Spring Cleaning your Spring Menu

Feeling a bit warmer these days and not feeling that hot soup or casserole for dinner? You know what that means, Winter is leaving and Spring is coming! Spring menus begin on the 1st of September and continues all the way to end of November. The sun is shining more and we finally get to feel warmer with a cool breeze of fresh air.  It’s also time to transition our plate from those heavy and hearty root vegetables to more refreshing vegetables and fruits.

Why is it so important to consider seasonal menus?

It brings excitement to the menu when there is a change of flavour and offerings of other different meals.

In aged care, taste fatigue or taste bud changes can be quite common and this in turn causes appetite loss. Through seasonal foods, the flavour profile of each ingredient is fuller and fresher when fruit and vegetables are at their peak season.

In childcare, this allows our little munchkins explore a wide variety of fruit and vegetables to build their palate. The more we introduce different vegetables and fruits, the more familiar they are with the foods and the greater their nutrition intake will be.

Spring Vegetables to include in your menus

Spring Vegetables

Spring time is a great way to slowly transition with the weather by having a blend of both warmer foods with a mix of cooler and lighter meals.

Depending on where you live in Australia, the spring vegetables you may consider include artichoke, Asian greens, green beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, leek, mushroom, peas, pumpkin, silverbeet, spinach, tomato and zucchini.

These vegetables are great in frittata, quiche, pastas, salads, stir fries and fritters.

Need a little bit more flavour into your dish?

Don’t forget to include these spring herbs such as basil, dill, coriander, chives, mint, parsley, rosemary and thyme. You can warm up your meals with fennel, ginger, lemongrass and turmeric too.

Spring fruits to include in your menus

Spring Fruits

Spring is a great season to continue citrus fruits from winter, but also a time to introduce berries too. You may see more of apple, avocados, banana, grapefruits, lemons, limes, mandarins, oranges, pears, pineapple and strawberries.

These fruits are great when stewed with a warm porridge or baked crumble for those cooler days, and including them into salads for those warmer days.

Spring Menu Review with a Dietitian

Regularly assessing your menu is important to not only including the seasonal vegetables and fruits, but to also ensure if you are still achieving adequate nutrition.

It’s easy to switch out dishes, however, we need to make sure we are not drastically changing the nutrient contents of the dish. For example, replacing red meat, which is rich in iron, with white fish, is not ideal.

It can be quite tricky to plan a seasonal menu for that 3 month long Spring season, but this is when it is handy to involve an Accredited Practising Dietitian. We can provide practical recommendations including minimising repetitiveness, texture modification, food fortification and managing specific health conditions – all while maximising nutrient intake.

Here are also some great examples of dishes to include in your Aged Care menu:

• Slow roasted cod with citrus and fennel

• Zucchini and feta fritters with avocado cream

• Lamb chops with zesty herb marinade

• Chicken and pesto pasta

• Yoghurt marinated chicken and artichoke skewers with herb dressing

Or, here are some simple recipes to include for your Childcare menu:

• Pancakes with banana and ricotta

• Chicken and leek mushroom pie

• Cheesy, fennel and tomato frittata

• Poached pear puree with custard

Dietitian Tips to Spring Clean your Menu

Menu planning can be exhausting but here are some simple tips to keep it easy:

• Ensure protein is included across all meals and at snack times. During snack time, this could be including a side of ricotta, yoghurt, eggs, canned fish or cheese.

• Include at least two serves of vegetables at main meals

• Have a variety of colours of meal on the plate to make it look more appealing

• Check the weather, as Spring can either be warm or cold and this could influence what recipes to make.

At OSCAR Care Group, our Accredited Practising Dietitians support aged care homes, childcare centres, meals on wheels services, retirement villages, disability support centres and many more centres with seasonal menu reviews and practical advice. If you are planning your spring menu now and unsure where to start, consider reaching out for support.

Seasonal menu planning is a fantastic way to switch up what is being offered across centres in Australia. Not only does this help with taste fatigue, but by including fruits and vegetables that are at their highest quality, this ensures we are maximising the most with their nutrients at an affordable price. If you are unsure what to include in your menus, reach out to an Accredited Dietitian Practising at OSCAR Care Group and we can help you out!