The future of In-Home Meals: Balancing compliance, nutrition and choice
Jun 17, 2026
The introduction of the Support at Home program has changed the way government-funded meals are delivered to older Australians living at home.
Since November 2025, registered aged care providers delivering meals, snacks and drinks to older people in their homes, or through community and respite services, must ensure these meals are assessed by an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD). The assessment must determine whether meals are nutritious, appetising and appropriate for the needs and preferences of older people.
While the intent of these requirements is clear, their implementation has highlighted a number of practical questions for providers. How should meals be assessed? What nutritional benchmarks should be used? And how can a consistent approach be applied across a diverse range of meal providers?
New requirements for a diverse sector
Unlike residential aged care, in-home meal provision is delivered through a diverse range of service models. Meals may be supplied through Meals on Wheels services, community organisations, hospitals, aged care homes, commercial manufacturers, specialist meal producers and respite services. Production methods can vary significantly, from volunteer-run community kitchens and local providers through to large-scale manufacturers producing fresh, frozen or chilled meals.
This diversity highlights the need for practical assessment processes that can be applied consistently across a range of provider types.
Looking beyond nutritional compliance
The Government guidance makes it clear that assessments should consider more than nutritional content alone. Meals must be nutritious, appetising and suitable for older people, taking into account individual needs, preferences and dietary requirements.
This means an effective assessment should consider not only nutrient content, but also meal appeal, menu variety, suitability for special diets, client choice and communication processes.
For many older people, delivered meals can make a substantial contribution to their daily nutritional intake. A meal may meet nutrient targets on paper, but if it is not appealing, appropriate or regularly chosen by the client, its value is significantly reduced.
Need for nutritional benchmarks for In-Home Meals
One of the challenges facing the sector is the absence of agreed nutritional benchmarks for assessing meals delivered to older Australians living at home.
Drawing on the National Meal Guidelines for Meals on Wheels and the Australian Dietary Guidelines, proposed working targets have been developed by a group of dietitians with many years’ experience in aged care, for key nutrients including energy and protein.
For example, a standard meal comprising of soup, a main meal, dessert, snacks and drink would aim to provide 2,600kj and 30g of protein. To help meet these requirements, targets for individual meals have been set, with vegetarian meals having a slightly lower target, as outlined in the Appendix 1 of the In-Home Requirements Consensus Paper.
Supporting better outcomes for older people
In-Home Meal Assessments provide an opportunity to improve the nutritional quality, suitability and appeal of meals delivered to older Australians living at home.
By combining nutritional assessment with consideration of meal appeal, client feedback and suitability, providers can help ensure meals support health, independence and quality of life.
Join the conversation
Nutrition Professionals Australia will explore these requirements in greater detail during their upcoming webinar, Meal Assessments to Support Older People at Home, on Tuesday 25 August from 1:30pm – 2:15pm (ACST).
Designed for meal producers, community respite services and aged care providers, the webinar will unpack the requirements of Regulatory Bulletin RB 2026–2, including what an In-Home Meal Assessment involves, who the requirements apply to and the practical considerations for supporting compliance and positive outcomes for older people living at home.
Places are free, but registration is essential. Sign up today and ensure your organisation is prepared for the next chapter of in-home aged care nutrition: https://www.npagroup.com.au/offers/UcB2GR2j/checkout.
