Tastes for Life… - Agri-Food for Healthy Aging

Transcription

Tastes for Life… nutrition for older adults
was produced by
The Guelph/Wellington Seniors Association
and Dr. H.H. Keller.
2005
…recognizing that a community program is only as strong as its community support
we wish to thank …
The older adults from the City of Guelph and Wellington County
who participated in the program activities.
Your enthusiasm and candor nudged us to a better program.
Evergreen Action Nutrition Advisory Committee 1999-2005,
the volunteers who guided the program.
M. Butlin, B. Drohan, R. Ferguson, L. Glendinning, M. Grant, H. Harris, M. Hedley, chair
J. McClelland, W. Miller, D. Murdock, S. Ogilvie, I. Pereira, M. Reid, B. Rogers, J. Smuts
Your keen eye for relevance for the older adult never wavered.
Evergreen Seniors Centre staff who helped manage the activities.
L. Snell, L. Briggs, L. McGinn, R. McAllister, N. DeBeyer, K. McAlpine
Your organizational talents guaranteed an efficient operation.
G/WSA,
The many volunteers from
University of Guelph and Community Food Advisors.
Your energy and able assistance made the activities possible.
The Guelph/Wellington Seniors Association (G/WSA)
who adopted the program.
Your support and commitment forged the way for a strong program and for the
Leader’s Guide.
P. Vanderkooy, RD— the nutrition educator who trained volunteers and designed
and delivered the nutrition activities.
Your intuitive and skillful direction defined the success of the activities.
The Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition,
University of Guelph who initiated the process.
H.H. Keller, Associate Professor and principal investigator
M. Hedley, Assistant Professor (retired) and co-investigator
J.E. Norris, Professor and collaborator
J.A Tindale, Professor and collaborator
S. Wong, S. Kirkpatrick, T. Marrone, research assistants
Your vision and leadership inspired the program.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005
Copyright © G/WSA & H.H. Keller, RD, PhD.
1
© Guelph/Wellington Seniors Association and H.H. Keller
Canada, 2005
Thank you for using Tastes for Life. You may download or make copies of
this Leader’s Guide for your own personal, community, or program use,
provided credit to the G/WSA and H.H. Keller is maintained. No changes to
the documents are permitted. Please do not remove the copyright notice
documented on the bottom of each page and do not modify any of the text,
graphics, page lay-outs or designs or distribute, republish or post on a website
any of the Leader’s Guide. Doing so will violate intellectual property rights. If
you would like to reproduce any of the Leader’s Guide for any purpose other
than personal, non-commercial use please contact H.H. Keller at
[email protected].
Production of Tastes for Life …nutrition for older adults A Leader’s Guide was
partially funded by a grant from The Ontario Trillium Foundation.
2
This Leader’s Guide will help you plan your own vibrant and unique
Tastes for Life …nutrition for older adults public service program for independentliving older adults in your community.
3
Who is the Guide for?
We see two audiences for this Guide.
1. Agencies who are service providers for older adults
and who see a need for healthy eating programs for their clientele.
For instance, you might be a local seniors’ association, a health centre, a
senior’s recreational facility or a local chapter of a health organization. You
want to expand your services to include a nutrition program for the older
adults you serve.
2. Individuals with food and nutrition expertise
who wish to deliver healthy eating programs to older adults.
For instance, you may be a health care provider or a leader of a local senior’s
program or a community food advisor. You have a special interest in older
adults and a strong belief in the role of nutrition in healthy aging. You are
seeking a leadership role in the implementation of a community-based
nutrition program.
How is the Guide organized?
The Guide has five main sections and a foreword.
The Foreword gives you the history of how Tastes for Life began.
Section I: The Big Picture introduces you to the education program, who it
serves, and how this Guide will help.
Section II: Getting Started takes you through establishing need, finding support
and ends with how to set up your own program structure.
Section III: Making it Happen helps you design and implement nutrition
activities for the older adults in your community.
Section IV: The Practical Tips offers you a series of advice sheets on specific
activities of program delivery.
Section V: Checklists, Recipes & More presents detailed tools for program
planning and delivery.
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Foreword
Where Tastes for Life began
Section I
The Big Picture
Section II
Getting Started
Section III
Making it Happen
Section IV
The Practical Tips
Section V
Checklists, Recipes & More
5
The Tastes for Life…nutrition for older adults program has grown from the
experiences gained from Evergreen Action Nutrition, a nutrition education
program planned by seniors for seniors in Guelph, Ontario.
Evergreen Action Nutrition is based in the Evergreen Seniors Centre, a facility
operated by the City of Guelph Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the
Guelph/Wellington Seniors Association (G/WSA).
Research
A University of Guelph research
project paved the way for the
creation of Evergreen Action Nutrition.
The research began as a project to
develop and validate a questionnaire
to assess nutritional risk of seniors
living in the community.
The questionnaire was called
SCREEN©, which stood for Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for
Eating and Nutrition.
G/WSA members who participated in the project requested a forum at the
Evergreen Seniors Centre to discuss the results of the research. Forum
participants considered these results, identified their nutrition concerns, and
suggested possible solutions. Some members volunteered to help plan a
nutrition education program.
Evergreen Action Nutrition Planning Committee was established with
partners—G/WSA members, University of Guelph researchers and program staff
of Evergreen Seniors Centre. Danone Institute of Canada provided research
funding for the three year pilot nutrition education program for older adults
that used a community-organization approach.
Collaboration
The partners worked together to gain a better understanding of older adults'
nutritional issues and preferences for programs. After approval by the G/WSA
Board of Directors, the researchers mailed a survey to a random sample of
G/WSA members to determine nutrition problems and issues, current use of
Evergreen Seniors Centre services and preferred food and nutrition activities.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Where Tastes for Life began
The planning committee reviewed the survey results and identified the
following program priorities:
h Attitudes towards eating and nutrition, especially among those who are
isolated and are not participating in G/WSA programs;
h Consumption of three or fewer fruits and vegetables each day;
h Difficulties with cooking; and
h Special needs related to diseases and physical conditions, for example,
chewing and biting problems.
Planning
The social side of cooking and eating shaped the selected activities. The
planning committee hired a registered dietitian to develop and manage the
activities and services.
The Action Nutrition Planning Team, 2002.
From the left: H. Harris, S. Wong, B. Drohan, R. Ferguson, H.
Keller, M. Hedley, J. McClelland, J. Smuts, M. Butlin., P.
Vanderkooy, W. Miller. Absent: M. Grant
The following activities addressed program priorities:
h Monthly food and nutrition workshops,
h Monthly displays using the workshop theme (with recipes and handouts),
h Men’s and women’s cooking groups,
h Diabetes support group, and individual nutrition counseling
h Distribution site for Garden Fresh Box (a cooperative program providing
fruits and vegetables at minimum cost).
The planning committee evaluated each activity to determine its success and to
make adjustments according to participants’ preferences.
Experience
A community-based program gains from leadership and involvement by the
target audience, in this case, older adults. Through the three years, activities
and services evolved in response to participant evaluations and suggestions
from members of the planning committee and G/WSA.
A follow-up survey to a random sample of G/WSA members assessed nutritional
risk and satisfaction with Action Nutrition services, three years after the
original survey. Results of this research project showed that Action Nutrition
addressed some of the nutrition issues in a manner that suited their identified
needs and preferences, and nutritional risk scores improved slightly.
When the pilot funding ended, G/WSA accepted Evergreen Action Nutrition as
their program, providing core funding for the program. The planning
committee became the Evergreen Action Nutrition Advisory Committee, to be
consistent with G/WSA structure. The Advisory Committee became responsible
for finding additional funds and for adapting activities to match resources.
The researchers documented the development and success of Evergreen Action
Nutrition in several published articles1,2,3,4 and presented to groups of
professionals working with older adults. This led to requests from seniors’
organizations for a guide to help them set up similar types of programs.
Next steps
Each year, Evergreen Action Nutrition services evolve with the priorities and
resources of G/WSA, the community and all levels of government. Since there is
no consistent government funding for health promotion programs for older
adults in Ontario, sustainability of the program depends upon support from
G/WSA, on new partnerships, and on a variety of fundraising activities.
With support from The Ontario Trillium Foundation, we have developed a
Leader’s Guide for Tastes for Life… nutrition for older adults. The Leader’s Guide
incorporates activities and lessons learned from the experience with Evergreen
Action Nutrition. It can be used by organizations or individuals to help
improve or maintain the health and independence of older adults. You can
identify and use Tastes for Life with your mix of agencies, services, resources and
opportunities to achieve healthier aging in your community.
Keller HH, Hedley MR, Hadley T, Wong S, Vanderkooy P. Food Workshops,
Nutrition Education and Older Adults: a process evaluation. J Nutr for Eld 2005;24(3):5-23.
1
Keller HH, Gibbs A, Wong S., Vanderkooy P, Hedley M. Men can cook! Development,
implementation, and evaluation of a senior men’s cooking group. J Nutr Eld 2004; 24(1):7187.
2
3
Hedley MR, Keller HH, Vanderkooy PD, Kirkpatrick SI. Evergreen Action Nutrition:
Lessons learned planning and implementing nutrition education for seniors using a
community organization approach. . J Nutr Eld 2002;21(4):61-73.
4
Keller, HH & Hedley, MR Nutritional risk needs assessment of community-living seniors:
Prevalence of nutrition problems and priorities for action. Journal of Community Health
2002;27(2):121-132.
We teach what we learn,
and the cycle goes on.
– Joan L. Curio.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Section I: The Big Picture
Section 1
page
¬ What you’ll get out of Section I
1
¬ Overview of the Tastes for Life program
2
ª food demonstration workshops
ª cooking classes
ª displays
¬ Preview of the Leader’s Guide
6
¬ The Tastes for Life program leader
7
ª a note about the role of a registered dietitian
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—The Big Picture
This section introduces you to the program, Tastes for Life…nutrition
for older adults and to the Leader’s Guide, a manual designed to help
you set up a Tastes for Life program.
After reviewing The Big Picture you will understand:
h
what a Tastes for Life program can achieve in your community
h
the scope and intent of the three educational strategies used with
the older adults
h
the unique features of this Leader’s Guide
h
the role and qualifications of the Tastes for Life program leader
h
how the expertise of a registered dietitian can be used in a
Tastes for Life program.
1
Tastes for Life…nutrition for older adults is a nutrition education
program geared to community-dwelling older adults. The goal is for
relatively healthy older adults to maintain their nutritional health
and to continue to live independently.
The Tastes for Life program draws on the wealth of experiences and
knowledge of older adults and presents practical, concrete
information on nutrition, food safety and healthy cooking.
First and foremost, Tastes for Life is a social experience. Small groups
of older adults gather to socialize, to practice food preparation
techniques, to watch demonstrations, to taste foods and to hear
about the latest healthy eating advice.
It builds on an older adult’s self-directed approach to learning and
preference for informal, interactive learning situations. It respects
their keen sense of knowing what and how they want to learn.
The topics and themes come from the older adults themselves.
Each learning situation is designed to inspire interest in eating, to
increase confidence in cooking and to facilitate intended changes in
food and eating behaviour.
Recipes bridge the gap between knowledge and practice and are a
fundamental part of Tastes for Life … nutrition for older adults.
Tastes for Life uses 3 educational strategies
Turn to the next pages for brief descriptions of these strategies.
h Food demonstration workshops
h Cooking classes
h Displays
Make a note to use these one page sketches of the nutrition
educational strategies to help inform others, such as sponsors,
planners and older adults, about a Tastes for Life program.
2
The workshop accommodates up to 15 people. Participants are
seated in a U shape around a central “demonstrating” table. The
workshop is planned around a theme and the recipes that are
demonstrated support the theme.
Each workshop
h runs for one to two hours,
h has participants sample food throughout the class,
h serves approximately 3-5 dishes.
Recipes can follow a typical meal or recipes can reflect one type of
food or food group prepared different ways.
For example, a meal approach might be an appetizer, main course,
side dish and dessert all prepared following heart healthy cooking
guidelines. A food or food group focus
could show how winter squash works well
in a soup, in breakfast muffins, as a
vegetarian dish with lentils and as a
substitute for pumpkin in a dessert.
Either way, the food demonstration is the
base for the nutrition discussion and is a
way to illustrate healthy cooking
techniques. Each participant takes home a
copy of the recipes and nutrition messages.
Recipes are for two to four servings and if
possible, use common ingredients and
straightforward methods. The recipes are chosen for their potential
to renew or sustain interest in cooking.
A kitchen is the preferred place for the food demonstration. Only
the workshop leader and an assistant prepare the food. Workshops
require pre-preparation (chopping, peeling, measuring) to ensure the
food demonstration runs efficiently within the timeframe.
The workshop can also provide hands-on learning by letting
participants practice a technique after the leader
has demonstrated it. Have extra food available for
practice sessions.
3
Cooking classes accommodate up to 10 people and the participants
do the cooking. The classes take from two to three hours.
The leader introduces the theme, reviews the recipes before
preparation begins, and emphasizes food safety practices. The
recipes follow a typical meal—appetizer or soup, main dish with one
or two side dishes, and dessert.
Recipes, complete with ingredients and equipment, are arranged in
stations throughout the room. A station can be a free-standing table
or an area of the counter. A central table holds shared staples such
as flour, sugar, salt. Participants
team up with a cooking partner
and select a recipe to work on.
Each station has an appliance,
large or small, that can be used
to cook—or partially cook—a
menu item.
Equipment such as electric
frying pans and electric grills
supplement stove cooking.
Using a variety of cooking
equipment prevents dangerous bottle necks of people at the oven or
stove and eliminates frustrating waits for shared equipment.
During recipe preparation, the leader circulates, answering
questions and supporting efforts. The leader calls the class together
when a critical step in a recipe is reached or when a participant’s
question can benefit the whole class.
Within the last half hour of the class, the participants sit down to a
meal and the leader facilitates a discussion on each recipe. Each
cooking team is encouraged to share what they learned. The leader
reinforces healthy eating messages throughout the discussion.
The classes provide a meal which increases the value of the event.
Participants leave with fresh copies of the day’s recipes and
handouts of the key nutrition messages and important
cooking tips.
The Tastes for Life nutrition program offers separate men’s
and women’s cooking classes.
4
Displays combine pictures, words, activities and handouts. As standalone, self-directed education centres, they focus on a theme, and
highlight key nutrition messages. Displays are most effective when
they emphasize practical, concrete information.
Recipes are always included and offer both a realistic way to
encourage the adoption of new ideas and a means to track interest.
Displays perform best when they have a permanent location and
when the content is replaced on a regular basis.
Visual appeal is critical to the success of a display.
Interest is boosted by the
presence of physical props such
as jars of spice samples or
kitchen gadgets.
Interactive elements such as
quizzes and “rate yourself”
questionnaires can spark
discussion among viewers.
The addition of other media
such as videos or slides, adds
interest and variety while
reinforcing nutrition messages.
On special occasions such as Nutrition Month, food samples offered
by a resource person can attract attention to the messages.
Displays offer many advantages.
They broaden the reach of the Tastes for Life nutrition program in a
cost effective way. They improve the accessibility of the nutrition
messages and remove any time barriers that might exist with
scheduled classes and workshops.
They are completely self-directed. The learner makes all the
decisions about when to view, what part of the
display to focus on and whether or not to pick
up the resource material.
5
The Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide is a guide to planning a nutrition
program for older adults.
The Leader’s Guide has the following:
h practical advice
h simple, straightforward how-to’s
h self-contained units of information
h step-by-step instructions for key parts of program
planning
h timeless information
h page footers and numbers to keep the material organized
h the wisdom from three years of operating a communitybased nutrition program for older adults.
The Guide has a series of advice sheets, called Practical Tips
These cover a range of topics. The Practical Tips are directed to
those who will be implementing and managing a Tastes for Life
program.
Each advice sheet delivers concise—no more than three pages—
practical guidance on one aspect of the Tastes for Life program.
Some Practical Tips are enhanced with samples. The samples are
written from our base of experience but are embellished with a few
fictional details. Use these as guides to developing your own
material and feel free to reproduce the elements you like.
Other Practical Tips are strengthened with companion checklists
which contain factual, real information to be used as is.
The Practical Tips are referred to in a consistent way
Throughout the Leader’s Guide, you can see references to advice
sheets such as this e.g. Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Promoting events.
Make a note to review all the topics the Practical Tips cover.
Turn to Section IV: The Practical Tips for:
a table of the Practical Tips
h a description of the Practical Tips template
h copies of all Practical Tips.
h
6
Every program needs a leader. Finding the right program leader—or
finding out if you are the right leader—is the first logical step. The
Tastes for Life leader is the individual who spearheads the nutrition
program.
