114. Study Notes: Meal Planning, Grocery Shopping, and Safe Food Handling for CCAs

The Big Picture

A CCA may help a client with meals in several ways. The exact help depends on the client’s needs and care plan.

You might prepare a light meal, prepare meals for later, shop for groceries, or sometimes help plan menus. You also need to consider what the client is allowed to eat, what the client likes, and any difficulty the client has with eating or swallowing.

Food safety is another important part of meal preparation. Safe shopping, storage, preparation, cooking, reheating, and serving help prevent illness.

Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.

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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know

Your Role in Meal Planning and Preparation

Your role depends on the client’s needs and care plan ⓘ. Many home care agencies expect the client’s family to provide groceries and main meals.

A case manager may arrange Meals on Wheels when the service is available and the client and family agree to use it. Meals on Wheels provides the client’s main meal of the day.

Your meal-related work may include:

• preparing a light breakfast, such as toast
• preparing a light lunch, such as a sandwich
• preparing several meals and freezing them for later
• occasionally planning menus
• occasionally shopping for groceries

What to Consider Before Preparing Food

Meal preparation involves more than choosing food. Consider the client’s dietary requirements, food preferences, eating limitations, and usual eating habits.

Dietary Requirements

The care plan includes:

• special diets
• mealtime instructions
• dietary practices
• food allergies
• food intolerances

An allergy is a sensitivity to a substance that causes the body to react with signs or symptoms.

CCA action: Follow the care plan. If the care plan does not contain needed dietary information, ask your supervisor ⓘ for guidance.

A basic cookbook can also help with meal planning and preparation.

Food Preferences

Clients may have strong preferences about what they eat and how meals are prepared.

Follow the client’s wishes while also following the care plan.

Never: Give a client food they are not allowed to eat.

If you have concerns about the client’s diet, speak with your supervisor.

Eating and Swallowing Challenges

Follow the care plan when a client has difficulty eating or swallowing.

Some clients may have trouble holding regular cutlery and must have adaptive placemats, plates, or cutlery ⓘ.

Some clients have swallowing difficulties that affect how their food needs to be prepared. Clients who have difficulty seeing food on the plate may need your assistance to guide them.

Eating Habits

Clients do not all follow the same meal routine.

A client may:

• eat the main meal at noon
• eat the main meal in the evening
• eat several similar-sized meals without snacks
• snack between meals
• eat the same foods for breakfast or lunch each day

Shopping for Groceries

You may need to shop for a client’s food.

Use a shopping list so needed items are easier to remember. Keep the list in one place and encourage the client to add items during the week.

You may also add needed personal care items. On shopping day, check the list and finalize it before shopping.

If the client follows a special diet, read food labels carefully. Labels may identify products with terms such as “diet” or “low fat.”

Understanding Food Dates

Products with a limited shelf life have expiry or “best before” dates.

When stored properly, a product can be safely used before its listed date.

There are three common date types:

• Sell by date: The last recommended date for selling the product. Most products keep for at least 3 days after this date.
• Best before date: The last date the manufacturer guarantees freshness.
• Expiry date: The last date the product can be safely consumed.

Some packaged meats and fish show only the date they were packaged. Choose the products packaged most recently.

Handling a Client’s Money

A client will usually give you cash when you need to buy food from a grocery or convenience store.

Handle another person’s money carefully. Be honest, efficient, and organized.

Keep the client’s:

• money
• change
• receipts

in a separate wallet or purse.

Use the receipts to calculate how much money you spent. Return the correct change to the client.

Key fact: Follow your employer’s policies for handling client money.

Following Recipes

Use a recipe when preparing meals. A basic cookbook with key cooking terms may also help.

Sometimes an ingredient in the recipe will not be available. Some ingredients may normally be substituted. For example, canola oil or margarine may usually replace olive oil.

Before making a substitution:

1. Get the client’s permission.
2. Check the care plan.

Do not use a substitute ingredient when the client has a special diet, food allergy, or food intolerance.

Ask your supervisor for guidance when needed.

Recipe Measurements to Remember

Canada uses the metric system ⓘ, but recipes also commonly use household measurements.

Liquids

• 1 cup = 250 millilitres (mL)
• 1 pint = 473 millilitres (mL)
• 1 quart = 1 litre (l)
• 1/2 teaspoon = 2.5 millilitres (mL)
• 1 teaspoon = 5 millilitres (mL)
• 1 tablespoon = 15 millilitres (mL)

Weights

• 1 ounce = 28 grams (g)
• 1 pound = 454 grams (g)

Foodborne Illness

A foodborne illness is an illness transmitted by contaminated food. Improperly cooked or stored food can cause foodborne illness.

