Hydration tips: how caterers can make a difference
Hydration has never been so important
In the UK, hydration has never felt more important. Here we look at how caterers can make a real difference through good hydration.
Signs and symptoms:
Symptoms of dehydration can vary from tiredness and headaches to poor concentration and slow reaction times. Typical warning signs include:
- Increased confusion
- Struggling to focus or concentrate
- Dry mouth and lips
- Headaches
- Dizziness/falls
- Dark, smelly urine
- Slow reactions
- Constipation and urinary tract infections are also common in those with a low fluid intake. This is particularly true in older adults.
How can caterers support hydration?
As well as the whole team encouraging and supporting fluid intake, caterers can get creative with interesting ways to make it less of a chore and to ensure people want to be consuming fluid throughout the day!
- Include a range of enticing different juices. You may like to explore new arrivals to the market such as Flawsome, available through Bidfood
- … or for adults, in higher education, offices, care homes, hospitals and stadia, a daily ‘happy hour’ with mocktails to encourage fluid intake
- Add a symbol to your menu for high fluid content meals, snacks and puddings such as jelly, yoghurt or soups and stews. These can then be encouraged in the dining area by the wider team
- Make healthy ice lollies for hot days
- Ensure that fresh, cool drinking water is available at all times and topped up throughout the day
- Remember milk is a refreshing source of hydration too
- Offer a variety of comforting hot drinks too, again more specifically for adults, and especially in the mornings and evenings
- Offer smoothies and milkshakes as alternatives at mid-morning or mid-afternoon tea-times
- … these can also be great as snacks!
- Put up hydration posters in your dining areas, such as this one.
If you’re interested, you may also be keen to seek further training from your employer around hydration and nutrition. allmanhall can support with this and you may find this interesting too https://allmanhall.co.uk/blog/how-important-is-hydration