If you are an agency planning to establish a Tastes for Life … nutrition
for older adults program for your clients, you will need to either
designate a current staff member to this position or hire a program
leader.
If you are an individual wanting to provide nutrition programs for
older adults, you will need to determine if your qualifications match
the desired qualifications for the program leader.
The qualifications of the Program Leader
The Program Leader manages the nutrition program including the
delivery of the nutrition education activities. See the box below for
the key qualifications of the Program Leader.
Enjoys food and cooking
Is enthusiastic about working with older adults
Understands the principles of healthy cooking
Is knowledgeable about the role of nutrition and aging
Recognizes the power of learning while sharing food
together
Is self-motivated and able to research diverse topics
Welcomes the target audience as advisors
Has experience in group work and resource development
Is open to new ideas and group input
Pays attentions to program planning details
Is organized with resources, equipment and money
Is flexible about time availability
Asks for and to accepts help as needed
7
Registered Dietitians are qualified food and nutrition professionals
who are governed by provincial legislation. Their expertise is helpful
to a Tastes for Life program.
A Registered Dietitian (RD) can be:
h
the program leader
h
a mentor to a program leader who is not an RD but has some
food and nutrition training
h
a consultant to the Tastes for Life program who reviews and/or
provides nutrition content to program activities and resources
h
a provider of additional services that require an RD such as
individual diet counseling and diabetes support groups
h
the health care provider for a risk screening program (see below
for description)
Nutrition risk screening
Nutrition risk screening is an optional service that can benefit the
older adults in your community. For those Tastes for Life programs
that involve a health professional who can provide individual
assessment and follow-up nutrition counseling, nutrition risk
screening can be a valuable part of your program.
There are many nutrition risk screening tools available. One tool,
was specifically developed for community-living seniors
and is used in community nutrition programs throughout Canada.
It is a brief questionnaire that determines nutritional risk of
community-dwelling older adults. For a fee of $65 you can purchase
the copyright to use the SCREEN© questionnaire and Toolkit which
includes self and interviewer-administered questionnaires, scoring
guide, background on SCREEN© development, and tips on
implementing SCREEN©.
SCREEN©
8
TO ORDER SCREEN©
Cost is $65.00 per Toolkit (includes shipping, handling & taxes)
Include your name, address and telephone number as well as the
site for the copyright license.
Make cheque or money order payable to:
SCREEN© Program
c/o Heather Keller, RD, PhD
144 Huron Street, New Hamburg, ON N3A 1J4
SCREEN© is a probe of personal nutrition needs with
the expectation that personal nutrition needs will be followed-up by
a qualified health care provider. SCREEN© is personal data,
governed by laws of record keeping and confidentiality. Individuals
must sign a consent waiver before SCREEN© is administered.
The results of screening seniors can generate insight into needs.
SCREEN© will help you understand if an individual has:
h trouble meeting Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating
h difficulties in planning or preparing meals or in buying food
h health and disease conditions that influence eating.
The scoring system will determine the significance of the risk and
whether the individual needs a follow-up referral to a health care
provider or if needs can be addressed through participation in a
An older adult who has been assessed as “in need of nutrition
education” will not necessarily be interested in participating in the
Tastes for Life activities. However, knowledge gained through
screening can inform the activities by sensitizing the Program Leader
to nutrition issues that could be affecting other older adults.
9
The secret of getting ahead.
is getting started.
– Sally Berger.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Section II: Getting Started
Section II
page
¬ What you’ll get out of Section II
1
¬ Getting started
2
ª is there a need?
ª do the older adults want a program?
ª do you have the resources?
This section gives you a starting place for decision making about
a Tastes for Life program. It helps you decide what you need,
where you might find it, and how you can shape your program
operations to meet your unique situation.
After reviewing Getting Started you will understand:
h
the logical place to begin
h
sources and strategies for information gathering
h
the personnel needs, including the sponsoring agency
h
the facility, equipment and resource needs
h
the cost categories
h
a viable administrative structure for managing the program.
1
Getting started is all about gathering information.
You are seeking answers to these questions.
Is there a need for a Tastes for Life nutrition program
in my community/agency?
Do the older adults want it?
Do we have the resources (sponsoring agency, personnel,
facility, money) to support this program?
2
Talks to others…
Broaden your understanding by talking to those with special
expertise e.g. dietitians, health care providers, health centres that
serve older adults, administrators of seniors’ facilities, health
organizations e.g. diabetes , seniors’ recreational programs, and
local seniors’ associations.
These contacts will have insight into the health and nutritional
needs of older adults. In all likelihood, they will be able to direct
you to community programs that focus on older adults.
Consider them a source of ideas on how a community can
better meet the needs of older adults.
Check out local services…
Compile a list of programs and services that operate in your area
and that might be providing food and nutrition guidance to
older adults.
Place to look include the following:
h Health Centre sponsored classes and outreach programs
h Health Unit programs
h Diet counseling services
h Exercise groups
h Weight management programs
h Cooking classes
h Continuing education programs offered through Parks and
Recreation
h Library-sponsored lecture series on health topics
h Church outreach services
h Hospital day programs for community-living older adults
h Service clubs.
Evaluate local programs from two vantage points.
One, are they offering what a Tastes for Life program
offers?
Two, are these programs potential partners for a Tastes
for Life program?
See next page for a partnership example.
3
A partnership opportunity
Many communities sponsor non-profit alternative food
distribution services operated by and for the community with
the purpose of providing fresh, affordable produce. Healthy
produce helps build a healthy community.
Programs are often known as "Garden Fresh Box" or "Good
Food Box". Where a community uses several depot sites for
distribution of boxes, Tastes for Life can encourage and support
the program by becoming a depot site—taking orders, collecting
fees and distributing boxes of produce.
Older adults may choose to distribute food directly from a
Seniors’ Recreation Centre. Senior volunteers can be fully
responsible for the administration of the program at the depot
site. The presence of such a program helps older adults access
produce, participate in the community and be exposed to a
greater variety of produce than they might ordinarily purchase.
Review your community’s demographic profile…
Demographics can tell you if the population of seniors is large,
is growing, and if it is characterized by incidence of certain
diseases.
City websites and municipal government offices maintain up-todate demographic information. For information on local disease
rates and health status, contact the local health unit or seek out
provincial health survey reports.
Be informed…
Access Resources for program leader listed in the Leader’s Guide,
Section IV: Making it Happen to understand the common food
and nutrition issues facing older adults.
Make a note that the information you have at this point is
exactly the type of information that can attract sponsors,
partners and financial supporters.
4
Need is not the same as want.
Your discussions with various community service providers may
have deepened your commitment to a Tastes for Life program;
however, the target audience needs to be asked if they want the
program.
Ask a representative sample of older adults if
they are interested in Tastes for Life activities.
See sample in box.
Sample brief survey
Keep it simple
The purpose is to gauge interest in
starting a Tastes for Life program.
Be sensitive to the fact that, at this
early stage, people are responding in a
vacuum.
Programs gather momentum as they
unfold. Conceivably you could see
the initial modest interest swell to
extraordinary heights as the program
becomes real to the older adults.
As more older adults experience the
educational activities and share their
reactions with friends, the curiosity
will spread.
Please check ; any
activity you would use.
Food and Nutrition
Workshops
Presentation of current
nutrition issues with
food demonstration
and food samples
($10 fee)
Facts on Food and
Nutrition Topics
distributed
At a monthly display
In a local newsletter
Cooking Classes
Cook with instructor and
eat together ($10 fee)
Men’s only
Women’s only
Men & Women
together
Thank you!
5
Reach your audience in different ways
You can use the simple survey such as the one described on the
previous page in a number of ways.
h
h
h
h
h
h
h
Distribute the survey at a facility/community centre for older
adults. Designate a drop-box for returns.
Conduct interviews by phone.
Post the survey on a bulletin board with lots of space for
people to check what they want.
Set up a display in a local mall or at a seniors’ fair or in a
health centre and talk to viewers as they go by.
Conduct a focus group.
Print the survey in a newsletter in a “clip and return” form
and create a convenient drop off for responses.
Mail the survey. Be sure to include a stamped return envelop.
Or, you could spread the word about the Tastes for Life program
in a more general way.
The sample newsletter filler below could be published in a
community newsletter or posted on a bulletin board or
distributed to a neighborhood through a package of flyers. It is a
way to build awareness and help you determine interest.
Sample filler
Our food choices today are staggering.
Grocery shelves are stocked with a wide
assortment of familiar foods and some
extraordinary, new foods. Probably, at one
time or another, these new foods have
tweaked your curiosity.
Cooking classes and workshops stretch our
food imagination. They allow us to
experiment and practice with new foods …
and help us to see how everyday foods can be
prepared new ways.
Call the Tastes for Life…nutrition for older
adults direct line at xxx-xxxx for more
information.
6
You may already have some of the essential start-up resources.
The resources fall into four categories.
Sponsoring agency
Personnel
Facility
Money
Sponsoring agency—a good place to start
Look for an agency or community group that is keen on
sponsoring a Tastes for Life program. It might be a seniors’
association, a seniors’ recreation program, a church group, a
health agency, a local chapter of a health organization, or
another interested community group.
The sponsoring agency establishes the program administrative
structure, which means that the actual structure will vary from
agency to agency. To learn about the common aspects see Tastes
for Life Practical Tips: Program administration.
Personnel—people make it possible
Human resource needs involve both paid staff and volunteers.
h
Program Leader (paid)
See Section I: The Big Picture for
qualifications.
h
Program Advisors (volunteers)
See advice sheet in Section IV.
h
Program Helpers (volunteers)
See advice sheet in Section IV.
h
Support staff from the sponsoring agency
(volunteer or paid)
Availability depends upon the staffing of the
sponsoring agency.
h
Program Assistant
There may be
additional money to
hire an assistant. In
that case, review the
jobs outlined in the
Tastes for Life Practical
Tips: Program helpers,
and determine which
tasks could be filled by
a paid assistant.
Agency management
Take advantage of any administrative services that the
sponsoring agency can provide e.g. accounting services.
7
Facility—where all the Tastes for Life activities happen
See Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Program administration for a
detailed discussion on managing facilities.
Money—essential to all program aspects
Tastes for Life...nutrition for older adults programs will vary on how
the costs are distributed and managed. Much will depend upon
the administrative structure of the sponsoring agency and/or the
participation of funding partners.
Responsible program administration includes management of
the budget. The Program Leader is accountable to the
sponsoring agency for reliable cost reporting. The Tastes for Life
Practical Tips: Program administration will provide more guidance
on budget management.
Knowledge about costs is essential for seeking external funding
and for assessing cost effectiveness of the nutrition activities.
Determine costs of...
Room rental
Kitchen equipment
Pantry supplies
Food per event
Recipe handouts
Consumer educational resources
e.g. resource development, purchase and printing
Program Leader professional resources
e.g. general nutrition textbook, cookbooks
Event promotion
Standard display mount-up board
Ad hoc display resources (photos, video rental, slides)
Miscellaneous equipment such as projector rental
Leader/staff time
Determine who pays...
Sponsoring agency operating budget
Tastes for Life budget
Grants and/or external funding groups
Cost recovery for food served (fees under $10.00 are acceptable)
Make a note that Tastes for Life…nutrition for older adults is a
public service program, not a profit-making program.
8
Strong reasons make strong actions.
– William Shakespeare.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Making it Happen
Section III
page
¬ What you’ll get out of Section III
1
¬ Preparing the educational activities
2
ª writing objectives
¬ Outline for a lesson plan
4
ª sample lesson plan for a workshop
ª sample lesson plan for a men’s cooking class
¬ Resources for Program Leader
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Section III: Making it Happen
11
This section will help you design and implement the nutrition education
activities for Tastes for Life … nutrition for older adults.
After reviewing Making it Happen you will understand:
h
how the Program Advisors help in planning the activities
h
a method for writing objectives and why objectives are essential for
education activities
h
the components of a successful lesson plan
h
how the lesson plan outline works for a food demonstration workshop
and for a men’s cooking class
h
where you can get more information on nutrition, food safety and
healthy cooking
1
If you are working your way through this Leader’s Guide in chronological
order you are now in a position to begin developing the first educational
event for the older adults in your community.
You can take satisfaction in all the ground work you’ve laid. Quite
possibly you have achieved the following:
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
Secured a sponsor
Found program advisors from your target audience
Located a facility
Set up the program administrative structure
Gathered preliminary kitchen
equipment and pantry supplies
Recruited helpers
For a quick
Assembled leader resources
review of the
Determined the startup costs
3 Tastes for Life
educational strategies —
Obtained funding to launch the
Food demonstration
By now you’ve asked the older adults in
your community about their interest in a
Tastes for Life program and about the
topics or themes they would like covered
in nutrition events.
Work with your program advisors
workshops
Cooking classes
Displays
— flip to the one-page
descriptions in Section I:
The Big Picture.
Program Advisors can help you decide
the following:
h the theme for the educational event
h how to tackle the theme within your budget
h which themes might work well with which educational strategy
h the most efficient use of the facility.
At this early stage of planning, consult these advice sheets.
Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Program advisors
Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Choosing themes
Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Demonstrating food
The next step is to determine your objectives for the educational event.
See the next page for an overview of writing objectives.
2
Objectives establish the reach of the
educational event.
The objectives state what your audience will
be able to do after participating in the activity.
They represent the outcomes and can be
related to knowledge, attitude, skills or a
combination of these.
A well-written objective helps you define your key messages, the learning
process and your success.
A successful educational activity meets its objectives
Write SMART objectives to provide a clear framework for planning,
implementing and evaluating activities.
SMART objectives
are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented and
within a Timeframe. You may have more than one objective for an
educational activity.
Specific—Be precise and clear with the wording so that you and your
audience know what is expected of the activity.
Measurable—Use a verb and descriptive terms that will help you know if
your audience has met the outcome. After you write the objective, you
should be able to write a sentence describing how you will evaluate if the
objective has been met.
Achievable—As you consider the characteristics of your audience and the
environment of the activity, is the audience able and likely to accomplish
the objective? Are there resources available to make it happen?
Results-oriented—Focus on what the audience will be able to do as a
result of participating in the activity. The result may relate to the
audience’s knowledge about a food, nutrient or health issue; attitude about
eating or cooking; or skills related to menu planning or food preparation.
Timeframe—Is there enough time for the activity leaders and the target
population to accomplish each objective?
3
Every lesson plan is unique and specific to the theme and the audience.
Yet every lesson plan benefits from following a standard planning outline
such as the one described below.
Components of successful lesson plans
Theme—choose a title that reflects the theme
and helps generate interest.
Outcome objectives—determine what is
reasonable to achieve and what will advance
the learner’s nutritional health.
Content to meet the objectives—find the
facts that support the objectives.
Learning experiences to present content—
use creative ways to engage the learner and
make content relevant and memorable.
Every lesson should follow
these golden rules …
9 Keep it focused—three
main messages are
reasonable for a 1 hour event.
9 Restate and reinforce the
messages throughout class.
9 Keep it practical.
9 Make it personal.
9 Help the participant adopt
new ideas with high quality
take home resources.
Measurements and evaluation—establish
what you will look for … or ask for … to assess if outcome objectives were
met and if the participants were satisfied.
Take home resources—distribute resources that summarize the main
points and that provide participants with the means to make intended
behavioural changes in their life situation.
Any pre-class instruction—this is optional; however, modest pre-class
actions such as finding a favourite recipe to bring to the workshop or
reading a brief overview of facts about the theme can create excitement
and curiosity about the workshop.
Leader reflections and references—record what worked and what didn’t
from your perspective. Review participant evaluations. Note changes you
would make to improve the workshop.
Getting the most out of the lesson plan—find ways to re-use all or some of
the lesson. This builds efficiency into the program and offers
opportunities to reach new audiences.
4
Two sample lesson plans follow this page
1. Lesson plan for a food demonstration workshop
2. Lesson plan for a men’s cooking class.
These are fictional—yet realistic—examples of nutrition programming for
older adults.
The lesson plans support the steps in the Outline for a Lesson Plan and
adhere to the Golden Rules as described on the previous page. Each
example illustrates an educational event that involves the participants and
builds on their experiences, knowledge and interests.
The samples can spark your own creative process and help you design
exciting educational events for community-dwelling older adults.
For guidance on displays, another key educational strategy in this
program, see Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Creating a display.
Make a note to review the additional Practical Tips advice sheets in
Section IV for specific help on many other aspects of lesson planning and
program delivery.
