Redefining the value of snacks for nursing home residents: Bridging psychosocial and nutritional needs

For many nursing home residents, particularly those on texture-modified diets, nutritional needs remain unmet. There is growing recognition of the benefits of increased eating frequency. However, we have yet to systematically investigate resident perceptions of in-between meal snacks. The primary purpose of this study was to identify residents' snacking preferences and barriers encountered. Ten residents engaged in a total of 17 semi-structured interviews. There was converging support for the significance of snacking. The themes revealed across the interviews highlighted: (a) that desired snack qualities vary across individuals, (b) the valuable non-nutritive contributions of snacks, (c) barriers for getting snacking needs met, and (d) potential benefits of sensory-enhanced snacks. Overall, a disconnect between the food-related emotional "wants" and physical needs of residents likely contributes to malnutrition risk. To improve intake and quality of life, we must better attend to the meaning of food and the individual needs of our residents.