3 Foods to Fortify for Residents

Malnutrition in aged care is more common than many people realise. Research suggests that up to 50% of older adults in residential aged care across Australia are malnourished. That’s a significant number and a reminder that nutrition deserves attention.

The encouraging part? We don’t need complicated solutions.

Food fortification is one of the simplest and most effective strategies we can use. It doesn’t mean overhauling the menu. It means boosting the nutrition in foods people already enjoy.

Think of it as giving everyday meals a quiet upgrade so every mouthful truly counts.

Why Fortification Matters in Aged Care

Older adults often require more protein, not less, especially during illness or recovery. When residents do not get enough protein, energy and other nutrients, we see an increase in the risk of malnutrition.  Malnutrition is already too high in aged care and it is not just about weight loss. It can really be a downward spiral and can lead to reduced muscle strength, increased falls risk, slower wound healing, higher hospital admissions and reduced quality of life.

The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards highlight the importance of meeting residents’ nutritional needs, and fortification can help bridge that gap. It means adding extra energy (kilojoules) and protein to regular foods without increasing portion size.   It uses real food-based products such as eggs, cheese, cooking oils, butter etc. over nutritional supplements.

This is important because many older adults have reduced appetites, feel full quickly, experience unintentional weight loss and can have higher protein needs due to illness, wound healing or other health conditions.

If someone can only manage a small bowl of porridge or a sandwich, Dietitians want that portion to be nutrient-dense. It’s not about serving more food. It’s about making the food count.

Residents with weight loss, poor appetite, recent illness, or wounds should be prioritised. Food fortification can support muscle maintenance, immune function, wound healing and energy levels; all without overwhelming someone with larger portions.

Let’s explore 3 key foods to making every bite count through fortification of milk, mashed potato and soups.

Making Every Mouthful Matter

1. Milk

Milk is one of the easiest foods to fortify, and one of the most versatile. But milk already contains a decent amount of protein and energy, why add more? How do you add more?

Imaging Betty, who loves a cup of tea at morning tea, afternoon tea and supper.  Betty is losing weight and unable to each much at a time.  She also does not like the taste of supplements.  But there might not be a need for supplements.  With each sip that Betty takes of her favourite tea, every sip has extra energy and protein, as the milk is fortified.  Through the day, these sips of extra energy and protein add up, helping Betty reduce the risk of weight loss, in a small way, through her favourite cup of tea.

How to fortify Milk

To fortify milk, and add extra energy and protein, you simply add milk powder to full cream milk. Stir or whisk until smooth, ensuring the milk powder has dissolved completely. It blends in easily and doesn’t significantly alter taste.  This increases both protein and energy without increasing volume. It’s a dairy good idea!

Fortified milk can be used anytime when milk would be used, for example on tea trolleys in tea, coffee, milo, hot chocolate, iced chocolate/iced coffee and milkshakes; when making porridge, soups, mashed potato and even going that extra step and fortifying custard and yoghurt.

2. Mashed Potato (and Other Soft Carbohydrates)

Soft, comforting foods are often well accepted in aged care settings. Mashed potato, pumpkin mash, rice, and pasta are favourites for good reason. They’re also perfect for fortification. 

By fortifying these foods, it increases energy, protein, enjoyment, the mouthfeel and let’s be honest, a creamier mash is rarely unpopular.

How does one fortify mashed potato and pumpkin, for example?

There are many ideas, including adding extra butter or margarine, cream, full cream milk and grated cheese.  Even better than regular milk, is using fortified milk (see above) instead.

3. Soups

When appetite is low, smaller portions are often better accepted. That’s where soups can really shine.

Let’s look at some Soup-er simple ideas to fortify soups. 

A chef can add cream or coconut cream, stir in grated cheese, use fortified milk and add milk powder.  These changes increase energy and protein without increasing portion size.

You can bulk up a soup with more protein by adding more meat, such as beef, chicken, seafood, pork and lamb.  Even try adding legumes such as lentils, chickpeas and beans, which is a fantastic way to increase protein, while increasing the vegetables. Get More Bang for Your Buck! Keep it hearty and chunky, or blend it up into a smooth puree to cater for all, providing optimum nutrition.

Quick tip too, do not serve a huge soup bowl, stick to a small amount, so residents do not fill up on the soup, and miss out on the greater amount of protein in their main meal.

Why Food Fortification Training Is Essential for Staff

Food fortification is simple, but it must be consistent.  Without proper training, we often see recipes prepared differently each time, staff unsure who needs fortification, missed opportunities, inconsistent documentation and minimal improvement in food fortification.

Thorough training ensures that everyone understands why fortification matters, which residents may benefit, how to follow standardised recipes and how to monitor outcomes.

When staff feel confident, fortification becomes routine practice, not an afterthought. Consistency turns a good idea into good care, and when done properly, we see a reduction in the risk of malnutrition and reduced reliance on commercial supplements.

We Offer Practical Fortification Training

At OSCAR Care Group, our Accredited Practising Dietitians provide practical, evidence-based training sessions tailored to aged care teams.

Our sessions cover:

• Where to start, with residents at risk

• Identifying residents at risk

• Practical fortification methods

• Standardised recipes: Clear written guidelines help ensure consistency across all shifts.

• Monitoring and documentation: Track weight, intake, and clinical indicators to ensure strategies are effective.

• Case-based examples

• Food fortification is simple, affordable, evidence-based and effective.

This session helps teams feel confident delivering nutrition care that truly makes a difference with practical strategies.

The Bottom Line

Malnutrition in aged care is common, but it is often preventable. Food fortification should be done in every aged care home in Australia. It uses everyday foods, requires small changes, and it delivers meaningful outcomes. Let’s work towards making every mouthful count.

If you would like support implementing food fortification or training your team, reach out to an Accredited Practising Dietitian at OSCAR Care Group. We’re here to help!