5
Theme
Roughing It…ways to get more fibre
Outcome objectives
At the end of the workshop, participants
will know the following:
1. fibre’s role in a healthy diet
2. simple, practical ways to add fibre to
their diet and will commit to using their
“fibre-modified” recipe
3. how to safely and comfortably increase
dietary fibre, i.e. gradually and with adequate
fluid.
Using clear language, re-state objectives into messages
Fibre is important to health at any age.
It’s easy to add more fibre—lots of foods, recipes and menu plans
Fibre from food is safe to eat—avoid intestinal upset with gradual intake and
plenty of water.
Pre-class instructions
Include in promotional material.
Ask participants to bring one favourite recipe for their personal use during
the workshop discussion. Promise that their recipe returns home with
them but with some added surprises.
Content and learning experiences
Content
Learning experience
Fibre is found in foods of plant
origin only.
TRUE AND FALSE QUIZ
Fibre helps keep bowels regular.
Add fibre gradually to your diet and
drink plenty of fluids.
Fibre might protect against other
diseases.
Recommended daily intake for
most people is about 25 g.
Prepare a 7 question True and False
quiz.
Make it entertaining and concise with
the answers on the flip side.
Use it at start of class to spark
discussion and to present fibre facts.
Emphasize that the quiz is NOT a test
or a competition.
6
Content
Learning experiences
Cooking does not break down fibre.
FOOD DEMONSTRATION
There are many sources of fibre.
Demonstrate2 fibre-rich recipes.
One is a main course dish.
One is a dessert.
The food label on packaged food
tells you how much fibre is in a
serving. Health Canada regulates
fibre claims.
No one fibre source is ideal…eat a
combination.
Canned and frozen vegetables and
fruit are as good as fresh at
delivering fibre.
Round out menu with lower fibre
options to support gradual intake. E.g.
crusty enriched white rolls complement
a hearty bean soup.
Use food packages to illustrate
concepts.
Exhibit a table of good fibre choices.
There are many sources of fibre
Rough up your recipe ACTIVITY
Small changes help.
Participants use the recipe they
brought. Have them review the recipe,
determine if it needs a fibre boost and
if so, suggest one change.
Favourite recipes can still be part of
your diet as you increase fibre.
Reinforce realistic cooking
principles e.g. to maintain the
tender texture of muffins replace
only a portion of the white flour with
whole wheat. Whole wheat flour
has a higher protein content and
leads to a more chewy product.
Bring in a couple of examples.
To make the activity more social, have
participants work in pairs or triads
offering suggestions to each other.
Don’t’ worry if the recipes are high fibre
because the activity is practice for
identifying fibre sources.
During the discussion encourage
participants to share what they
changed, why and if they plan to try it
later.
Measuring and evaluating success of the lesson plan
Use multiple ways to determine effectiveness.
Use observation
The program leader can assess what worked by observing and reflecting.
For e.g. during the quiz …
…did many people volunteer the correct answer? Did the quiz
generate more questions? Did participants seem engaged in the activity?
7
For e.g. during the Rough up the recipe activity …
… were participants able to identify realistic changes? Did they
commit to using the changed recipe?
Use discussion
Wrap up the workshop with a conversation about the event. Ask for ways
to improve the workshop and other topics they might like addressed.
Use an Evaluation Form
Keep it brief. Ask about participant satisfaction, intent to use the
demonstrated recipes and menu plans. This is personal and private so
keep it anonymous.
Take-home resources
Quiz and answers
Fibre resources from other organization e.g. public health
List of common foods and their fibre content
The 2 fibre-rich recipes demonstrated
4 sample menu plans for fibre eating
Leader reflections
Devote some post workshop time to reflect on the event— what worked,
what didn’t, why, changes you would make for another time. Review the
evaluations and record the main points.
If volunteer helpers were involved in the workshop, get their reaction to
the workshop and their impression of its success. Find out what they
would change.
Getting the most out of the lesson plan
Think of this as more than a one shot deal.
Look for other ways to use the material you created for the workshop.
Perhaps the quiz can be featured in a display or published in a newsletter
article. If the recipes are a hit with the participants, consider adding them
(one per class) to a cooking class menu.
Keep your fibre references organized and accessible for a repeat workshop.
Another program leader or a student or a Taste for Life volunteer may wish
to offer a fibre workshop.
8
Theme:
Healthy Harvest
Outcome objectives
At the end of the cooking class, participants will be able to:
1. identify at least three fruits or vegetables that they can prepare
2. tell the group members one thing about the recipe he prepared
3. discuss how fruits and vegetables contribute to a meal
Using clear language, re-state objectives into main messages
Choose the fruits and vegetables you like from the wide variety available.
You can prepare your favorite fruits and vegetables easily.
Fruits and vegetables add vitamins, minerals and fibre to meals, as well as flavour,
colour, texture and enjoyment.
Pre-class instructions
Include in promotional material.
Ask the men to visit the local Farmer’s Market one week before class to see
what fruit and vegetables are available and their cost.
Content to meet the objectives
At least 4 different vegetables and 2 different fruits will be prepared.
The health benefits of the fruits and vegetables used during the class will
be discussed.
Recipes will cover salad, soup, main entrée, dessert and a beverage.
At least 3 different methods of cooking will be used.
9
Learning experiences to present the content
The following recipes will be prepared:
Squash Soup
Mixed Green Salad
Beef and Vegetable Stew
Peach and Blueberry Dessert
Mulled apple cider
Measurement and evaluation
During the meal, use questions and discussion to assess effectiveness of class.
h Ask each team of two men to tell the group about the recipe they
prepared, any challenges they encountered and any advice they could
offer others.
h Ask which food (if any) each man plans to make at home.
h Summarize the benefits of fruits and vegetables and observe questions
and comments from the men to determine interest and understanding.
h Ask for suggestions of favourite fruit and vegetables recipes and why
they like them.
h Discuss what could be done to make the class better.
Take home resources
Recipes used for the class
Suitable resource list e.g. Foodland Ontario website
Consumer fact sheets on fruit and vegetables e.g. website of Canadian
Produce Marketing Association
Leader reflections
Follow same basic information as in previous Sample Lesson Plan for a
Workshop.
Getting the most out of the lesson plan
Follow same basic information as in previous Sample Lesson Plan for a
Workshop.
10
This is a select list of resources. The purpose is to equip the Program
Leader with some starting places for information on nutrition, food safety
and healthy cooking.
Check the date on the website material to determine if it is recent. Most
sites are constantly up-dating and adding new information.
Watch for the highlighted word, recipes which will tell you if the source has
recipes. Editorial comments about the site are in italics.
Make a note to review the sites’ copyright and usage policies before
you copy or download material.
Nutrition and healthy eating resources
Nutrition Concepts and Controversies 10th ed.
F. Sizer and E. Whitney
Belmont Ca: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2006
www.wadsworth.ca
ISBN: 0534622267
Good basic textbook.
Healthy eating resources
Health Canada
Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/onpp-ppn/healthy_eating_e.html
You can access quality resources for educators and for consumers.
Food Reflections Newsletter-- free monthly e-mail publication
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County
To subscribe--http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/foodtalk.htm
Sample newsletter-- http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftapr05.htm
Main menu below links to even more great information.
http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq.htm
Food safety for home cooking information
http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/foodsafety.htm
Recipes
http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ciq-recipes.htm
Color your plate program
Produce for Better Health Foundation
http://www.5aday.com/index.php
Includes material for educators and for consumes.
Recipes
http://www.5aday.com/html/recipes/onthemenu.php
11
The Nutrition Source
Knowledge for Healthy Eating
Department of Nutrition
Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/index.html
This site offers excellent referenced reviews, also available in pdf.
Three examples follow.
Fruit and vegetables
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fruits.html
Calcium and milk
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium.html
Fibre and health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fiber.html
FoodandHealth.communications
http://www.foodandhealth.com/index2.php
Excellent collection of a variety of communications materials such as posters,
photos, print resources. Some material is free, some is for sale.
Some examples.
Posters-- http://www.foodandhealth.com/products.php?cat=7
Food & cooking-- http://www.foodandhealth.com/store/cooking_resources.php-food
Recipes
http://communicatingfoodforhealth.com/recipes.php
Nutrition for Older adults
Online Publications—Nutrition for Mature Adults
PennSate
College of Agricultural Sciences
Nutrition Information and resources Center
http://nirc.cas.psu.edu/online.cfm?area=275
Comprehensive resources, includes technical papers and lesson plans.
Senior Health Center
MayoClinic.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/conditioncenters/subcenters.cfm?obj
ectid=000742F2-890C-1B37-8D7E80C8D77A0000
Good senior-specific resources as well as links to other reputable Mayoclinic food
and nutrition information.
UC Berkely Foundations for Wellness
http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/fw/fwIntro.html
Good general material.
12
Age Concern New Zealand
Age Concern New Zealand is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation, dedicated to
promoting the quality of life and well-being of older people, advocating positive
healthy ageing for people of all ages.
http://www.ageconcern.org.nz/
Ageing is Living Project
A great example of a positive program-- worth reviewing.
http://www.ageconcern.org.nz/?/services/positiveageing
Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Healthy Older People
A Background Paper - Online
New Zealand Ministry of Health
Originally published in June 1993, [Second Edition June 1996]
ISBN 0-478-09440-X
http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/f872666357c511eb4c25666d000c8888/fa6df
710fdfea794cc256df70070539f?OpenDocument
The background paper takes the typical approach to aging i.e. one with problems.
However, the consumer booklet is positive and respectful—worth reading for its
style and approach.
Eating well for healthy older people-- booklet
http://www.healthed.govt.nz/upload/PDF/1145_20050321_121025.pdf
Nutrition for Seniors
Medline Plus
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutritionforseniors.html
A varied collection of information from many different sources.
Food safety resources
The Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education
National association of public and private organizations.
http://www.fightbac.org/main.cfm
Excellent information for educators and for consumers.
The Consumer Centre – Section “Food facts”
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/foodfacts/fftoce.shtml#tipcon
Wide range of public education resources. See” food safety tips and facts”.
Cookbooks
The New Canadian Basics Cookbook
C. Ferguson with M. McMillan
Toronto: Viking/Penguin Group, 1999
www.penguin.ca
ISBN: 0-670-87909-6
Practical information for new and seasoned cooks with easy recipes, reference
section for substitutions and conversions, and tips for buying and preparing a
variety of foods.
13
Give us the tools,
and we will finish the job.
– Winston Churchill
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Section IV: The Practical Tips
Section IV
page
¬ What you’ll get out of Section IV
1
¬ List of Practical Tips
2
ª table identifies accompanying samples
and companion resources
¬ How to use the Practical Tips template
¬ The Collection of Practical Tips
Make a note that each Practical Tips advice sheet
has its own numbering system. To find the topic you want,
follow the indexed List of Practical Tips on page 2.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Section IV: The Practical Tips
3
This section features the Practical Tips advice sheets—realistic
suggestions packaged into concise blocks of information—created to
ease the planning and delivery of a Tastes for Life … nutrition for older
adults program.
After reviewing The Practical Tips section you will:
h
know the range of topics of the advice sheets
h
experience the consistent format and organization of the Practical
Tips advice sheets
h
understand that each advice sheet is a self-contained unit of
information and is cross-referenced
h
see which advice sheets have samples or companion resources
h
be able to select where you want to begin
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Section IV: The Practical Tips
1
Choose the practical tips from this list as you need them. The
numbers are to help you find the practical tip you want. They are
not meant to be used in the order they are listed.
Advice sheet
1. Choosing themes
Accompanying
Sample and
Resources—
Companion
Checklist or
Resources—
These are brief
resources attached to
the advice sheets
These are lengthy
resources that you
retrieve from Section
V: Checklists, Recipes
& More
Theme survey
Theme ideas
2. Creating a display
3. Demonstrating food
4. Developing handouts
A simple typeface
primer
5. Program administration
6. Program advisors
7. Program helpers
Outline of volunteer
orientation session
8. Promoting events
One-page flyer
9. Recipe readiness
The Recipe folder
10. Setting up a kitchen
Kitchen equipment
11. Stocking the pantry
Pantry list handout
Pantry supplies
Turn to the next two pages for a visual walk through the
Practical Tips template.
2
Look for this
distinguishing
graphic on all
Tastes for Life
leader advice sheets.
Start with this
bolded text for a
summary of why the
activity is important
to the Tastes for
Life program.
Read all the
bolded subheadings and
you get a quick
review of the
main features
of this activity.
Scan text for the blue
type that features
other Tastes for Life
resources we
consider essential for
this activity.
3
Learn more about
this Practical Tips
topic by looking in
the “For more help”
section.
Access high quality
references–
with editorial
comments.
Not available with
all Practical Tips
advice sheets.
Keep pages
organized by
following the
descriptive footer on
every page.
Find optional
Tastes for Life
resources
cross-referenced
for your
convenience.
4
S
P
I
T
P R A C T I C A L
The theme is the cornerstone to all program activities,
whether it is a workshop, cooking class, display, or
newsletter article. The theme reflects the needs and wants
of the target audience and is a logical way to present
healthy eating messages.
Theme work is team work
The goal is to understand your target audience as much as possible.
Cast the net wide for input into themes. You may wish to talk with
past and future workshop/cooking class attendees, community
centre staff, volunteers, senior associations, health service providers
and experts in the needs of older adults. Put up a suggestion box at
the display or in a central location and encourage people to drop
off their ideas.
Look to older adults for themes for older adults
Who better to know the needs and wants of older adults than older
adults themselves?
The task of theme selection is one of the reasons why the Tastes for
Life program encourages the involvement of older adults as
advisors. The advisors represent your target audience and are best
positioned to offer pertinent themes and to judge if other themes
are relevant.
Refer to Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Program advisors for guidance
on finding and working with older adults as program advisors.
Theme work is continuous
Maintain a file with theme ideas that come your way. When you
want audience reaction to some of these ideas you’ve gathered,
design a quick survey. See the sample survey at the end of this
Practical Tips. While this sample may be fictional in some of its
details it is honest in its representation of a simple, realistic way to
gather audience feedback.
Remember to format the survey for easy readability—see Tastes for
Life Practical Tips: Developing handouts.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Choosing themes
Evaluate each workshop, cooking class and display
Evaluations measure the effectiveness of an activity, offer ways to
improve it for a repeat performance, and present the seeds of ideas
for future themes.
Keep your evaluation simple and focused only on the information
you need to assess and improve the program. The Lesson Plans
outlined in Section III: Making it Happen illustrate some
straightforward evaluation techniques.
Use informal discussions and search in less obvious places
In the classroom … spend time at the end of a class or workshop to
ask participants what else they would like to learn. Participants will
build on each other’s ideas and generate themes.
Outside the classroom … maintain a strong link with your target
audience. This way you may get direct requests, for example, “My
friends and I would like to learn how to use herbs for flavouring.”
Or, you may have a conversation with an older adult who is
expressing frustration with cooking for one and you see the
possibilities of a class to offer guidance.
In the community … stay tuned to issues involving older adults. For
example, if the latest community centre statistics reveal high
enrolment by older adults in aerobic exercise classes, you could
propose a cooking class focused on heart healthy cooking.
Dovetail with themes from other programs
If the community site of the Tastes for Life program is hosting an
Italian heritage day use this as an opportunity to launch a cooking
class/workshop with an Italian theme. Here you could spotlight the
health benefits of Mediterranean cuisine.
Other local events could steer you towards themes too. Perhaps the
local health unit is hosting an “eating the vegetarian way” course
that several of the older adults are attending. Ask them if they
would be interested in a beans, peas and lentils cooking class to
help them translate new information into kitchen action.
Identify themes 8 months in advance
Allow time to plan, promote and register participants. Refer to
Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Promoting events
For more help …
1. Other Tastes for Life resources that could help are:
Section III: Making it Happen—Resources for program leader
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Choosing themes
Sample survey
A guide only and not a final format
To use with older adults increase font size and add more space between the
choices. Add topics that reflect your audience and your program. Replace
our fictional directions with your own situation.
Tastes for Life
Let’s do lunch!
Planning is well underway for our May
noon hour Let’s do lunch workshop series.
What food and nutrition topics do you want packaged in a lunch?
All responses are anonymous.
Check (;) any that you are interested in.
Nutrients in the news

Carbohydrate
Omega-3 fats
Trans fats
Soy
Other ____________________________
Foods or food Groups

Grain products
Vegetables and Fruit
Meat and Poultry
Fish and Seafood
Meat Alternatives – beans and lentils
Milk Products
Is there a cooking method(s) you would like featured?

