Menu ideas to enjoy for a June snack activity (for seniors)
June brings higher temperatures and sticky humidity.
Staying hydrated is important, but as we age, our body’s temperature regulation declines, and some people find it harder to feel thirsty.
How about using a snack activity to help make up for often-lacking hydration and nutrition? Here are recommended snack activities for seniors in June.
These options not only provide fluids but also help supplement nutrients that are often missing from regular meals.
We’ve gathered snacks that are easy for seniors to eat, as well as treats tied to June-themed observances like Wagashi Day and Parfait Day.
Enjoy the process of making them while sparking conversation—it’s also a great way to support communication between staff and other participants.
Give them a try!
[For Seniors] Snacks to Enjoy at June Recreation Activities (1–10)
Wagashi Hydrangea Jelly
Add water, powdered agar, and granulated sugar to a pot and heat.
Once dissolved, divide the liquid: set aside one-third and pour the remaining two-thirds into separate containers.
Tint each portion with red and blue food coloring respectively, adjusting the shades so one is predominantly red and the other predominantly blue.
Chill both until set, then cut them into small dice.
Place a ball of white bean paste on top of the agar cubes and use plastic wrap to gently gather and shape it.
Spoon the remaining agar over the top, then refrigerate until chilled.
Your hydrangea jelly—glimmering in red, blue, and purple—is complete.
It looks so cute you might hesitate to take the first bite!
Hydrangea Panna Cotta
Let me introduce a sparkling, hydrangea-like beautiful dessert: Hydrangea Panna Cotta.
First, the panna cotta.
Heat and mix milk, heavy cream, and sugar, then add gelatin and vanilla extract.
Once fully dissolved, pour into cups and chill in the refrigerator.
Next, make the sparkling jelly.
Heat water, butterfly pea flowers (or butterfly pea tea), sugar, and gelatin, and dissolve well.
Divide into two bowls; add lemon juice to one of them.
The color will change, turning a beautiful purple.
After chilling in the refrigerator, top the panna cotta with the sparkling jelly and it’s ready.
It’s also a great idea for a Father’s Day event at a senior care facility.
Rose Apple Cake
Roses have varieties that reach their peak from May to June.
Among seniors who enjoy gardening, some may also love roses, right? Here’s a May-recommended apple cake that resembles a rose.
Place thinly sliced apples with butter and cinnamon into a heatproof dish and microwave them.
Then line the warmed apple slices along the edge of a strip of puff pastry.
Once they’re all arranged, roll up the pastry.
It will look like a blooming rose.
Bake in the oven to finish.
This apple cake, which looks like a real rose, seems like something seniors would enjoy both making and eating.
warabi mochi (bracken-starch jelly dessert)
Authentic warabi mochi is made with bracken starch, but this version is a simpler warabi mochi you can make with ingredients you likely have at home.
The main ingredient is potato starch.
Put potato starch, sugar, and water in a pot, mix well before turning on the heat, then cook while stirring.
Keep stirring until it thickens and turns translucent, then gather it into one mass and transfer it into ice water.
In the ice water, cut it into bite-sized pieces, drain well, plate, and top with kinako (roasted soybean flour) and kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup).
Using a nonstick (fluororesin-coated) pot makes it easier to bring together.
soft mizu-yokan (soft water yokan jelly)
Let’s try making a classic summer treat—mizuyokan (chilled red bean jelly)—by hand during our snack activity! With its cool, gentle sweetness, mizuyokan is perfect not only for summer but also for the damp humidity of the rainy season, offering a light and refreshing snack.
It may seem difficult, but it’s very easy if you use store-bought smooth red bean paste (koshian).
Add powdered agar to water, heat it, and dissolve it thoroughly.
Then add the koshian and mix well until there are no lumps, pour it into a container, and let it set—that’s it.
It sets at room temperature, so even those who don’t like very cold foods can enjoy it.
French toast
Place a hot plate on the table and try making French toast.
It’s recommended for older adults because they can enjoy cooking while seated.
Prepare slices of bread cut into bite-sized pieces.
Put eggs and milk into a bowl and have the older adult mix them.
Soak the bread in the mixture, then cook it on the hot plate greased with butter or oil.
It may remind older adults of times when they cooked and served meals for their families.
It’s easy to make, so please give it a try.
Hojicha pudding
Hojicha pudding you can make without a frying pan or oven.
Let’s whip up a simple and delicious dessert by just heating a mixed batter in the microwave! First, add milk, eggs, and sugar to a large bowl.
Next, mix hojicha powder with chocolate sauce and strain it through a tea strainer.
Finally, heat it in the microwave and then chill it in the refrigerator to finish.
Topping with chocolate sauce or whipped cream makes it feel even more like a professional dessert.
Why not try this sweet treat-making activity? It’s also great for recreational programs or events for seniors.
