[For Seniors] Recommended Snack Activities: Easy, Large-Batch Recipes
At day service centers and other senior facilities, a variety of recreational activities are held every day.
Among them, snack-making activities are especially popular.
For older adults, planning the steps of cooking and doing fine handwork help stimulate the brain.
Another benefit is that making snacks together deepens interaction among seniors.
In this article, we introduce easy snack recipes that are simple for everyone to make together.
Give them a try in your snack recreation sessions!
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[For Seniors] Recommended Snack Activities: Easy, Large-Batch Recipes (41–50)
Grilled sweet red bean mochi
Let me introduce grilled sweet red bean mochi you can make with just three ingredients.
First, add water to shiratamako (glutinous rice flour) and mix well until it comes together into a single mass.
Divide the dough into five portions, roll each into a ball, then flatten it with your palm.
Place sweet red bean paste (anko) in the center and wrap it with the dough.
Heat a lightly oiled frying pan, then press the mochi down slightly as you cook to brown the surface.
The key is to cook over low to medium heat to prevent burning.
In Japan, there is a tradition of making mochi for New Year’s and many other events.
In senior care facilities, making it together while sharing stories of the past can be one of the enjoyable activities.
Making roasted marshmallows
The skillet, which can be used for cooking and placed directly on the table, became a huge hit.
Here’s a skillet dessert of toasted marshmallows with chocolate.
The only ingredients are chocolate and marshmallows—just layer them in the skillet in order.
Bake in a toaster oven and it’s done.
It’s quick, requires no knives or complex prep, and is a great snack activity that many older adults can join.
It’s also perfect for White Day events at senior facilities.
If the seniors enjoy barbecues, they might already be familiar with toasted marshmallows.
For those who aren’t, they can enjoy both the delicious taste of toasted marshmallows and the fun surprise of toasting them.
Give it a try!
Fresh Spring Rolls with Fruit
Fresh fruit spring rolls made with rice paper don’t require any cooking, so they’re highly recommended as a snack activity at day service centers! It’s said that Japanese people consume less fruit compared to other countries, so let’s have older adults enjoy fresh fruit as well.
Recommended fruits include strawberries, kiwis, bananas, and mandarins, which are easy ways to get vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.
Since you simply wrap the ingredients in rice paper, it’s easy for anyone to make and delicious to enjoy—that’s the charm.
Pineapple kanten (agar jelly)
Why not try making agar jelly using canned pineapple? Put sugar and the syrup from the can into a bowl, and divide the pineapple pieces among serving dishes.
Add powdered agar to the bowl with the sugar and syrup, pour in boiling water, and stir thoroughly.
Pour the agar mixture into the dishes with the pineapple, and once it has cooled slightly, chill in the refrigerator until set.
Since you’re using canned fruit, it’s easy to make—one of the best parts.
Summer can dampen your appetite, but this chilled, sweet pineapple agar jelly is sure to whet it.
fruit punch
This vividly colorful fruit punch is a playful idea that lets you feel like a kid again.
Just looking at this soothing treat is delightful, and seniors are sure to enjoy it too! Put warabi mochi and shaved ice syrup in a bowl and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
In another bowl, combine shiratama flour with water to make shiratama dumplings—the ideal texture is as soft as an earlobe.
Roll into small balls, boil them in water, then transfer to cold water.
Mix fruit, colored warabi mochi, and shiratama with fruity syrup and soda, then plate it up.
A fizzy, fun fruit punch is ready!
watermelon jelly
When you think of summer fruits for hot days, many people think of watermelon.
Let’s try making a jelly using watermelon! It looks just like the real thing, so older adults are sure to love it too.
Make the rind jelly with agar, granulated sugar, water, and melon-flavored shaved ice syrup.
Use a chocolate pen to draw seed patterns inside a container, pour in the jelly, and refrigerate.
Next, make the white part of the rind the same way, pour it into the container, and let it set.
Finally, blend watermelon into a juice and combine it with agar and granulated sugar to make the watermelon jelly.
Pour it into the mold, chill until set, and it’s done.
Orange jelly
Here’s how to make orange jelly that blows away the rainy-season blues with its refreshing aroma and tang.
It’s super easy to make! Heat orange juice, add dissolved gelatin, mix well, and chill in the refrigerator.
Make the lemon jelly the same way: dissolve gelatin in hot water with sugar and lemon juice, then chill that as well.
Once both are fully set, use a fork to break the lemon jelly into your preferred size and place it on top of the orange jelly.
Your refreshing orange jelly is ready.
Because it can be made safely in a microwave, it’s also recommended as a recreation activity in senior care facilities.