Microwave
Toaster oven
Barbeque or electric grill
With convenience foods
Stir-frying
Other ____________________________
Return your completed survey to the drop box at the registration desk.
We’ll post a summary of the findings on the bulletin board next to the fitness room.
Thanks from the Tastes for Life …nutrition for older adults Planning Team. 04/11/05
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Choosing themes
S
P
I
T
P R A C T I C A L
Displays are self-directed education centres that offer an
economical way to reach many people with healthy eating
advice. A display builds awareness for workshops and
cooking classes too.
Themes for the Tastes for Life displays can originate in two ways.
One, they can parallel the themes of upcoming workshops and
cooking classes, or two, they can cover other audience-requested
themes.
Keep the display theme simple
Basic information works best in a display. Save complex discussions
for workshops or cooking classes.
Start with your learning objectives for the theme and limit the
display content to main messages only. Include practical
information such as why an older adult might be interested in this
theme and realistic ways an older adult might act on the
information. Reinforce the display content with handouts.
Build a theme over time
You can follow the 3 golden rules for display content—include only
the key messages, use clear language, and focus on practical advice—
and still tackle a multi-layered topic.
Bone health is an example. You could plan a series of three displays
on bone health under the title, Bone Up. The first could cover
calcium nutrition, complete with food sources and dairy-rich
recipes. The next could spotlight Vitamin D, where you get it, how
much you need as you age, and the role of supplements to meet
needs. The final display could discuss the role of exercise in bone
strength and feature hand-held weights with illustrations of some
simple routines.
Always offer handouts
Find or prepare handouts that support the theme e.g. recipes,
pamphlets. Stock the display with copies of the resources and check
regularly. Recipes are popular so be prepared to replenish often.
For more guidance on handouts, refer to the Tastes for Life Practical
Tips: Recipe readiness and Practical Tips: Developing handouts.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Creating a display
Seize the chance to promote workshops and cooking classes
Regardless of whether the display theme mimics the upcoming class
theme or is on a different topic, devote some display space to
workshop and cooking class promotions … perhaps a corner, a
panel or a rack of information. Keep it consistent.
Make it easy to recognize. This way you foster a loyal following of
viewers that use the display to inform themselves about Tastes for
Life activities.
Follow the tips in Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Promoting events for
making your promotion engaging and informative. Describe how
the class or workshop always builds on material presented in the
display and has the added bonus of sharing food.
Check the display’s visual appeal
View the display up close and from far away to ensure the right
balance of colour, pictures and words. Stick to clean lines, plain
backgrounds, striking contrasts and a logical flow to information.
The first resource listed under the For more help … section at the
end provides tips on effective layout and graphics.
Favour graphics and pictures over words
Powerful images not only capture attention but deliver
information. For example, a display on Root Vegetables Rise to Fame
could feature; photos of more unusual vegetables in a raw and
cooked state; sample menus showcasing these vegetables; and a bar
graph illustrating their nutritional content.
You could strengthen the display’s impact by adding a basket of
uncooked root vegetables.
Boost the display’s interactivity
Use entertaining ways to involve viewers—questions with lift up
answers, physical props such as samples of food that can be
examined, self-assessment quizzes, and videos that the person can
start and watch. Any activity can spark conversations and sharing of
information among viewers.
Decide on the duration of the display and the budget
At a community site that attracts regulars, a display usually stays
fresh for about one month. If possible during the month,
invigorate the display with a new handout, a different picture or a
recent newspaper clipping that supports the theme.
Try to find a permanent place to display. Locations that work best
are near entrances, registrations desks and other high traffic areas.
Ensure there is enough room for lingering viewers to take in the
display comfortably and for others to get by without difficulty.
The major expenses with a display are the printing of handouts, the
purchase of resources and pictures, as well as the original cost of a
high quality mount-up board and table.
Whenever possible, design the display to be stand-alone.
Estimate the time to create and find some helpers
Students of nutrition programs can help create displays by
performing jobs such as researching the theme, identifying key
messages, designing the education material, assembling the display,
and monitoring usage.
On average, whether you do it yourself or coach a student, it will
take about 8 to 20 hours to create a display. Add time to test any
recipes handed out and time to monitor and re-stock the display.
Track usage and effectiveness of the display
Three important aspects to track are:
o Number of pamphlets/handouts picked up
o Number of registrants who cite the display as how they learned
about an upcoming workshop or cooking class
o Number of viewers who applied the practical suggestions to their
own eating behavior. An informal, yet anonymous survey
conducted by phone or mail, can determine use.
For more help …
1. Creating effective poster presentations
By George R. Hess and Leon H. Liegel
NC State University and Oregon State University. Created January 2000
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/IndexStart.html
Comments: Excellent step-by-step approach with a superb “60 second
poster evaluation”. The principles described are timeless.
2. Developing sign displays for conveying Information
By Anna M. Prizzia, Mark E. Hostetler, and Martin B. Main
University of Florida, IFAS Extension. First published May 2004
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW196
Comments: A brief and clear overview of the process to prepare
displays. The information is available in a pdf downloadable version.
3. Other Tastes for Life resources that could help with displays are:
Practical Tips: Choosing themes
S
P
I
T
A food demonstration teaches with words and actions.
Showing how, facilitates the adoption of new cooking
methods, new foods and even old foods prepared new ways.
P R A C T I C A L
Consider visibility and sound
Seat participants in a U shape around a central table and check the
view from several points at the table. Review your menu and
determine which preparation steps need close-up viewing by
participants. Groups of 10 or less work best for standing and
watching close up.
However, limit standing to short periods and avoid the constant
shuffling of people into new positions which takes extra time.
Be conscious of equipment noise interfering with your voice, e.g a
whirring blender. Arrange for a volunteer to blend at a side table or
counter while you speak to the group. Even better, do the noisy
prep work before the workshop begins.
Allow about an hour to set up the room
Recruit helpers for menu pre-prep and room set-up. For ideas on
finding helpers see the Tastes for Life Practical tips: Program helpers.
For some tasks—setting the table, filling water pitchers, pouring
beverages, distributing handouts—ask the participants who arrive
early if they would like to help.
Request 2-3 extra tables or carts that can be used to:
o demonstrate techniques e.g. slicing a mango, filling dumplings.
Participants gather around a table for a closer view and have a
chance to stretch their legs at the same time.
o exhibit items e.g. food products, educational resources, recipe
books, kitchen equipment. These exhibits further illustrate
workshop concepts and help reinforce nutrition messages.
Always group items logically and clearly label each one. Be
available to answer questions about the items on display.
Make sure the room layout allows for safe and comfortable walking
around the tables. People can be encouraged to view the exhibits
before and after the workshop. Be ready ½ hour before the scheduled
start time to accommodate those who arrive early.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Demonstrating food
Limit the number of dishes served
A good rule of thumb is 6 recipes for a two-hour workshop. This
allows time to explain, to sample leisurely and to accommodate
demonstrating the preparation. When food is sampled throughout,
one recipe served every 15 minutes is a comfortable pace and leaves
room for an introduction and summary.
Choose compatible tastes and a logical order
Typically, the goal is to plan a meal— appetizer, salad/soup, entrée,
side dish(s) and dessert—and present it in a typical order. In some
instances you may deviate from the meal approach. An example
would be a class devoted to building a better breakfast or
discovering nutritious, easy-to-make snacks and appetizers.
The more you know about the taste preferences of your audience,
the better. Taste sensitivity can diminish with age so experiment
with bolder favours that can compensate for reduced taste.
Distribute one set of recipes per person at the start
As you review the recipes with the audience, encourage the practice
of always reading the recipe before you begin cooking. This way you
can avoid mid-preparation surprises of missing ingredients. Discuss
how you might adjust yield, substitute or omit ingredients or gauge
cooking time.
Older adults prefer recipes that use few ingredients and yield two to
four portions. Cookbook recipes frequently serve four. Let the
audience know if the recipe can be successfully frozen for later use.
Print the recipes in a legible font, in 12 or 14 point size. Leave wide
margins and space for note taking by participants. Refer to the
Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Developing handouts.
Show and tell
If you demonstrate how something is done, it becomes memorable.
People like to see how to mince, chop, slice and dice and what
techniques work best. As you prepare for the workshop be aware of
what might be better done in front of the group rather than
prepared ahead of time.
View all preparation steps as potential teaching opportunities. Even
if you do advance preparation, set aside some unprepared food to
show participants what the food is like in its original form.
Find illustrations of techniques e.g. slicing a mango, or pictures of
special cooking equipment and share them with your audience.
Colourful, professional photos can strengthen the demonstration.
Follow good food safety practices
Food safety is vital to both what you prepare and how you prepare.
Use the food demonstration to highlight food safety practices and
provide a handout reinforcing the points. See Resources for program
leader in Section III: Making it Happen for food safety resources.
Arrange for tasting
Tasting is an important part of the experience and can proceed in a
number of ways. It’s good to enlist a volunteer to help.
o Foods can be passed to participants seated at a table.
o Foods can be set up buffet style and people help themselves.
o A volunteer, using a rolling cart, can serve the food.
The choice depends upon room space, mobility of participants,
availability of a helper, and temperature and container size of the
food being serves. A hot casserole is unsafe to pass.
Involve participants
Encourage the sharing of stories such as successes or disasters in the
kitchen, personal cooking tips, or family food traditions. The
conversations around the table will help you identify more ways to
meet the needs of your audience and give you insight into future
themes for workshops, cooking classes, displays and articles.
Ask participants to help with the clean-up. It will go faster. Express
your thanks with a container of leftover food, if available.
For more help …
1. 4-H Foods Demonstration Guide
Compiled by Shirley Camp and Jananne Finick
University of Illinois Extension. July 2003
http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/projects/me0385.pdf
Comments: Excellent practical guide with easy-to-follow details on the
set-up and delivery of a food demonstration.
2. Give Better Food Demonstrations
Agriculture and Fisheries, Nova Scotia Canada
URL for pdf http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsaf/4h/speaking/fooddemos.pdf
Comments: Bulleted lists contain first-rate practical information for
making demonstrations successful.
Practical Tips; Recipe readiness
Practical Tips: Setting up a kitchen
Practical Tips: Stocking the pantry
S
P
T
I
One of the best ways to support people in making a change
is to give them clear, complete and practical resources for
later reference.
P R A C T I C A L
The right language and the right layout in your handouts will help
the reader be successful in using new nutrition and cooking ideas.
Clear writing starts with clear thinking
Usually, poorly written material can be traced back to vague goals,
and unfocused thoughts. Spend time understanding your audience,
crafting realistic objectives and learning the relevant facts about the
nutrition topic your handout will cover.
Clear writing benefits everyone, regardless of reading skills. Clear
writing shows respect for the reader and aims for an easy-to-read
result. It is an approach to creating material that follows these basic
guidelines.
Write for your audience…always keep the reader in mind.
Identify the key points your reader will need.
Eliminate extraneous text that only clutters the message.
Present the points in a logical way.
Avoid jargon, acronyms, technical and scientific terms.
Explain/define any new and unfamiliar words.
Address the reader as “you”—it’s friendly and personal.
Use the active voice.
Vary the sentence length and opt for short, single-focused
paragraphs.
o Let examples or illustrations make a point. A concrete example
can convey a message clearly and with fewer words.
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Good design contributes to the success of a handout
The design refers to the appearance of the text, which if effective, is
visually appealing and easy to read. Good design enhances text,
invites the reader in and helps the reader understand the material.
The design provides visual clues as to the importance of the
information. Group material together that belongs together and
make it obvious for the reader. For instance, headings and
subheadings should be consistent in size and type, yet noticeably
different from one another, to help the reader make connections.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005 — Developing handouts
1
Type
The style of type you use is a significant part of the look of your
handout. For details on type read A simple typeface primer which
follows this Practical Tips advice sheet. In addition to type, here are
other fundamental design elements.
Contrast
A strong contrast between paper and ink makes text more legible.
You can achieve good contrast with dark type set on a white or
lightly coloured background. Choose a plain background, rather
than a patterned one, and print on non-glare paper.
Graphics, photos and illustrations
Keep them close to the text they are supporting but first make sure
that they do support the message in the text. It’s surprising how
often the text and picture send different messages. Ask your
Program Advisors what they think. In fact, make a habit of having
the Advisors review all handouts before they are finalized.
If you want to use a photo of participants from one of the Tastes for
Life events you must get permission from those in the photo before
you can reproduce it in a handout.
Don’t be afraid of white space.
White space
Mark Twain once said “The right word may be effective, but no word
was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” While he was referring to
speeches, we can apply the principle of a pause to white space on a
page. It gives the reader a break.
White space is unused space on the page. Organize your white
space to help the reader understand the material. Text focused on a
single message benefits from having empty space around it. This
conveys to the reader that it is a unit of information and allows the
reader to absorb one message before moving on to another.
Did you find the lone statement about white space effective?
2
For more help…
1. Plain Language Online Training
The instructional material is adapted from publications of the National
Literacy Secretariat, Human Resources Development Canada.
http://www.web.net/~plain/PlainTrain/index.html
Comments: Straightforward, practical and comprehensive discussion—
complete with helpful examples—on how to use plain language
principles to produce better materials.
2. PlainLanguage.gov
Website sponsored by the Plain Language Action and Information
Network (PLAIN), US Government
http://www.plainlanguage.gov/index.php
Comments: Excellent how to’s, reference material and practical advice
to help you write more clearly. Filled with examples.
3. Other Tastes for Life resources to review are:
Practical Tips: Choosing themes
3
Tastes for Life
The style of type or typeface contributes to the readability of your
handout. In everyday language the term “font” is used
interchangeably with typeface. And while computer font menus are
vast, the criteria for choosing a font is not.
Basically, you choose a font that enhances the readability of your
handout and is acceptable to your audience.
There are two broad categories of typefaces—
—serif and sans serif.
A serif font has a lettershape that is ideal for blocks of text.
Newspapers, magazines and books use serif fonts for body copy. If
you look at the illustration below you will note that on the “serif”
example the letters have curls on the strokes of the letter. The serif
letters also have a thick/thin part. Experts believe that the shape of
the serif lettering helps lead the eye across a line of text, making it
easier to read.
Serif Sans serif
Sans serif fonts are “sans” or without those curls on the letters.
These fonts are constructed with clean, straight lines and are
monoweight. A sans serif font can grab attention; therefore, sans
serif fonts are good choices for small amounts of text such as
headings and titles. Sans serif fonts work well for short blocks of text
such as those captured in a callout or formatted into a short, narrow
column or bulleted on a list where each point is discrete. The
headings and sub headings in this Leader’s Guide use a sans serif
typeface called, Franklin Gothic.
Which paragraph did you find easier to read?
Make a note that a good rule of thumb is one serif font for
the body copy and one sans serif font for titles and headings.
4
Make the type the right size for your audience.
12 points is the minimum size to use for older eyes.
14 points is even better.
Check how typefaces can vary in the size of their letters.
The examples below are all set in 12 points, but appear different in
size and darkness. This is due to how the letters are drawn. Print
some samples to see what will work best for your audience.
Garamond
Goudy Old Style
Bookman Oldstyle
Century Schoolbook
Enhance your text with good line spacing as well.
The same size
type set with
tight line
spacing is
difficult to
read.
The same size
type set with
too much line
spacing
The same size
type set with the
right line
spacing is easy
to read.
makes the
lines fly apart.
Use upper and lower case lettering, even in headings.
ALLCAPITALS ARE HARDER TO READ BECAUSE THE
LETTERS DO NOT VARY MUCH IN SHAPE AND THEY
APPEAR TO RUN TOGETHER. Lower case letters have
distinctive shapes that help the reader recognize words. Text set in
all capitals takes longer to read and uses more space on the page.
Emphasize … sometimes.
To make certain points stand out, consider the following ways to
highlight information but remember that overusing any of these
techniques defeats the purpose.
o Bulleted list
o Italics
o Bolded
o Underlined
o Indents
o Reverse text
o Colour change
o Text box
Avoid script fonts or decorative fonts or at the very least
use them sparingly. They are not easy to read.
5
S
P
I
P R A C T I C A L
T
When you define the responsibilities and processes before the
program begins, you ensure that all management tasks are
covered, and without duplication.
Administering the Tastes for Life nutrition program involves
managing the resources of the program: finances, facilities,
information, and people. Choose an administrative structure to suit
the individuals and/or organizations involved and the requirements
of any funding group.
Determine the overall decision-making process
The program administrative structure defines who is responsible for
managing the resources and how decisions are made and reported.
