Diabetes Week: Why Personalised Nutrition Matters

Today marks the beginning of Diabetes Week 2026.

Held every June, this week-long campaign seeks to change the narrative around diabetes for good. According to Diabetes UK research, 8 in 10 of those living with diabetes face negative judgement or assumptions about their diagnosis. That’s why we’re actively supporting this year’s theme of “Strike Out Stigma.”

We’re proud to support nutritional needs of all kinds through our food services for seniors. To find out more about how nutrition can help with diabetes management specifically, we caught up with our Dietitian, Valentina Giannelli. Read on to find out how our person-centred approach to catering supports seniors living with diabetes.

One-size-fits-all “diabetic diets”

Until fairly recently, diabetes management involved vigilantly tracking calories and carbohydrates, as well as eating sugar-free “diabetic foods”. But as Valentina points out, that blanket approach fails to consider that a healthy diet can look different for different people, especially as we age.

A traditional diabetic diet can also take the joy out of eating, which can leave residents feeling isolated at mealtimes. It can also increase the risk of secondary issues like undernutrition and weight loss. These side effects can be particularly risky for older people, often leading to other problems like frailty or even cognitive decline.

That’s why we follow the guidance from the National Advisory Panel for Care Home Diabetes (NAPCHD), which stresses the importance of nourishing, personalised menus over generic healthy eating advice. As Valentina says, “for frail, older adults, the focus should be on maintaining strength, weight, hydration and enjoyment of food rather than following strict dietary restrictions.”

What does this look like in practice?

So, how do we incorporate this into our food services for seniors? As Valentina explains, we aim to provide “diabetes management that’s personalised to each resident’s health goals, preferences and lifestyle.” But there are several best-practice principles we try to follow, too:

• Every meal includes key food groups like protein, starchy carbohydrates (wholemeal where suitable) and plenty of tasty vegetables.
• Regular eating patterns are encouraged as part of daily life, with appropriate portion sizes served rather than simply avoiding sugar altogether.
• Residents are supported in making healthier drink choices, including discouraging drinks with added sugar and recommending that sugar is not added to tea, coffee or cereal.
• Following guidance from the British Dietetic Association (BDA), every resident is served the standard menu rather than specific “diabetic food”, with individual dietary adjustments made wherever they are needed.

Personalised nutritional support

With catering for senior living facilities, some residents will be navigating health issues like frequent high or low blood sugar or aiming to lose weight on the advice of their doctor or diabetes nurse. They might need individual advice or tailored support, so our teams work directly alongside care staff and healthcare professionals to make sure mealtimes are nutritionally supportive for every resident.

Where alternatives are needed, we offer options like fresh fruit, yoghurt and low-sugar variations of common dishes, always in line with credible, evidence-based guidance. For example, our lower-sugar bread and butter pudding still has all the comforting flavours of a traditional favourite, but with around 60% less sugar per portion than the original recipe.

Our approach means residents living with diabetes can still enjoy real choice at mealtimes, with food that is both tasty and nourishing. Because food is one of life’s great pleasures, and everyone deserves to enjoy it, regardless of their health conditions.

Want to find out more about how we support nutritional needs through our food services for seniors? Reach out to our team and we’ll be in touch.