Common signs and symptoms include:

• diarrhea
• nausea
• vomiting

Some people have a higher risk of severe symptoms, including:

• infants
• children
• older persons
• people with chronic illnesses
• people with weakened immune systems

Foodborne illness can cause serious illness or death.

Pathogens and Contamination

Pathogens are disease-causing microbes, commonly called germs.

Food becomes contaminated when pathogens are present in or on it.

Some raw foods naturally contain pathogens, including:

• meat
• fish
• poultry
• eggs

Proper cooking kills most pathogens.

Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination means pathogens spread from one source to another.

Raw food can spread pathogens to ready-to-eat food. For example, fluid from raw chicken can drip onto vegetables stored in the refrigerator. The vegetables then become contaminated.

You usually cannot tell whether food is contaminated by looking at it, smelling it, or tasting it.

Safe food handling and effective cooking help prevent cross-contamination and foodborne illness.

Temperature and Food Safety

Most pathogens thrive at room temperature. They die at temperatures below 4°C (40°F) and above 60°C (140°F).

Number to remember: 4°C (40°F) and 60°C (140°F).

Cook food well and keep food properly refrigerated. Never leave food sitting at room temperature for more than a few minutes.

If you prepare and serve food to clients, you need to know safe food-handling practices. Food safety applies during shopping, storage, preparation, cooking, reheating, and serving.

Safe Grocery Shopping

Use these food safety practices while shopping:

• Buy packages with secure seals.
• Do not buy ripped packages or packages with broken seals.
• Do not buy dented cans.
• Check the “best before” date and do not buy expired items.
• Choose refrigerated and frozen foods last.
• Do not buy frozen products with ice crystals on the package.
• Place meat, poultry, and seafood in bags to prevent cross-contamination.

Safe Food Storage

Store groceries safely as soon as possible.

• Do not leave groceries in a warm car.
• Refrigerate or freeze foods promptly.
• Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood in plastic bags or covered bowls.
• Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood on the bottom refrigerator shelf so fluids cannot drip onto other foods.
• Store leftovers in small, shallow containers so they cool quickly.
• Cover leftovers with lids, foil, or plastic wrap.
• Write the storage date on leftover containers.
• Do not refreeze food.

Safe Food Preparation

Handwashing and clean equipment help prevent pathogens from spreading.

Hand and Personal Hygiene

• Wash your hands before and after preparing food.
• Wash your hands immediately before and after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.
• Do not cough or sneeze over food.
• Wear a hairnet.
• Wear gloves if you have cuts on your hands or wrists.

Defrosting and Separating Foods

Defrost food:

• in the refrigerator
• in the microwave
• under cold running water

Do not defrost food at room temperature.

Keep raw food away from ready-to-eat food.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Leftovers

• Wash fruits and vegetables to remove pathogens and pesticides.
• Discard food with an expired “best before” date.
• Discard mouldy food.
• If you doubt a food’s freshness, discard it.
• Do not keep leftovers longer than 2 to 3 days.
• Use clean utensils when taking food from refrigerated containers.

Raw Meat, Poultry, Seafood, and Eggs

• Rinse raw meat, poultry, and seafood before use.
• Wash the sink thoroughly afterward.
• Avoid recipes that use eggs without cooking them.
• Use different cutting boards for raw meat and poultry, seafood, cooked food, cheese, and washed fruits and vegetables.
• For added safety, place disposable waxed paper over the cutting board when cutting raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
• Wash cutting boards thoroughly.

Cans, Packages, and Kitchen Equipment

• Wash and dry can tops before opening them.
• Wash can openers.
• Wash knives or scissors used to open food packages.
• Follow kitchen-cleaning guidelines.

Cooking and Reheating Food

Cook foods thoroughly and to at least their minimum safe temperature.

Pay special attention to:

• meat
• poultry
• seafood
• eggs

Use a meat thermometer to check whether meat is cooked. Eggs should be firm when eaten.

When reheating food:

• bring sauces and gravies to a rolling boil ⓘ
• stir and rotate food heated in a microwave to prevent hot and cold spots

Serving Food Safely

Serve food immediately after cooking it or taking it from the refrigerator. Pathogens grow quickly at room temperature.

Use clean serving equipment and surfaces.

• Serve food on a clean plate.
• Wash plates, platters, and containers used for raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs immediately after use.
• Use clean table linen, plastic mats, and eating surfaces.
• Do not use chipped or cracked dishes.