Consider the management responsibilities of each of the following in
your structure.
o Program delivery staff
o Program advisory group
o Sponsoring organization(s) staff
o Sponsoring organization(s) board of directors
For a single organization that already provides a variety of community
services, the program administration might easily fit into the current
structure and procedures of the organization.
A program initiated by a coalition of individuals or organizations
requires a clear definition of the role of each individual or
organization and how decisions are made. Some funding sources,
such as government grants, have specific administrative requirements
for program management, such a non-profit corporation or charitable
organization.
Determine the process for managing finances
Managing the finances for the Tastes for Life nutrition program
involves budget preparation and approval, as well as monitoring
revenue and expenses accordingly. Consider each of these steps for
sound financial management.
o Identify the cost for each activity or service to prepare the budget.
o Define the process and timelines for submitting and approving
the budget.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Program administration
o Determine the process for collecting revenues, submitting and
reimbursing expenses, and documenting financial reports.
o Determine who is responsible for monitoring financial reports
and for making adjustments to meet budget requirements. This
may involve seeking additional revenue, or adjusting expenses of
activities or services according to revenue.
Determine the process for managing facilities
Facilities for the Tastes for Life nutrition program include rooms for
meetings e.g. with program advisors, sponsors or partners, for
nutrition activities, and for storage of equipment and food. See Tastes
for Life Practical Tips: Setting up a kitchen and Tastes for Life Practical
Tips: Stocking the pantry to help determine equipment and food needs.
The process for managing the facilities should first consider the
structures and procedures of the organizations involved in the
program, e.g. booking the food demonstration room at a recreation
facility. Availability of facilities at desired times may be as much a
challenge as the cost of using them. Consider the following:
o Identify who is responsible for the different steps in planning and
managing the facilities for the program.
o Identify facility and equipment needs and availability for each
activity.
o Identify and use the organization’s process for booking rooms and
equipment. This may include processes for dishwashing or
equipment set-up.
o Evaluate suitability of facility and equipment for the activity and
identify changes that would improve the effectiveness of the
activity.
Determine the process for managing information
Information for the Tastes for Life nutrition program includes print
and audiovisual resources to support food and nutrition education;
promotion of the program, activities, and services; record keeping and
minutes of meetings for program committees; and reports to
sponsoring organizations and funding partners.
Define the responsibilities for who manages meeting information and
prepares and distributes reports. Establishing timelines is the first step
to clear communication management.
Determine the process for managing human resources.
Human resources for the Tastes for Life nutrition program include
both volunteer and paid staff for the program.
See Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Program advisors and Tastes for Life
Practical Tips: Program helpers for ideas for recruiting and managing
volunteers.
Paid staff may include the Program Leader, program assistants and
support staff. They may be current employees of a sponsoring
organization or hired for specific responsibilities in the Tastes for Life
nutrition program. The process for managing all human resources in
the program should identify for each volunteer and staff person the
following:
o The individual or group to whom she or he is responsible and
accountable to for the completion of tasks,
o Tasks or responsibilities and timelines,
o Training for position,
o Documentation for receiving payment or reimbursement of costs,
and
o How to provide feedback.
The management process should be consistent with human resource
policies of the sponsoring organization and relevant government
agencies.
For more help …
Practical Tips: Promoting events
S
P
I
T
P R A C T I C A L
Program advisors are volunteers who represent your target
audience. They are involved in key decisions related to the
planning and implementation of the Tastes for Life nutrition
program. Their participation is vital and ensures that the voice
of older adults sets program direction.
Program advisors, just like any other group of volunteers, need
support and structure to function best. You can either work with
them informally through ad hoc meetings and discussion groups or
formally through the creation of an advisory committee.
Advisors set program direction
Older adults have a vital role to play in program decisions such as:
o identifying the nutritional issues to address
o selecting themes for workshops, cooking classes and other events
o reviewing nutrition handouts and articles for newsletters
o determining resource needs
o seeking funds for program sustainability
o evaluating the nutrition activities
o recommending changes and improvements
In addition to their planning role, advisors can volunteer to help
with program delivery. They are extra hands to set up displays,
organize for food demonstrations or cooking classes, send out flyers,
and conduct satisfaction surveys with participants. Some advisors
prefer to limit their volunteer time to planning and do not want jobs
to do at workshops or classes.
In that case, look to the other volunteers for help in the classroom.
See Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Program helpers. Usually, the person
who attends a class to perform job(s) is not a paying registrant.
Recognize that skills and motivations for volunteering vary
The Tastes for Life program leader is responsible for identifying the
tasks and skills needed to implement the program. Plan ahead.
Prepare a brief job description which includes lines of accountability
and timeframes.
Look for volunteers who are interested in food and nutrition, care
about programs for older adults, and have time for volunteer work.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Program advisors
Ask volunteers if they prefer a short or longer term commitment and
be ready to match job with time availability.
Program advisors must feel comfortable with the leadership role that
the advisors perform. It’s a bonus if they are experienced in any of
the roles they will be asked to do; however, enthusiasm for the job
trumps experience.
Recruit advisors from the agencies involved
The number of advisors is dependent upon the number of agencies
and groups involved in the Tastes for Life nutrition program. If
possible, find a representative from each organization.
The list of groups can include, but is not limited to, the following:
o seniors’ recreation centres
o community social service departments
o local seniors’ associations
o community health centres focused on seniors’ health
o local chapters of health organizations e.g. Diabetes Association
o academic departments.
Ways to recruit advisors include—community nutrition forums,
advertisements in agency newsletters or local newspapers, word of
mouth, postings on bulletin boards, and networks of volunteers.
Design a dynamic volunteer information package for recruitment
Recruitment will proceed efficiently if you start with a standard
questionnaire for potential volunteers. Supplement it with pamphlets
or factsheets that describe the Tastes for Life program.
On the questionnaire request:
o contact data such as name, address, phone number, email
o special interests and/or special skills
o reason for volunteering
o amount of time available for volunteering
o when available e.g mornings only or weekdays only
o preferred job(s)
Support volunteers …. and you keep volunteers
One form of support comes through being specific on assignments.
Volunteers benefit from understanding the purpose of a task, the
skills needed to accomplish it, and the resource support available to
carry it out.
Provide feedback on performance and opportunities for volunteers to
express concerns. Follow up on concerns. If possible, offer training
for specific tasks and devote time to coaching.
Build in an energetic and effective volunteer acknowledgement
program. Consider recognizing accomplishments through certificates
of appreciation or special occasion dinner/events.
For more help …
1. Working with Volunteers and Managing Volunteer Programs in Health
Care Settings
© Commonwealth of Australia and Volunteering Australia, 2003
Available at http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/pdf/nh48.pdf
Tips for Involving Volunteers, 2003
By Volunteering Australia
http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/sheets/InfoSheets_PDF/Tips_Volunteers.pdf
Comments: The 1st document has everything you would ever want to know
about a volunteer program. The 2nd document is a concise and practical
summary of working with volunteers
2. Working with volunteers, 1987
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/rural/facts/87-012.htm
Comments: Information is solid and the tips are practical even if the
writing lacks pizzazz.
Practical Tips: Program administration
S
P
I
P R A C T I C A L
T
Program helpers are essential for program delivery. These
volunteers can be students from local high schools, colleges
or universities, or volunteers from the broader community.
The program leader of the Tastes for Life program is responsible for
the volunteers and oversees their participation either by directly
coordinating their activities or by delegating the coordination to a
program helper.
Helpers assist with program delivery
There are numerous jobs that volunteer helpers perform.
See the following examples.
o preparing and monitoring the nutrition displays
o developing resources e.g. recipe handouts
o setting up exhibits of products or resources for an event
o buying food for a planned class or stocking the pantry
o assisting during a class/workshop e.g. making a side dish, finishing
assembly, or attending to food in oven or on stove
o helping with pre-preparation or clean-up for a class/workshop
o demonstrating a menu item or preparation technique
o conducting evaluations or satisfaction surveys
o participating in fundraising events/activities
Recognize that skills and motivations for volunteering vary
A varied talent pool is what makes the Tastes for Life nutrition
program work. Find volunteers who are interested in food and
nutrition and care about seniors.
The Tastes for Life leader can match a volunteer’s skills with tasks. For
instance, volunteers experienced in cooking or nutrition education
can help prepare and demonstrate food; those with organizing skills
can assist with food purchases; and those with writing skills can
create handouts and articles.
Recruit helpers from a wide variety of places
You could start with the sponsoring agency. Most organizations
focused on seniors already have a roster of volunteers who are
dedicated to and experienced in working with older adults. For some
districts, a central agency recruits and co-ordinates volunteers who are
then assigned to local community groups.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Program helpers
Certain communities have volunteers especially trained in food and
nutrition e.g. Community Food Advisors in Ontario. The local
public health department or other area health agencies can advise
about the availability of trained food volunteers.
High schools, colleges and universities with co-op or field placement
programs are a source of volunteers with varying skills. For instance,
a university student enrolled in a nutrition course will have up-to-date
nutrition knowledge. High school art students have artistic talents
that can be put to use on developing take-home resources, creating
displays and designing flyers.
When you link with schools the benefits are wide reaching. Students
gain new skills and an appreciation for working with older adults.
Older adults respond to the energy of youth and have an opportunity
to mentor. And, you get important jobs done.
Design a dynamic volunteer information package for recruitment
Recruitment will proceed efficiently if you start with a standard
questionnaire for potential volunteers and complement it with
pamphlets or brochure describing the Tastes for Life nutrition
program and highlighting some of the volunteering opportunities.
On the questionnaire request information such as:
o contact data such as name, address, phone number, email
o special interests and/or special skills
o reason for volunteering
o amount of time available for volunteering
o when available e.g mornings only or weekdays only
o preferred job(s).
Follow-up with an equally dynamic orientation session
Find a convenient time and place to gather the new volunteers.
There is value in working with a team of volunteers since they can
provide friendship and support for one another.
Refer to the box at the end of this Practical Tips advice sheet for an
Outline for volunteer orientation session.
Support volunteers … and you keep volunteers
One form of support is providing clear direction on assignments.
Volunteers benefit from understanding the purpose of a task, the
skills needed to accomplish it, the resource support available to carry
it out, and when it needs to be done.
Provide feedback on performance and opportunities for volunteers to
express concerns. Follow up on concerns. If possible, offer training
for specific tasks and devote time to coaching.
Build in an energetic and effective volunteer acknowledgement
program. Consider recognizing accomplishments through certificates
of appreciation or special occasion dinner/events.
Sample
1. Discuss the purpose of Tastes for Life…nutrition for older adults —
include handout for later reference.
2. Describe the volunteer jobs—add how many volunteers are needed.
3. Explain the skills and talents needed.
4. Indicate how the volunteer is supported e.g. training.
5. Specify the timelines and time commitment.
6. Invite questions for further clarification.
7. Include a sign-up roster.
For more help …
1. Working with Volunteers and Managing Volunteer Programs in Health
Care Settings
© Commonwealth of Australia and Volunteering Australia, 2003
Available at http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/pdf/nh48.pdf
Tips for Involving Volunteers, 2003
By Volunteering Australia
http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/sheets/InfoSheets_PDF/Tips_Volunteers.p
df
Comments: The 1st document has everything you would ever want to know
about a volunteer program. The 2nd document is a concise and practical
summary of working with volunteers.
2. Working with volunteers, 1987
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/rural/facts/87-012.htm
Comments: Information is solid and the tips are practical even if the
writing lacks pizzazz.
Practical Tips: Program advisors
Practical Tips: Program administration
S
P
I
T
P R A C T I C A L
The effective promotion of workshops and cooking classes
will attract new participants and continue to draw the
regulars. Consistent, strong registration numbers mean that
more older adults receive hands-on healthy eating guidance.
Find cost effective promotion channels
Plan multiple routes to maximize coverage. Possible channels
include the Tastes for Life display, bulletin boards, monthly
newsletters, pamphlet centres, publication racks in waiting rooms,
dining room table toppers, verbal announcements at meetings, and
e-mail or listservs.
The Tastes for Life display can publicize workshops and classes in
one of two ways. One way is for the display to cover the same
theme as an upcoming workshop or cooking class. Another way is
for the display to have a regular section where announcements of
upcoming events are featured.
Do advance planning for announcements in newsletters
Maintain a file of the required schedules for the various newsletters
and circulars that your target audience accesses and that might be
good vehicles for you to promote the Tastes for Life nutrition
program.
The amount of advance planning will depend upon the production
and distribution schedule of the newsletter. A good rule of thumb
is at least one month.
Find out about a newsletter’s submission criteria
Most newsletters have submission guidelines that cover content,
space and cost. Ask the newsletter’s editorial office for their
guidelines or see if the guidelines are published in each issue.
Some publications charge a fee for publicizing events but others
offer free space. Free space may mean that you have less control
over how the announcement is edited or where it is placed.
When a publication’s schedule for delivery does not coincide with
your event programming, opt for a one-page flyer instead.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Promoting events
Craft a one-page flyer that is dynamic, inviting and complete
A standard 8 x 11 ½ page offers adequate space to describe the
event and entice attendees. First, determine if your budget can
accommodate the production and printing costs of a flyer.
When developing a flyer select fonts that are easy to read and that
are at least 12 to 14 points in size. Avoid script or decorative fonts
since the lettering is more difficult to read. Pick good colour
contrast and shun busy backgrounds. See sample on next page.
A persuasive flyer will include:
Title of event— plus date, place, start time, for how long
Content descriptor—which covers what participants will learn
Name of workshop leader/presenter—plus their qualifications
What will happen—For example, is it a cooking class that you
participate in, or a food demonstration workshop? Do you get fed?
Registration—cost, deadline to register, and who to contact
Contact information—telephone number(s) for more information
Develop a template for repeat use
A standard format and style of presentation can minimize
preparation of promotional material. The flyer content can even
double as the newsletter submission and be available at displays.
The more you standardize the format, the more time you have to
write event descriptions that dazzle.
Re-work your flyer material into other standard formats—one
paragraph announcement, short column, and a two line notice
(title and where to get more information).
Consider the time to process registrations in all promotions
Registrations usually trickle in for as long as the stated sign-up
period. Since it takes time to process registrations and to make a
final decision on the viability of an event, determine a cut-off
registration date that will give you juggling room—one week before
usually works. You may need time to cancel and hence notify
registrants, if numbers remain low, or to repeat promotion, if you
want more registrants.
Check if the host site has a policy on minimum registrants before
an event can go forward. Be sure the promotional material specifies
the maximum class size.
For food shopping and recipe yield calculations, you need to know
the registration numbers—at least one week prior to the event.
Shakes and Fries
1 hour food demonstration
Tuesday, March 16
12 noon
The kitchen atrium
Bring your appetite and get ready to sample
a Shakes and Fries feast of:
h Nourishing eye-opening shakes
h Cool fruit shakes for patio sipping
h Garden vegetable stir fry
h Asian chicken and noodle stir fry
Join nutritionist, Joan Jones, for a lively chat
about how Shakes and Fries inspire
healthy eating.
For more information or to register:
Call 222-2222
Cost is $10.
Registration closes March 8.
Enrolment is limited to 15.
Presentation sponsored by Tastes for Life…nutrition for older adults
For more help …
Practical Tips: Developing handouts
Practical Tips: Creating a display
S
P
P R A C T I C A L
T
I
The recipes bring the theme alive. Recipes promote skill
building, illustrate nutrition concepts, and give older adults
the means to practice new ideas at home.
Every activity in the Tastes for Life nutrition program relies on
recipes. Recipes are an effective way to promote healthy eating.
While recipes are an obvious part of workshops and cooking
classes, they are an equally essential component of displays, print
resources and newsletter articles.
Look in The recipe folder in Section V for a selection of 20 mouthwatering recipes that Tastes for Life has permission to use. The recipe
folder also covers important copyright information so if you search
for recipes from other sources, review it first.
The theme comes first
Once the theme is decided and the learning objectives are
identified, the recipes are chosen. Recipes, such as the 20 listed in
this Leader’s Guide, support healthy eating concepts and are a
tangible way to way to illustrate nutrition messages
For a quick review of where to find themes see Tastes for Life
Practical Tips: Choosing themes.
The theme and recipes anchor the healthy eating discussion.
The two Lesson Plans in Section III: Making it Happen are
examples of how the theme and recipes work together to support
healthy eating messages.
Consult the Resources for Program Leader in Section III: Making it
Happen for nutrition messages for older adults and for nutrition
topics that could become themes.
Test the recipes
When you test the recipes you gain practical insight that you can
share with your audience. This information can help participants
use the recipe later. For example, you might tell participants how
you estimated the time per step or how you co-coordinated
preparation with other meal items.
