[For Seniors] Making Snacks in Nursing Homes: A Collection of Easy Recommended Recipes
Eating snacks makes you feel happy, doesn’t it?
So why not incorporate snack-making into recreation activities at day services and senior care facilities?
Because older adults have a wide range of physical and mental conditions, there may be times when using fire or knives isn’t possible.
In such cases, recipes that use a microwave or oven, or ones that just require mixing and setting, are recommended.
They’re easy and safe to try, so many people can enjoy them.
Have the seniors share the tasks little by little, with care staff watching over and supporting as needed.
And at the end, how about everyone chatting together and enjoying a lovely tea party?
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[For Seniors] Making Snacks at Nursing Homes: A Collection of Simple Recommended Recipes (41–50)
Koinobori Castella
Here’s a dessert idea: carp-shaped koinobori made with castella cake.
Store-bought castella is usually rectangular.
Slice the rectangle into narrower pieces, then cut one end into a triangle to create a koinobori shape.
Use your favorite fruits to make the scales, and add facial features with jam or a chocolate pen.
It’s easy to make, so bringing a homemade dessert along for a walk with an elderly person is also recommended.
With a delicious treat and pleasant conversation, you’re sure to enjoy a lovely spring day.
Easy botamochi made with a rice cooker
In March, there is a traditional Japanese event called the Spring Higan.
This time, we’re introducing “botamochi” made with a rice cooker, inspired by the Spring Higan.
You can make three kinds at once: kinako (roasted soybean flour), sesame, and sweet red bean paste.
We cook glutinous rice in the rice cooker along with regular white rice.
Doing so is said to keep the botamochi from hardening over time.
There are plenty of clever tips to make it easily and deliciously, even when homemade.
Some older adults may have made botamochi to offer during Higan.
It’s a recommended activity for March that’s likely to spark nostalgic conversations while you cook.
Tofu Mitarashi Dango
How about trying to make mitarashi dango as a snack activity? You use shiratamako (glutinous rice flour), and the ingredient to combine with it is tofu.
Mix the healthy, nutritious tofu with the shiratamako, roll the dough into bite-sized balls, and boil them in water; once they float to the surface, the dango are done.
For the mitarashi sauce, mix water, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, and potato starch, then heat until it thickens.
If you like, you can pan-fry or toast the dango to add some char.
Serve with plenty of sauce and enjoy!
Cream soda to be eaten slowly
Melon cream soda with a scoop of vanilla ice cream floating on melon soda—it’s a beloved menu item for kids and adults alike.
Still, some people may feel they have to rush because the ice cream melts too quickly.
This version is perfect for those people: it uses ice cream that’s slow to melt.
Mix ice cream base with milk and freeze it.
Combine melon shaved-ice syrup with carbonated water and a thickening powder, then stir gently until it thickens; pour it into a glass to finish.
Even with the thickener, you can still enjoy the fizzy sensation, making it a safe option for older adults with reduced swallowing function.
Fruits dessert mix (Furūche)
This is the classic, long-loved Fruche dessert.
It was apparently released in 1976, so it’s been cherished for over half a century.
The secret to how Fruche sets is the pectin inside it.
The calcium in milk makes the pectin gel into that jiggly texture.
Interestingly, it won’t set well if there’s too much or too little calcium.
Besides chilling it to eat, you can also freeze it in summer—it turns into a sherbet-like treat.
Definitely give it a try!
Fruit Lollipop
When you eat fruit, why not make fruit lollipops that are stylish, cute, and keep your hands clean? Just stack your favorite fruits using cutters to punch out shapes, then skewer them with a bamboo stick—done.
If you think about the order of the layers, they’ll look like candy or popsicles, giving them a pop and super-cute appearance.
Serving them stuck into finely crushed ice lets you enjoy the fruit cold, too.
Depending on the type of fruit, you might even be able to freeze them.
Strawberry and banana gelato
For July’s snack activity, let’s make some refreshing gelato! The fruits we’ll use this time are strawberries and bananas.
Remove the stems from the strawberries and slice the bananas into rounds, then put them in a zipper bag and freeze.
Once slightly chopped, place them in a food processor with sweetened condensed milk and soy milk, and blend.
Adjust the taste by adding more soy milk and condensed milk while checking the consistency and sweetness.
When smooth, transfer to a container and chill in the freezer again until firm.
Serve the gelato with strawberries and bananas in a dish, and it’s ready.
If you warm your spoon or disher beforehand, it will scoop more easily.