Nutrition & Hydration Week 2026 – Creed Foodservice Launches New Nutrition & Hydration Guide to Support Care Homes

Creed Foodservice has released a useful guide designed to help care homes support the nutrition, hydration, and wellbeing of residents. Released to coincide with Nutrition & Hydration Week, the guide is now available to download via Creed’s Asset Hub – a dedicated online library of sector‑specific tools, menu plans and support materials.

With over 1 million older people in England estimated to be malnourished or at risk of malnutrition[1], the guide provides practical advice and a range of dish ideas from Creed’s chefs and sector experts to boost nutrient intake, promote hydration, and make mealtimes for residents more enjoyable. The collection of tips and tricks to fortify meals with additional calories and nutrients, means kitchens don’t need to overhaul entire menus, but instead cleverly enhance what they already offer by introducing a few new ingredients and recipes.

The guide highlights the benefits of:

• Healing herbs and spices – Ingredients like turmeric, cinnamon and rosemary are featured for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits which support brain, heart, and immune health.
• Fortified ingredients – For residents who struggle with appetite, the guide provides practical suggestions for integrating fortified ingredients such as enriched creams, gravies and milk powders into familiar meals. These small additions help increase calorie and nutrient intake while keeping flavours residents enjoy.
• Hydration through food – The guide highlights the value of hydrating foods such as seasonal fruit and vegetables, as well as offering alternative drink options like iced teas or vitamin‑rich juices. By weaving hydration into meals and snacks, kitchens can help support residents who are reluctant to drink.
• Celebrating food and drink – Social dining experiences can increase calorie intake by up to 48% [2], and even just talking about food can help with stimulating appetite. The guide includes ideas such as afternoon teas, themed evenings and seasonal garden events that make mealtimes interactive and more enjoyable.
• Practical cooking tips – Simple ideas, such as offering more finger foods for residents who struggle with cutlery, avoiding overcooking vegetables, or adding nutrient‑dense ingredients (like seeds, grains or pulses) to dishes, help ensure residents receive maximum nutrients from every meal.

Creed’s Development Chef, Joe Oliver said, “Whilst ingredients and recipes that provide plenty of vitamins and minerals to residents are incredibly important, supporting residents’ nutrition is about far more than just the food on a plate. So much of it is about the enjoyment of food and social connection too.”

He continued, “Our guide offers a whole host of ideas and recipes to help care teams create meals for residents that are both nutritious and appealing, while encouraging long-term health and wellbeing.”

The guide also features a selection of nutrient-rich juice recipes created by Oliver, designed to combine hydration, nutrients, and flavour. Favourites include ‘Hulk Juice’ which includes kale, apple, lemon and ginger, as well as a ‘Crimson Cooler Juice’ featuring beetroot, coconut water and oranges.

To download a copy of the guide visit: 

[1] Malnutrition Task Force, 2025

[2] The Journal of Population Ageing, 2024