Determine which recipe format will work best for your audience.
See options presented in The recipe folder.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Recipe readiness
Shape the recipes into an impressive package of information
Whether the recipe package is a handout for a display or class,
make it complete and readable. See Tastes for Life Practical Tips:
developing handouts for help.
As well as the tips below, always include a summary of the nutrition
messages. When appropriate for your theme, insert locally relevant
facts such as stores that carry unusual foods or that offer the best
bargains or that sell items in smaller portions.
Embellish each recipe with practical notes
Food and cooking advice is always welcomed. Add notes on:
o freezing and reheating instructions
o ingredient substitutions
o serving tips
o storage advice such as maximum time to be kept
o glossary of new terms
o nutritional analysis
o creative ways to use leftovers e.g. marinated grilled chicken is
great sliced and served on salad greens the next day. Round out
this message with a salad dressing recipe.
Prepare ready-to-use resources for instant use
Fill your resource files with handouts covering:
o cooking terms and definitions,
o standard conversions
o recipe short forms,
o baking and cooking substitutions
o fresh fruit and vegetable storage, how to select fresh produce
o recommended cookbooks
Make a note to review copyright facts in The Recipe Folder as
resource material from websites and books is often copyrighted.
Pick recipes with ordinary ingredients & straightforward methods
Remember that easily obtained ingredients and effortless
preparation can make the difference between trying a new recipe or
not. Most people prefer recipes with affordable ingredients that are
readily available in most supermarkets.
Be conscious of the product size of a recipe’s ingredients. You
might discover that certain food items are only sold in one size, a
size which is too impractical for small scale cooking. Offer
alternatives. For example, buying the prepared Pad Thai sauce,
rather than the component ingredients of lemon grass and fish
sauce, is more economical.
The recipes listed in The recipe folder support the goals of ordinary
ingredients and straightforward methods.
Find ways to introduce the unusual
Introducing a new food—or a more unusual recipe—adds interest to
cooking and eating. The class environment is a perfect place to
sample a new food and watching the preparation helps too. To
entice readers to try a new and unusual recipe from a display or a
newsletter article, add photos of the method at each step and
include a picture of the final product. Insert information on where
to buy the food locally.
ADJUSTING YIELD UP OR DOWN
Adjust recipe yield if needed
The cooking classes use
recipes for quantities much
greater than the average
person needs or wants. Be
sure that the take home
recipes are modified in yield
…preferably for two-four
servings.
Is it practical?
Sometimes dividing amounts
becomes a mathematical
nightmare.
Will it change cooking time?
Smaller cooks faster.
Will it change bowl/pan size?
Do you have it?
Check your local library for recipe books
A display of borrowed books encourages other to use the library as
a source of cooking and nutrition help.
For more help…
1. Food Network Canada
Website covers general food advice and TV food shows
http://www.foodtv.ca/ From top horizontal bar select “reference”
Comments: Comprehensive food and cooking tips. Includes excellent
resources on conversions, substitutions, definitions, etc.
2. Food Network USA
Website covers general food advice and TV food shows
http://www.foodnetwork.com/ From top horizontal bar select “cooking”
Comments: Comprehensive food and cooking tips. Includes similar
information to Canadian site with some wonderful extras—culinary Q&A’s
(ask the expert), recipe how-to’s, and cooking demos to watch.
Practical Tips: Demonstrating food
S
P
I
T
The kitchen is the hub of the cooking class and food
demonstration workshop. When the classroom kitchen is
equipped similar to a home kitchen, participants can
practice new skills that they can transfer to home.
P R A C T I C A L
Ask your local public health department about kitchen regulations
Kitchens operating for the public must follow certain regulations
such as number of dishwashing sinks and availability of a separate
hand-washing sink. In most cases, public kitchens must undergo an
inspection by the local health department before serving food to
the public through classes or workshops.
Local health departments frequently offer courses on safe food
handling for public kitchens.
Find the space … before you fill the space
Explore the possibility of using an existing—already inspected—
kitchen such as at a community centre, church, school, or
headquarters of a local service group. Often these kitchens can
accommodate a 10-person cooking class and are well equipped with
large appliances and dishwashing sinks.
Storage space for equipment and pantry supplies is best if it is
lockable, on-site, and adequate in size. You may consider sharing
cupboard space with the facility that is providing the kitchen or you
may wish to keep your equipment separate.
Follow these guidelines for choosing kitchen equipment
Look for equipment that:
o is easy to use and easy to clean.
o is practical for an older adult to own.
o enhances the efficiency and safety of the cooking class.
o allows participants to experience different equipment.
o is financially affordable for the program.
o matches your storage space.
o helps achieve goals of healthy eating and enjoyable cooking.
For equipment suggestions for cooking classes and food
demonstration workshops see Tastes for Life Kitchen equipment
checklist.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Setting up a kitchen
Avoid using your personal equipment from home. The wear and
tear, the packing and transporting, and the inconvenience of not
having something at home, are not worth it.
Know equipment differences for cooking classes and workshops
Cooking classes differ from workshops in equipment needs, but
only slightly. Participants are cooking in the cooking classes, creating
a need for duplicate items of some of the kitchen gadgets such as
measuring cups, mixing bowls and spoons. Also, more work space
is needed for teams to prepare recipes.
Beyond kitchen gadgets and work space though, the needs are
essentially the same. The food demonstration presenter needs
on-site space and equipment to prepare, cook and serve food for a
group of up to 15 people.
Reinforce healthy eating messages with the right equipment
Both classes and workshops feature healthy food choices, healthy
cooking methods and practical nutrition tips. The right equipment
can support these goals.
For example, a crock pot is ideal for cooking dried beans and
legumes which are economical and nutritious substitutes for
meat…and they boost fibre intake too! Today’s electric grills offer
trouble-free, low-fat grilling for year round use.
Determine the needs of your audience
Find kitchen tools that your audience will feel comfortable with.
That means knowing your target audience well. In fact, as the Tastes
for Life program progresses, involve your audience.
Invite participants to bring a favourite gadget that can be displayed
and discussed as to why it is so cherished. This activity can
introduce participants to new—and tested—kitchen tools.
Identify any special needs
Some participants may have physical disabilities. Or, they may be
the caregiver for someone who has special needs.
Consult with an occupational therapist or check your local medical
supply store for products that are might be helpful e.g. plates with
suction cups, one handed peelers, jar and bottle openers with large
grip handles.
Negotiate for increased kitchen access
The efficiency of the program is improved when you can use the
kitchen for storage and delivery of groceries as well as for food
preparation. Most workshops require pre-preparation of menu
items and the portioning of samples for tasting and viewing.
Check your budget
Costs will vary. Wholesale pricing, equipment donations and
sharing equipment will influence how much you spend.
If your budget is limited, choose only what you need to launch the
Tastes for Life nutrition program. Start small and build as the
program evolves. Consider fund raising for new purchases.
For more help …
1. Food safety for operators and Food safety for special events
Middlesex-London Health Unit
http://www.healthunit.com/index.asp?mode=sectionList&sectionID=285
Comments: This information is a good example of the guidelines
governing public kitchens. Check with your local public health
agency for local regulations.
2. Community Kitchens…building community around food
The Vancouver Community Kitchen Project
http://www.communitykitchens.ca/index.php
Comments: This site is filled with excellent practical advice for public
kitchens. Even though this Vancouver Project is for collective kitchens,
much information is relevant for cooking classes and workshops.
S
P
I
P R A C T I C A L
T
A well stocked pantry saves time and money. Having nonperishable food items on hand makes shopping for
workshops and cooking classes easier and offers dollar
savings through bulk buying.
See the Tastes for Life Practical Tips: Setting up a kitchen for items you
might need to store in the same space with pantry supplies.
Check facility for space
The key to a successful pantry is space, better yet if it is locked
space. Not all facilities can accommodate dried or frozen food
storage but they may have some area to house basic, indispensable
ingredients such as flour, baking powder, sugar.
Is the storage space close to—or in— the kitchen where the
demonstrations and cooking classes take place? If not, arrange for a
cart to transport staples to and from the kitchen.
Follow smart storage steps
Shelf life does vary with the product; however, unopened food in
cans and jars usually can be stored for up to two years. A cool, dry
space promotes maximum shelf life.
Manufacturers imprint a code on products with the date on which
it was packaged. The system is not uniform from one manufacturer
to another so deciphering the code is difficult. Most labels include
a toll-free telephone number for product queries, such as shelf life.
Canned and bottled products may or may not carry an “expiry
date” or a “best before date” or a “use by date”. This date refers to
the recommended time that the unopened product maintains
maximum freshness and nutritional value. Most manufacturers say
the product is still safe to eat after the published date.
Play it safe
Discard products that are changed in colour, texture, or odour. If a
can is bulging or if the seal is damaged, throw it out.
Some products don’t spoil…but they do change. For example,
brown sugar can harden over time as it loses moisture. This occurs
more often in the winter with dry, heated indoor environments.
Popping it in the microwave will soften it.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Stocking the pantry
Use a system—any system—to maintain the inventory
If you share the pantry with others make sure they follow the same
system. Always rotate stock and check product best before dates.
Select a time during the year, preferably during a slow time for the
program, and do inventory checks and dispose of outdated items.
Find creative ways to use up foods that are close to their expiry
date. You might consider raffling them off or donating them as
door prizes, or offering them as gifts to participants or volunteers.
Build efficiency into your inventory system.
Know what’s in your cupboards. A quick check as you put away
items from a class is a good idea. An up-to-date pantry list is an
indispensable reference as you select recipes for a theme.
Shopping takes time. Perishables are purchased by class. If your
inventory system identifies items you are low in or need to replace,
you can buy them as you shop for the perishables.
Identify a wish list of pantry supplies and shop for bargains
These include canned and bottled goods, dried products e.g. rice,
pasta, and non-food items such as plastic wrap. Prioritize the staples
and shop to match your budget and space.
See Pantry supplies checklist in Section V for some pantry ideas.
Transform your pantry supply list into a handout
Ask participants to share what they have in their pantries. Combine
their ideas with yours and make it into a handout. See next page for
sample pantry list handout for participants.
For more help …
1. Food Storage information
Food marketing Institute, USA
http://www.fmi.org/consumer/foodkeeper/search.htm
Comments: Good basic tips for pantry storage as well as for
perishables. Site also has excellent resources on food safety.
2. Food Storage Guide, 1998
North Dakota State University Extension Service
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/yf/foods/fn579-1.htm
Comments: Comprehensive list which has very practical handling hints
such as what is better stored in its original packaging vs is better stored
in an airtight container. List covers refrigerator and freezer storage tips.
Practical tips: Program administration
1. canned milk … different fat content
from skim to whole
2. dried pasta … different shapes
3. tomato paste/tomato sauce
4. canned tomatoes … crushed, whole
and diced, different sized cans
5. dried fruits … e.g. raisons, dates and more
6. chicken, beef and vegetable broth … opt for
low sodium versions
7. rice … wholegrain and converted white rice
8. crackers … wholegrain variety. Crushed
crackers are a great substitute for dried
bread crumbs.
9. canned fish … e.g tuna, salmon
10. canned beans … e.g kidney, black bean and
more
Remember…..fill your cart with items that:
-you like to eat
-you have the space to store
-suit your lifestyle
Skill to do comes of doing.
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Section V: Checklists, Recipes & More
Section V
¬ What you’ll get out of Section V
¬ 12. Checklists
ª kitchen Equipment
ª pantry supplies
¬ 13. The Recipe Folder
ª
ª
ª
ª
recipe copyright
permitted recipes
recipe formats
sources of more recipes
¬ 14. Theme Ideas
Make a note that the checklists, the recipe folder and the themes
have their own numbering system.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Section V: Checklists, Recipes & More
This section contains lists and collections of information that can support
the different aspects of program planning and delivery.
After reviewing Checklists, Recipes & More you will understand:
h
important details about the kitchen equipment
h
important details about pantry supplies
h
recipe copyright and recipe formats
h
which recipes can be used in a Tastes for Life program and where to look
for additional recipes.
h
a few themes to consider for your Tastes for Life program
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005— Section V: Checklists, Recipes & More
Tastes for Life
For a cooking classes and food demonstrations–10 to 15 people.
Choose equipment that:
• is easy to use and easy to clean.
Be conscious of equipment weight, of
complexity of operation, and of volume
prepared.
• is practical for an older adult to own.
Be aware of cost and space to store.
Appliances that have multi-purposes are
more economical.
• enhances the efficiency and safety of the cooking class.
A class of 8-10 prepares a complete meal in two hours. Make sure
floor space and equipment facilitate a safe environment to cook in.
• allows participants to experience different equipment.
A class is a great place to “test run” new appliances and gadgets.
• is financially affordable for the program.
Buy depending upon your budget and your priorities.
• matches your storage space.
Lockable cupboards are best.
• helps achieve the goals of healthy eating and enjoyable cooking.
For example, grilling is both a low fat and easy way to cook so including
a countertop electric grill makes sense.
First essentials
Refrigerator with freezer
1
with locks if located in public room
Cupboard storage space
with locks if located in public room
Work surfaces with safe
access to electrical outlets
counter top space and some tables
for working while seated
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Kitchen equipment checklist
1
A word about the Electric Cooking Appliances list
Our rationale…
Each appliance, large or small, can be used to cook—or partially cook—a
menu item. Since the cooking classes feature a typical meal, which includes
appetizer/soup, main course with vegetables and dessert for a party of eight
to 10, much cooking is happening at once.
With a variety of cooking equipment, each working team has their own
“cooking appliance” placed at a station/countertop with their ingredients.
This arrangement prevents dangerous bottle necks of people at the oven or
stove and eliminates frustrating waits for shared equipment.
There are added bonuses with this format—it illustrates flexibility i.e. there
is life beyond a stove. It introduces participants to smaller yet equally
effective cooking appliances, and it creates efficiency. One team may grill a
vegetable medley on the electric grill; another may sauté chicken in the
electric frying pan; and another may warm garlic bread in the toaster oven.
Electric cooking appliances
Range or cook top
(gas or electric)
1
with ventilation and lighting
Oven
1
preferably self-cleaning
Microwave
1
convenient, safe and affordable
appliance for older adults
Toaster Oven
1
popular with older adults who like its
smaller capacity and the fact that it
uses less hydro
Electric frying pan
or electric wok
1
a practical alternative to stove top
cooking
Electric grill
1
popular as an easy, low-fat way to cook
with small portions
Electric rice cooker/
Steamer
1
cooked rice and/or steamed
vegetables are consistent in quality
Crock pot or
Electric slow cooker
1
good for inexpensive cuts of meat.
Due to time limitations, have class
prepare recipe for crock pot, but have
one ready for serving.
2
Dishwashing supplies
if a dishwasher is not available public
health requires triple or double sinks
for dishwashing/food preparation
Dishwasher
…or access to the
facility’s dining room
dishwasher
Hand washing sink
1
must be a dedicated sink with
dispensers for soap & paper towels
Dishwashing sinks
3
triple sink is the ideal. These are used
for food preparation too.
Dish drying rack
1
large size
Scouring pads, brushes
replace often for good hygiene
Bleach and
Dishwashing soap
for cleaning and sanitizing surfaces
and dishes
Towels and dish cloths
4-6
each
washed after every session or supplied
fresh by food service if the facility has
a dining room
Rubber gloves
2
pairs in use, 1 new pair in reserve
Food preparation appliances
Electric blender
1
with pitcher and multi-functions
(chops, blends)
Hand-held immersion
blender
1
with chopping attachment.
Good for pureeing directly in bowl.
Electric hand-held
mixer
1
has detachable beaters
Food processor
1
large capacity and multiple blades
Electric kettle
1
with water level indicator
3
Pots, pans, glass and metal cookware
Choose 3 spatulas appropriate for cookware surface.
Soup/stock pots
with lids
2
large volume
Saucepans with lids
2
medium size
Sauté pans with lids
1
large, 1 medium
Casserole dishes
with lids
4
from a 1- serving to a 6- serving size
9 x 13 glass pan
1
Loaf tin
1
Cookie sheet/
Baking tray
2
doubles as broiler tray
Muffin tin
1
regular size, yield 1 dozen
Cooling rack
1
Oven mitts
3
Pairs
Knives, peeling & chopping utensils
Choose those with easy grip handles (Good Grips, Henkels)
Knife sharpener
1
French knives
2
each
Serrated knives
2
Paring knives
5
Vegetable peeler
2
in different styles
Hand chopper
1
for mincing e.g. Zyliss
Cutting boards
(synthetic material)
12
medium size, bleachable and
unbreakable, different colours for
meats and produce
7-inch blade
5-inch blade
4
Kitchen tools
Opt for variety when buying more than one item so that
participants can try different styles.
