Introducing our new and improved breakfast product French Toast – guaranteed to start your day right. But we know that looking forward to breakfast time can be a struggle for many people with dysphagia. So why is that?
There are two problems – bread is off the menu for texture modified diets and there’s a lack of choice. Offering the same breakfast options means diner ratings plummet. Diners complain about the lack of food variety, but as often is the case when nothing changes diners lose interest in eating breakfast.
Lisa Sossen, practising dietitian and TCF co-founder, is on a mission to create better dining options for people with dysphagia and shares her motivation to create a variety of texture modified products for aged care. “It made me sad that I had no real solutions for families or residents when they complained about the food they were being served and the lack of variety. Taste and sensory fatigue sets in after years of the same options for all meals and snacks.”
People on texture modified diets cannot have the variety of breakfast options of toast, English muffins, raisin toast, muesli, and a variety of cereals. Most people on a regular diet can vary their options from different cereals and bread products. Unfortunately, breakfast foods are very limited to those on a pureed IDDSI Level 4 and minced and moist IDDSI Level 5.
Options are limited to pureed porridge, semolina, pureed eggs, puree fruit and yoghurt. Even the good old favourite Weetbix is off the menu for these diet textures. Some people turn their noses up and start skipping their meals or even when they finish their breakfast, they’re not receiving the adequate nutrition their bodies need. Breakfast is generally the best meal of the day for those in aged care. After a long break from their evening meal, residents are hungry. Lisa knows that breakfast is the best-consumed meal of the day which needs to be maximised.
“I’m frustrated with the limited options available to residents in aged care including the way meals are presented and the poor nutritional content that results in many people experiencing unplanned weight loss even though they cleared their plates.”
Our French Toast product fills the breakfast gap of bringing back bread in a safe way and providing choice.
Imagine serving French Toast for breakfast that engages all the senses – not just the taste buds, but nutritional quality and visual appeal too. Remember we eat with our eyes first!
Our French Toast is versatile too, so feel free to include extras. Even though it’s delightful on its own, our French Toast can be accompanied by a drizzle of golden syrup, warm compote, or pureed fruits depending on your recommended texture modified diet.
Research recommends spreading protein out during the day1. Achieving 20-30g protein at each meal. Breakfast can be the most challenging, however, our French toast packs a punch with nutrition. One serve (100g) provides 1590kJ, 11.8g protein, 4.0g fibre, and 237mg calcium. Include this nutritious breakfast with a 200ml milky drink and your brekkie provides 19g protein and 453mg calcium (35% of your daily requirements).
Fortification of foods is paramount in aged care to boost nutrition in small quantities. If you add just 12g (2½ tsp) skim milk powder to that glass of milk, your breakfast boosts to 2355kJ (560kcal), 23.2g protein and 603mg calcium (46% of daily requirements of calcium).
Now that’s easy and nutritious!
1Tieland, M., Beelen, J., Laan, A. C. M., Poon, S., de Groot, L. C. P. G. M., Seeman, E., . . . Iuliano, S. (2018). An Even Distribution of Protein Intake Daily Promotes Protein Adequacy but Does Not Influence Nutritional Status in Institutionalized Elderly. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 19(1), 33-39. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2017.07.007
So if you’re ready to wake up looking forward to breakfast then try our French Toast – currently available in packs of 10 at our Shop.