FEATURED EXPERT:
Erin Dixon, RDN
Vice President of Food Strategy
A Career of Service and Growth
Nutrition guidance provides an important foundation for programs serving older adults. But translating that guidance into meals requires more than meeting numbers on a nutrition label.
Programs must consider the nutritional needs of the people they serve alongside menu variety, cultural and regional preferences, palatability, meal acceptance, and program requirements.
As the nation’s largest senior nutrition meal provider, TRIO Community Meals has nearly 50 years of experience serving older adults and working alongside community-based nutrition programs. That experience, combined with the expertise of TRIO’s registered dietitians, informed the development of TRIO’s Nutrition Recommendations, providing practical guidance across Standard, Diabetic Aware, Heart Healthy, and Renal Aware nutrition.
"TRIO has decades of experience serving older adults, and we wanted to bring that experience together with current nutrition guidance to create recommendations that are both evidence-informed and practical. Our goal was to give programs a strong framework they can use to make informed decisions about the meals they provide.”
Erin Dixon, RDN, Vice President of Food Strategy, TRIO Community Meals
Turning Nutrition Guidance into Practical Recommendations
TRIO’s recommendations are informed by nationally recognized guidance, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and recommendations from organizations such as the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and National Kidney Foundation.
But national guidance is only the starting point.
TRIO’s dietitians considered how those recommendations translate into community-based nutrition programs serving older adults. The resulting framework provides practical guidance while recognizing that the needs of individual programs and populations can vary
That distinction is particularly important when recommendations affect not only the nutritional composition of a meal, but whether someone enjoys and ultimately eats it.
"Nutrition standards are important, but we should also consider the person who is eating the meal. A meal can meet a nutrition target on paper, but if someone doesn’t enjoy it and doesn’t eat it, we haven’t accomplished what we set out to do. Our approach considers nutrition guidance alongside taste, variety, and meal acceptance.”
Erin Dixon, RDN notes.
Recognizing Different Nutrition Needs
TRIO’s framework provides nutrition recommendations across four areas: Standard, Diabetic Aware, Heart Healthy, and Renal Aware.
- Standard Nutrition provides a foundation for balanced nutrition and can serve as a resource for programs without established nutrition standards through state requirements, funding sources, or other program guidelines.
- Diabetic Aware guidance emphasizes balanced nutrition, including appropriate portions of protein and carbohydrates, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber.
- Heart Healthy guidance focuses on lean and plant-based proteins, fiber, saturated fat, and sodium. Several recommendations intentionally align with Diabetic Aware guidance, providing greater flexibility for programs serving older adults with multiple dietary considerations.
- Renal Aware guidance addresses key nutritional considerations associated with chronic kidney disease, including protein, sodium, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. TRIO’s approach also recognizes that nutritional needs can vary by individual, particularly when considering nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus.
"There isn’t always one nutrition standard that is appropriate for everyone with a particular health condition. Our recommendations provide a framework for programs while recognizing that individual needs and program requirements can vary. That flexibility is an important part of how we approach nutrition at TRIO.”
Erin notes.
Nutrition Expertise Behind the Plate
Nutrition recommendations are one part of developing meals that meet the needs of older adults. State requirements, funding sources, contractual requirements, and the needs of the population being served can all influence the appropriate nutrition approach.
TRIO’s registered dietitians work alongside culinary and operations teams to translate nutrition guidance into practical meal solutions. By combining nutrition expertise with decades of experience serving older adults, TRIO works with programs to evaluate their needs and establish an approach that balances nutrition, variety, palatability, and meal acceptance.
The TRIO Nutrition Recommendations Guide brings that expertise together in one resource, providing programs with practical guidance across Standard, Diabetic Aware, Heart Healthy, and Renal Aware nutrition.