If you are only offering food demonstrations, reduce the number
of kitchen tools you buy since only the presenter and assistant
prepare the food.
Manual can opener
3
In different operating styles
Measuring spoons
(metal)
5
sets
choose some of slim design for narrowneck bottles e.g. spices
Liquid measuring cups
5
4 (2-cup) 1 (4-cup)
Choose ones with clear lettering and
bold, highly visible gradation lines.
Dry measuring cups
5
sets
( ¼–1 cup), metal is durable
Mixing/serving bowls
(glass, metal or plastic)
3
each
large, medium, small size
Need some deep enough to avoid
splatter with hand-held blender
Rubber spatulas
5
silicone type is heat resistant
Wooden spoons
6
Could try silicone spoons too
Tongs
3
different sizes
Thermometers
1
each
for meat, oven and refrigerator
Potato masher
1
Graters
2–3
different styles and sizes
Whisks
4
variety of styles and sizes
Salad spinner
1
large capacity
Colanders/strainers
2
Rolling pin
1
Pastry brush
1
silicone type is best
5
Food service supplies
Water pitchers
2
can double as juice pitchers
Drinking glasses
15
add few extras if possible
Dishes for table
settings
15
Includes dinner and side plate, dessert
and soup bowl, cup
Cutlery
15
sets
knife, fork, dessert and small spoon
Serving utensils
5
divided as: 3 spoons, 1 ladle, 1 fork
Hot mats
6
Add your own equipment ideas
6
Tastes for Life
Your budget and storage space will determine the number of pantry
supplies you buy. Use this list as a guide and add your own pantry ideas
in the extra, blank rows added to each table.
Pantry basics
Invest in some containers with good seals to store opened
products such as flour, sugar, rice and pasta.
Amount
Date purchased
Flour
White & brown sugar
Cornstarch
Baking powder &
baking soda
Salt
Rice—converted,
brown and Basmati
Pasta
Skim milk powder
Oatmeal
Bread crumbs
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Pantry supplies checklist
1
Spices and flavourings
Store in a rack or basket, preferably in labeled spice bottles.
Amount
Date purchased
Ground cinnamon
Nutmeg
Powdered ginger
Allspice
Thyme
Oregano
Basil
Tarragon
Chili powder
Paprika
Dill
Bay leaves
Poultry seasoning
Curry powder
Ground pepper &
whole peppercorns
Dry mustard
Bouillon cubes—
no MSG
2
Baking supplies
These items may be purchased as needed.
Amount
Date purchased
Instant pudding
powder
Tapioca
Custard powder
Icing sugar
Chocolate chips
Unsweetened cocoa
powder
Shredded coconut
Dried fruits—raisins,
dates, apricots
Artificial sweeteners
Honey
Vanilla extract
Cooking spray
3
Canned & bottled food & condiments
These items may be purchased as needed; however, it is useful to
have extra on hand to recover from spills or recipe errors.
Amount
Date purchased
Tomatoes—28-oz size
Tomato paste and
tomato sauce
Broth in tetrapaks
Tuna in 7-oz tins
Canned legumes—
kidney, lentils,
chickpeas, black beans
Peaches—in juice
Applesauce—
Unsweetened
Dried onion soup mix
Powdered gravy mix
Vegetable & olive oil
Vinegars—balsamic,
red and white wine
Soya sauce
Worcestershire sauce
4
Refrigerated staples
Need refrigeration after being opened.
Amount
Date purchased
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Mustard
Salad dressings
Hot pepper sauce
Barbecue sauce
Curry paste
Margarine—
non hydrogenated
Non-food items
Wax paper, plastic and foil wrap
Storage bags in different sizes
5
Tastes for Life
Recipes are part of every Tastes for life activity.
This section covers:
h Recipe copyright
h Permitted recipes for Tastes for Life … nutrition for older adults
h Recipe formats
h Sources of more recipes
The Leader’s Guide offers 20 recipes for use in the Tastes for Life
nutrition activities. We obtained copyright permission for these
recipes to make your task of recipe selection easier. The 20 recipes
follow this page.
You may wish to use recipes from other sources…a favourite
cookbook or a new website. Please read the copyright facts below.
Copyright facts
Most recipes are copyrighted, whether they are from a published
cookbook or from a website.
Some sources do permit use in public education programs such as
Tastes for Life … nutrition for older adults, but many state that use
other than personal use and/or one copy, requires permission.
A check with the “conditions for use” or “copyright statements” will
tell you what you need to know.
The “copyright statements” will also indicate who you contact if you
want to seek permission to use a recipe. Often, the contact is with
the publisher not the author of the cookbook.
The basic information to include when you request permission is:
9 The recipes(s) you want use,
9 Who you are, what agency you represent,
9 What you intend to use the recipe for—description of the session
and the audience, and
9 When you will use it.
It’s a good idea to add a statement that the Tastes for Life program
is a public service program and not a profit-making program.
Publishers may respond and ask for further clarification before a
decision is made. Publishers may ask for financial compensation.
If the publisher grants permission to use they will advise you on the
terms of use and how the permission will be stated on the recipe.
Make a note that copyright protection refers to material other
than recipes.
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—The recipe folder
Tastes for Life
There are 20 recipes in this section. Eighteen of these recipes follow
this page and two others follow later as sample formats for recipes.
Thanks to the generosity of the publisher, Robert Rose Inc. we are
able to offer these recipes for use in the Tastes for Life … nutrition for
older adults program.
The recipes are from the following cookbooks.
J. Burkhard. 300 Best Comfort Food Recipes. Toronto: Robert Rose,
2002 ISBN: 0778800598
J. Burkhard 125 Best Microwave Oven Recipes. Toronto: Robert Rose,
2004 ISBN: 077880092X
Copyright permission has been granted to use and to distribute these
recipes to participants in the Tastes for Life … nutrition for older adults
program. This permission allows the program to print the recipes with
the following adjustments.
h in a large font for easy reading
h with the tips provided on the page with each recipe
h with added suggestions on how to lower yield when cooking for
one or two
h with added suggestions for equipment (e.g. food processor instead
of mashing by hand) to compensate for certain conditions
prevalent in older adults (arthritis).
Program leaders are encouraged to buy these cookbooks and share
them with the older adults. These cookbooks contain many practical
recipes that suit the needs of older adults.
Beefy Macaroni and Zucchini Casserole
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
8-cup (2L) casserole dish with lid; microwave oven
Quick Spaghetti Sauce:
1 lb
lean ground beef
1
onion, chopped
2
cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp
dried basil leaves
1 tsp
dried oregano leaves
½ tsp
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1
jar (25 oz/700mL) tomato pasta sauce
2 cups
elbow macaroni
2
zucchini, thinly sliced, divided
1 cup
shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese
1. Quick Spaghetti Sauce: Crumble beef into casserole dish and microwave,
uncovered, on High for 5 to 7 minutes, until beef is no longer pink, stirring
twice with a fork to break up meat lumps. Drain off any excess fat in dish.
2. Add onion, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper to dish. Microwave,
covered, on High, for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once, until onion is tender. Stir
in tomato pasta sauce. Microwave, covered, on High for 8 to 12 minutes or
until flavors are blended.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until just tender but firm,
about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Stir in Quick Spaghetti Sauce and
toss well.
4. Layer one-third of the pasta mixture in casserole dish. Cover with half of the
sliced zucchini. Repeat with another layer of pasta and zucchini. Top with
remaining pasta. (Can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.)
5. Microwave, covered, on High for 12 to 16 minutes (add 5 minutes longer if
refrigerated) or until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle cheese. Microwave,
uncovered, on High for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand,
covered, for 5 minutes.
Recipe is supplied with permission from Robert Rose. Recipe is from 125 Best Microwave Oven
Recipes by Johanna Burkhard, page 98.
Brown Sugar Apple Slices with Raisins
Yield: 4 servings
½ cup
1 tbsp
4
1/3 cup
2 tbsp
½ tsp
2 tbsp
packed brown sugar
cornstarch
large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
raisins
freshly squeezed lemon juice
ground cinnamon
butter
ice cream
1. In casserole dish, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in
apple slices, raisins, lemon juice and cinnamon. Dot with butter.
2. Microwave, covered, on High for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once,
until apples are just tender and sauce is slightly thickened.
3. Spoon over ice cream. Serve either warm or at room temperature.
Micro-Tip!
Here’s how to make applesauce in the microwave: Peel and core 2
lbs (1kg) apples (about 4 to 6 apples depending on size) such as
MacIntosh, Empire or Cortland. Cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
Place in 8-cup (2 L) casserole dish and microwave, covered, on
High for 8 to 12 minutes or until very soft. Mash with a fork, or
purée in food processor, if desired. Sweeten with granulated sugar
to taste. Makes 2 cups (500 mL).
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Yield: 6 servings
2 tbsp
1
2
2 lbs
¼ cup
½ cup
butter
small onion, chopped
potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 6)
chicken stock
buttermilk or sour cream (approx.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg
1. In casserole dish, combine butter, onion and garlic. Microwave,
covered, on High for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is softened.
2. Add potatoes and stock. Microwave, covered, on High for 12 to 16
minutes, stirring once, until potatoes are very tender. Do not
drain. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Mash potatoes with potato masher or electric hand mixer. Add
enough buttermilk to make a smooth purée. Season with salt,
pepper and nutmeg to taste. Spoon potatoes back into casserole
dish. Cover and reheat on High for 2 to 3 minutes or until piping
hot.
Micro-Tip!
To cut down on last-minute dishes, make mashed potatoes a day ahead
and reheat. Season with salt and pepper, and be sure to add extra milk
or buttermilk to keep them creamy as potatoes become dry when cool.
Cream cheese, sour cream or grated Cheddar cheese can also be added
to help keep mashed potatoes moist. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1
day.
To reheat, microwave, covered, on Medium-High (70%) for 5 to 8
minutes or until heated through. Time will depend on amount of
potatoes and size of casserole dish. Check center of dish to make sure
mashed potatoes are piping hot.
Cheddar Broccoli Chowder
Yield: 6 servings
2 tbsp
1
¼ cup
3 cups
2 cups
1
3 cups
1½ cups
1½ cups
butter
small onion, finely chopped
all-purpose flour
vegetable stock or chicken stock
potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch (1cm) cubes
bay leaf
finely chopped broccoli florets and peeled stalks
milk
shredded Cheddar cheese
pepper
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion,
stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened. Blend in flour; stir in
stock. Bring to a boil, stirring, until thickened.
2. Add potatoes and bay leaf; reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring
occasionally, for 10 minutes.
3. Add broccoli; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes more
or until vegetables are tender.
4. Stir in milk and cheese; heat just until cheese melts and soup is
piping hot. Do not let the soup boil or it may curdle. Remove bay
leaf; adjust seasoning with pepper to taste.
Tip!
Depending on what I have in the fridge, I make variations on this
versatile, tasty soup by using other vegetables, such as carrots and
cauliflower.
Recipe is supplied with permission from Robert Rose. Recipe is from 300 Best Comfort Food Recipes by
Johanna Burkhard, page 62.
Curried Lentil Stew with Vegetables
Yield: 4 servings
8-cup (2 L) casserole dish with lid; microwave oven
1 tbsp
1
2
1 tbsp
1 tbsp
Pinch
2 cups
1 ½ cups
1 ½ cups
¼ cup
1
¼ cup
vegetable oil
onion, chopped
minced fresh gingerroot
mild curry paste or powder, or to taste
cayenne pepper
diced peeled potatoes (about 2)
thinly sliced carrots (about 3)
vegetable or chicken stock
tomato paste
can (19 oz/540 mL) lentils, drained and rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
plain yogurt (optional)
1. In casserole dish, combine oil, onion, garlic, ginger, curry paste
and cayenne pepper. Microwave, covered, on High for 2 to 3
minutes, until onion is softened
2. Add potatoes, carrots, stock and tomato paste. Microwave,
covered, on High for 10 to 14 minutes, stirring once, until
vegetables are tender.
3. Add lentils. Microwave, covered, on High for 3 to 5 minutes or
until piping hot. Season with salt, if required, and pepper to taste.
1. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve in heated bowls. Top each with a
spoonful of yogurt, if desired.
Variation!
This is a meatless stew but you can add about 1½ cups (375 mL)
diced cooked roast lamb, pork or ham along with lentils.
Do-Ahead Herb Dip
Yield: 2 cups (500mL)
1 cup
½ cup
½ cup
1/3 cup
2 tbsp
1 tbsp
1 ½ tsp
1 tsp
low-fat creamed cottage cheese
plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream
light mayonnaise
finely chopped parsley
finely chopped chives or minced green
onions
chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp [15mL] dried)
Dijon mustard
red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Hot pepper sauce
1. In a food processor, purée cottage cheese, yogurt and
mayonnaise until very smooth and creamy.
2. Transfer to a bowl; stir in parsley, chives, dill, mustard,
vinegar and hot pepper sauce to taste. Cover and
refrigerate.
Tip!
Other fresh herbs, including basil can be added according to
what you have in the fridge or growing in your garden. If
you’re fond of fresh dill, increase the amount to 2 tbsp
(25mL).
This dip also makes a great dressing for pasta and potato
salads. Store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1
week.
Double Chocolate Snacking Cake
Yield: 16 pieces
Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C)
13” x 9” (3.5 L) cake pan, greased
2
1 cup
½ cup
2 tsp
2 cups
2 ¼ cups
1 1/3 cups
½ cup
1 tsp
1 tsp
½ tsp
¾ cup
¾ cup
large eggs
light sour cream or plain yogurt
vegetable oil
vanilla
finely shredded zucchini
all-purpose flour
granulated sugar
cocoa powder
baking powder
baking soda
salt
semi-sweet chocolate chips
chopped walnuts
CHOCOLATE GLAZE (optional) (recipe follows)
1. In a large bowl, beat eggs; beat in sour cream, oil and vanilla. Stir
in shredded zucchini.
2. In another bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder,
baking soda and salt. Stir into creamed mixture until just
combined. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
3. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a
cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand on rack
for 15 minutes to cool. Spread glaze over warm cake; let cool
completely.
Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup
2 tbsp
2 tbsp
icing sugar
cocoa powder
milk
1. In a bowl combine icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk; stir to
make a smooth, spreadable glaze.
Gingery Squash Soup
Yield: 4 servings
1 tbsp
1
2
4 tsp
2 tbsp
3 cups
2 cups
½ cup
1 tsp
2 tbsp
butter
large onion, finely chopped
cloves garlic, finely chopped
minced ginger root
all-purpose flour
chicken stock
cooked squash purée (such as butternut or
acorn)
light (10%) cream or whipping (35%) cream
grated orange zest
Salt, pepper and nutmeg
chopped fresh chives or parsley
1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add
onion, garlic and ginger; cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or
until onion is softened. Blend in flour; stir in stock and squash.
Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until thickened. Reduce heat,
cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. In a food processor or blender, purée in batches until smooth.
Return to saucepan. Add cream and orange zest; season with salt,
pepper and nutmeg to taste. Heat until piping hot. Ladle into
bowls; sprinkle with chives.
Tip!
To make squash purée, cut 1 small butternut or large acorn squash
(about 2 lbs [1kg]) into quarters; remove seeds. Place in large
casserole dish with ½ cup (125mL) water. Cover and microwave at
High for 15 to 20 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced
with a fork. (Cooking time varies with size and type of squash.) Let
stand 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Scoop out pulp;
place in food processor and purée. Makes about 2 cups (500mL)
Green Bean and Plum Tomato Salad
Yield: 6 servings
1 lb
8
2
young green beans, trimmed
small plum tomatoes (about 1 lb)
green onions sliced
DRESSING
¼ cup
4 tsp
1 tbsp
1
½ tsp
¼ tsp
¼ tsp
¼ cup
olive oil
red wine vinegar
grainy mustard
clove garlic, minced
granular sugar
salt
chopped parsley
2. In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, cook beans for 3 to
5 minutes or until just tender-crisp. Drain and rinse under cold
water to chill; drain well. Pat dry with paper towels or wrap in a
clean, dry towel.
3. Cut plum tomatoes in half lengthwise; using a small spoon, scoop
out centres. Cut each piece again in half lengthwise; place in a
bowl. Just before serving, combine beans, tomatoes and green
onions in a serving bowl.
4. Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard,
garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in parsley. Pour dressing over
salad and toss well.
Tip!
Use the terrific mustard dressing with favorite vegetable salad
mixtures or greens OR
Use cherry tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes and just cut in half
or quarters. There’s no need to scoop them out.
Halibut with Cucumber Sauce
Yield: 4 servings
10-cup (2.5 L) shallow rectangular baking dish or 11”x7” (2 L)
baking dish; 4-cup (1 L) glass measure; microwave oven
1 ¼ lbs
1/3 cup
halibut or salmon steaks
white wine
CUCUMBER DILL SAUCE:
2 tsp
cornstarch
2
green onions, sliced
1/3 cup
sour cream (regular or light)
¾ cup
finely diced peeled English cucumber
2 tbsp
finely chopped fresh dill or parsley
½ tsp
salt
1. Arrange halibut in single layer in baking dish. Pour wine over top.
Cover with plastic wrap and turn back one corner to vent.
Microwave on High for 4 to 6 minutes or until fish just turns
opaque.
2. Turn back one corner of plastic wrap and place a plate over fish to
hold in place. Carefully pour juices into glass measure. Keep fish
covered while preparing sauce.
3. Cucumber Dill Sauce: In a small bowl, blend cornstarch with 2 tsp
(10mL) cold water. Stir into reserved fish juices along with green
onions. Microwave sauce, uncovered, on High for 1 ½ to 2 ½
minutes, stirring once, until sauce comes to a full boil and
thickens.
4. Add sour cream, cucumber and dill. Season with salt, and pepper
to taste.
5. Microwave sauce, uncovered, on High for 1 to 2 minutes or until
just heated through. Pour over halibut to serve.
Herb Beef Ragout with Vegetables
Yield: 4 servings
8-cup (2L) casserole dish with lid; micro wave oven
1 tbsp
1
2
2
1 tsp
1 lb
2 tbsp
1 cup
¾ cup
2 tbsp
1 tbsp
¾ tsp
4 cups
olive oil
onion, chopped
stalks celery, chopped
dried Italian seasoning
stewing beef or veal, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
all-purpose flour
canned tomatoes, chopped
beef stock
fancy molasses
balsamic vinegar
salt
frozen Italian-style mixed vegetables
1. In casserole dish, combine oil, onion, garlic, celery and Italian
seasoning. Microwave, covered, on High for 3 to 5 minutes or
until vegetables are softened.
2. In a bowl, toss meat with flour. Add to casserole with tomatoes,
stock, molasses, vinegar, salt and pepper. Microwave, covered, on
High for 7 to 10 minutes or until boiling. Stir well. Microwave,
covered, on Medium (50%) for 20 to 25 minutes longer, stirring
once, until meat is tender.
3. Add frozen vegetables and microwave, covered, on High for 7 to
10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Let stand, covered, for 5
minutes before serving.
Lemon Yogurt Loaf
Yield: 16 slices
1 ¾ cups
1 tsp
½ tsp
¼ tsp
2
¾ cup
¾ cup
1/3 cup
1 tbsp
all-purpose flour
baking powder
baking soda
salt
large eggs
granulated sugar
plain low-fat yogurt
vegetable oil
grated lemon zest
Topping:
1/3 cup
1/3 cup
freshly squeezed lemon juice
granulated sugar
1. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In
another large bowl, beat eggs; stir in sugar, yogurt, oil and lemon
zest. Fold in flour mixture to make a smooth batter.
2. Spoon into prepared pan; bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until cake
tester inserted in center comes out clean. Place pan on rack.
3. Topping: In a small saucepan, heat lemon juice and sugar; bring to
a boil. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. (Or place in a glass
bowl and microwave at High for 1 minute, stirring once.) Pour
over hot loaf in pan; let cool completely before turning out of pan.
Tip!
I like to double this recipe
so that I have an extra loaf
handy in the freezer. Wrap
in plastic wrap, then in foil
and freeze for up to 1
month.
Variation:
Lemon Poppy Seed
Loaf
Stir 2 tbsp (25mL) poppy
seeds into flour mixture
before combining with
yogurt mixture.
Potato and Red Pepper Frittata
Yield: 4 servings
9-inch (23 cm) quiche dish or deep microwave-safe pie plate
4 slices
1
1
1/3 cup
6
3
1/3 cup
½ tsp
slices bacon, chopped
large potato, peeled and finely diced
small red bell pepper, finely diced
milk
eggs
green onions
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt
1. In quiche dish, sprinkle bacon in a single layer. Cover with a paper
towel. Microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp.
Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool, crumble and
reserve.
2. Pour off excess fat in dish. Add potatoes and red pepper. Cover
with plastic wrap and turn back one corner to vent. Microwave on
High for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once, until vegetables are tender.
3. In a small glass measure, microwave milk, uncovered, on High for
1 to 1½ minutes or until hot. Crack eggs into a large bowl.
Gradually whisk in hot milk until smooth. Stir in bacon bits,
vegetables, green onions and Parmesan. Season with salt and
pepper.
4. Pour mixture back into quiche dish. Microwave, uncovered, on
Medium (50%) for new ovens and Medium-High (70%) for older
or lower-wattage ovens for 12 to 16 minutes, until egg mixture is
almost set in center, rotating dish twice during cooking. Let stand
for 5 minutes before serving.
Rosemary Chicken Breast with Layered
Potatoes and Onions
Yield: 4 servings
13” x 9” (3L) shallow baking dish, oiled
3
2
1
1 tsp
medium potatoes (about 1 lb [500g])
small sweet potatoes (about 1 lb [500g])
medium onion
dried rosemary, crumbled
salt & pepper to taste
4
single chicken breasts with skin
Rosemary butter:
2 tbsp
butter
1
large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp
grated lemon rind
1 tsp
dried rosemary, crumbled
¼ tsp
salt
¼ tsp
pepper
1. Peel potatoes, sweet potatoes and onion; cut into very thin slices.
Layer vegetables in prepared baking dish. Season with rosemary,
salt and pepper.
2. Place whole chicken breasts, skin side up, on work surface. (If you
purchased whole breasts with backs on, cut away back bone using
poultry shears.) Remove any fat deposits under skins. Press down
on breast bone to flatten slightly.
3. Make the rosemary butter: In a small bowl, mash together butter,
garlic, lemon rind, rosemary, salt and pepper. Divide into 4
portions.
4. Carefully loosen the breast skins and tuck rosemary butter under
skins, patting to distribute evenly.
5. Arrange the chicken on top of vegetables in baking dish. Cover
with sheet of greased foil; roast in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
Uncover and roast 25 to 30 minutes more or until vegetables are
tender and chicken is nicely colored.
Salmon and Dill Chowder
Yield: 3-4 servings
8-cup (2L) casserole dish with lid or glass measure covered with
vented plastic wrap; microwave oven
1 tbsp
1
2
1½ cups
3 tbsp
1½ cups
1 cup
1
2 tbsp
butter
carrots, peeled and finely diced
finely diced potatoes (about 2)
all-purpose flour
chicken stock
milk
can (7 ½ oz [213 g]) salmon, including juice and
bones
chopped fresh dill (see Tip)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. In casserole dish, combine butter, onions, carrots and potatoes.
Microwave, covered, on High for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring once,
until vegetables are tender.
2. In a bowl, blend flour with ⅓ cup (75mL) of the stock until
smooth. Add to vegetable mixture along with remaining stock.
Microwave, covered, on High for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once,
until thickened.
3. Stir in milk, salmon with juice and bones, and salt and pepper to
taste. Microwave, covered, on High for 3 to 5 minutes or until
piping hot.
Tip!
If fresh dill is unavailable, use 1 tsp (5mL) dried dill weed instead.
Add along with onion mixture.
Taco Pitas
Yield: 4 servings
8 oz
1
1
2 tsp
2 tsp
½ tsp
½ tsp
pinch
½ cup
1
6
lean ground beef
large garlic clove, minced
chili powder
all-purpose flour
dried oregano
ground cumin
cayenne pepper
beef stock
can (19 oz [540 ml]) pinto, black or red kidney beans,
rinsed and drained
pita (7-inch [18 cm] size), halved to form pockets,
warmed
Salsa, shredded lettuce, tomato wedges, pepper
strips, shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef,
breaking up with the back of a spoon, for 4 minutes or until no
longer pink.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, flour,
oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 5
minutes or until onions are softened.
3. Pour in stock; cook, stirring, until slightly thickened. Stir in beans;
cook 2 minutes more or until heated through.
4. Spoon ¼ cup (50mL) of the mixture into pita pockets; top with
salsa, lettuce, tomato, pepper and cheese.
Tip!
To heat pitas, wrap in foil and place in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for
15 to 20 minutes. Or wrap 4 at a time in a paper towels and
microwave at high for 1 to 1 ½ minutes.
Tuna Noodle Bake with Cheddar Crumb
Topping
13” x 9” (3L) casserole dish, lightly greased
Yield: 4-6 servings
1 tbsp
8 oz
¾ cup
2 tbsp
1
1 cup
4 oz
1
butter
mushrooms, sliced
chopped green onions
all-purpose flour
can (10 oz [284 mL]) chicken broth, undiluted
milk
light cream cheese, softened and cubed
can (6 ½ oz [184 g]) solid white tuna, drained and
flaked
1 cup
frozen peas
8 oz
broad egg noodles
Crumb Topping:
½ cup
dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp
melted butter
1 cup
shredded cheddar cheese
1. In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms
and green onions; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until softened.
2. Blend in flour; pour in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring
constantly, until slightly thickened. Stir in cream cheese until
melted. Add tuna and peas; cook 2 minutes more or until heated
through. Remove from heat.
3. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until tender but still
firm. Drain well. Stir noodles into sauce. Spoon into prepared
casserole dish.
4. Make crumb topping: In a bowl toss bread crumbs with melted
butter; add Cheddar cheese. Just before baking, sprinkle topping
over noodles.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes (10 minutes longer
if refrigerated) or until top is golden.
Vegetable Fried Rice
Yield: 4 servings
1 tbsp
3
1½ tsp
1
3 cups
1 cup
½
2 cups
2 tbsp
1 tsp
vegetable oil
green onions chopped
minced fresh gingerroot
clove garlic, minced
cold cooked rice
frozen peas
red bell pepper, cut into thin strips, 1½ inches (4 cm)
long
bean sprouts
soy sauce
mild curry paste or powder (optional)
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add green
onions, ginger and garlic; cook, stirring for 15 second or until
fragrant. Add rice, peas and pepper; cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7
minutes or until rice is heater through and vegetables are tender.
2. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce and curry paste, if using; stir
into rice mixture along with bean sprouts. Cook stirring, for 1 to 2
minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.
Variation:
Chicken or Pork Fried Rice
Cut 8 oz (250 g) chicken breasts or lean boneless pork loin into
thin strips. In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil over medium-high
heat; cook meat, stirring, for 5 minutes or until no longer pink.
Remove: keep warm. Continue with recipe as directed. Return
meat to skillet with bean sprouts.
Tastes for Life
Tips for great formats
Use a legible font in at least a 12 to
14 points size.
Include space for notes.
Use upper and lower case lettering
even in the headings.
Avoid script or decorative fonts.
Leave some white space.
Present options e.g. microwave or conventional oven
instructions.
Add time saving tips e.g. using a food processor.
Include buying, storage and freezing tips.
Three sample formats are presented on the next pages
The first format is the traditional cookbook presentation where
the ingredients and amounts are listed together followed by the
method set in a narrative passage.
The second format discusses the method and ingredients in a stepby-step approach. Method statements are usually brief.
The third format includes the metric measures, as is typical of
most Canadian cookbooks. Seniors have told us they prefer only
the household measures on the recipe.
Play around with the format for the benefit of your audience.
Marg’s Scalloped Potatoes
Yield: 6 servings
¼ cup
1 Tbsp
½ tsp
¼ tsp
¼ cup
2 cups
1
3-4
soft butter or margarine
dried onion flakes or dried shallots
salt
black pepper
flour
milk (1% or 2%)
large or 2 small sweet potatoes
medium white potatoes
Peel and slice potatoes thinly. Use food
processor, if available.
Microwave Method
Conventional Oven
In a four-cup glass measure
or microwave-safe dish, melt
butter, onion flakes, salt and
pepper at HIGH for 1–1 ½
minutes.
In medium-sized saucepan
heat butter, onion flakes,
salt and pepper until melted.
Stir in flour.
Add milk gradually and stir
until smooth.
Cook at MEDIUM for 6 to 7
minutes or until sauce is
smooth. Stir twice while
cooking.
Remove from heat and stir in
flour.
Gradually add milk and stir
until smooth.
Return to medium heat and
cook until sauce begins to
thicken. Stir often.
Sauce will continue to
thicken with potatoes.
In a 2-quart casserole, alternately layer potatoes with
sauce, forming three layers.
Cook at MEDIUM for 25–28
minutes or until potatoes are
tender.
Let stand covered for 5
minutes.
Cover and bake at 350°F
(180°C) for 45 minutes.
Remove cover and bake
uncovered 20–30 minutes or
until potatoes are tender and
top is golden brown.
Lemon-Glazed Baby Carrots
Yield: 4 servings
1. In a medium saucepan, cook carrots in boiling salted water for 5
to 7 minutes (start timing when water returns to a boil) or until
just tender-crisp; drain and return to saucepan.
1lb
peeled baby carrots
2. Add:
¼ cup
1tbsp
1 tbsp
1 tbsp
½ tsp
¼ tsp
chicken stock or vegetable stock
butter
brown sugar
lemon juice
grated lemon rind
salt
3. Cook, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until liquid has evaporated
and carrots are nicely glazed.
4. Sprinkle with:
1 tbsp
finely chopped fresh parsley or chives
Tip!
If doubling the recipe, glaze vegetables in a large non-stick skillet
to evaporate the stock quickly
Try this tasty treatment with a combination of blanched carrots,
rutabaga and parsnip strips, too.
Warm Salsa Dip
Yield: 3 cups (750 mL)
1
1 cup
2
1 tsp
1 tsp
4 oz
1 cup
can (19oz [540mL]) white kidney beans,
drained and rinsed
store-bought mild or hot salsa
ground cumin
dried oregano
light cream cheese, cubed and
softened
shredded mozzarella cheese or
Monterey jack cheese or white Cheddar
cheese
Tortilla chips or pita crisps
1
250 mL
2
5 mL
5 mL
125 g
250 mL
Saucepan
Microwave Method
In a bowl, mash beans with fork until
quite smooth.
Combine all the ingredients
in microwavable bowl.
In a medium saucepan, combine
beans, salsa, garlic, peppers, cumin
and oregano. Place over medium heat,
stirring often, until piping hot.
Microwave at Medium-High,
stirring twice, for 5 to 7
minutes, or until heated
through and cheese is
melted.
Stir in cream cheese; stir until dip is
smooth. Add mozzarella; stir until
melted.
Serve warm with tortilla or pita crisps.
Tip!
A lower-fat alternative to tortilla chips are pita crisps. To make them: Separate
three 7-inch (18cm) pita breads into rounds and cut each into 8 wedges. Place
in single layer on baking sheets; bake at 350˚F (180˚C) for 8 to 10 minutes or
until crisp and lightly toasted. Let cool. Store in covered container. The pita
crisps can be made 1 day ahead.
Tastes for Life
Many sites and organizations distribute recipes and have varying
policies regarding use in public education programs. Consider this list
a starting place.
Beef information Centre – www.beefinfo.org
Dairy Farmers of Canada – www.dairyfarmers.org
Canadian Egg Marketing Agency - www.canadaegg.ca
Foodland Ontario – www.foodland.gov.on.ca
Tastes for Life
For a cooking classes, food demonstration workshops and displays
Just to get you started here are a few ideas for themes.
Remember though—the secret to a successful theme is
one that your audience wants.
Autumn fruits and vegetables
Chapters out of our favourite cookbooks
Cooking for one and two
Full of flavour…using spices and herbs
Cooking with legumes
Cool meals for hot days
Desserts and baking with substitutes
Exotic fruit and vegetables
Healthy eating happy holidays
Healthy snacking for active adults
Heart healthy cooking
Mediterranean cuisine
Something fishy
Soups and stews
Summer soups and salads
Tofu and legumes
Try a piece of pizza
Vegetarian meal planning
Health conditions/disease e.g. heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis
Physical ability changes e.g. arthritis that limits cooking and shopping
Caregivers e.g. those caring for a person with Alzheimer ’s disease
Recently retired persons
Tastes for Life Leader’s Guide, 2005—Theme ideas