and additional cooking time for time-consuming dishes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Growing potential ingredients in the setting (especially if hard to source)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understanding the social importance and role of food within a culture and reflecting this in practice<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Careful consideration of how meals are used to mark events and celebrations, and how these are framed and communicated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recognising and accommodating the diversity of backgrounds, beliefs and practices off all attendees within the group<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What challenges might we need to think about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Availability of ingredients to make authentic dishes at an achievable cost (e.g. disproportionately rising costs of some imported food)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meeting varied support needs and dietary requirements including due to cultural background\/faith<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Authentic cultural dishes may be time-consuming to prepare and cook<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Staff or volunteers preparing food are not from the same cultural or religious background as attendees or are of a younger generation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lack of cultural awareness\/understanding of resources needed to support minoritised groups in care policy and services for older people<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Traditional ways of cooking\/preparing\/serving some culturally appropriate dishes may pose health challenges<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-1e64da6c046accf15c095a6fb6cebf64 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#0c06ff\"><a href=\"#mealtop\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#mealtop\">Return to the top of the page<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-1ae938ce3de3bdc001d3302245419d71 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#0c06ff\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"2\">Return to the home page<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This section covers the following areas: Providing food &#8211; Hot meals Should we provide food? What are the benefits? What are the risks? Return to the top of the page Key learning from the Food Glorious Food project Return to the top of the page How should we provide food? What helps? What challenges might [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-34","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85,"href":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34\/revisions\/85"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foodgloriousfood.on.worc.ac.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}