Nourished Aging Toolkit: Diabetes Management
Sysco Canada’s Nutrition Services Team
Sysco’s Nutrition Services offers insight on trends, research and best practices for nutrition in food service. The team of registered dietitians and culinary experts provides a diverse suite of tools and resources to help drive your business.
SYNERGY TECH
SUITE® MENU MANAGEMENT:
• Menu planning
• Recipe development
• Costing & nutrition analysis
• Product linking
• Menu implementation support
NUTRITION
COMMUNICATIONS:
• Develop nutrition guidelines & standards
• Seasonal, special events & emergency menu creation
• Education event planning
• Nutrition publications & presentations
PRODUCT AND RECIPE IDEATION:
• Recipe testing & development
• IDDSI implementation ideation
• Vendor partnership for product feedback
• Sysco Business Resources collaborations
Glycemic Targets
Management of Diabetes in Senior Living
• Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a measure of your average blood sugar control over the last 3 months4
• When sugar enters your bloodstream, it attaches onto a protein in red blood cells called hemoglobin5
• The percentage of sugar-coated hemoglobin can be measured by an HbA1c test5
• HbA1c targets for elderly people are higher than the younger population due to increased risk of low blood sugar4
• Symptoms of low blood sugars include trembling, sweating, headaches, weakness, dizziness, confusion, and fainting – which may result in more falls and broken bones4 Stage
Functionally Dependent 7.1-8.0% Frail and/or with dementia
End of Life
• HbA1c measurement not indicated
• Focus on preventing symptoms of high and low blood sugar levels
Nutritional Management of Diabetes
Diet liberalization on senior living menus involves simplifying therapeutic diets (i.e., diabetic, diabetic renal, and diabetic renal dialysis diet. The purpose is to help increase food and fluid intake and improve the quality of life for residents.
Healthcare providers may implement an individualized nutritional care approach including:
• Regular timing of balanced meals and snacks provide residents with consistent carbohydrate intake to help regulate blood sugars6
• Reducing intake of added sugars (i.e. ½ portions of dessert, low calorie juice and jams, etc.)
This may not be applicable to the frail elderly population as it can decrease quality of life and contribute to malnutrition3.
• Assessment by a Registered Dietitian ensures that dietary goals are individualized for residents who have unstable blood glucose levels or require special diets to accommodate other chronic illnesses (i.e. kidney disease, dialysis etc.)3.
Ensure residents are regularly assessed by a registered dietitian and medical team to confirm they receive appropriate dietary interventions based on their needs
Snack Suggestions for Diabetes Management
Residents may require individualized snack options between meals to manage their blood sugar levels6
• Implementation of snacks are dependent on residents’ energy and nutrient requirement, weight and treatment goals, and medications6
• Protein rich snacks can help improve nutrient intake and provide better blood sugar control6. This may include:
• Cottage cheese topped with fruit
• Peanut butter on toast
• Egg salad sandwich
• Crackers and cheese
• Vegetable sticks and hummus
Ensure residents are regularly assessed by a registered dietitian and medical team to confirm they receive appropriate dietary interventions based on their needs