Is Your Meals on Wheels Aged Care Menu Ready for November 1?
The Aged Care Meal Requirements have changed. Are you prepared?
As of 1st November 2025, under the Aged Care Act 2024 (the new Act), all aged care providers (regardless of whether you operate home-delivered meal programs, community-based services, or respite catering) are required to meet new meal requirements.
This means that:
Meals, snacks and drinks must be nutritious, appetising and appropriate for the needs and preferences of the person.
Providers must engage a dietitian at least annually to assess their meals and provide recommendations.
A Quality Assurance Framework must be in place, including regular feedback from older people.
Providers remain responsible for compliance, even if meals are produced by external suppliers.
With a brand-new standard dedicated to nutrition, it is now more important than ever to ensure your services are compliant.
What the legislation changes mean for meal providers
If you provide Commonwealth-funded meals delivered to older people’s homes or provided during community respite (i.e. Meals on Wheels), you must now engage an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) to conduct an annual review of all meals, snacks, and beverages provided. This obligation applies even when meal preparation is outsourced to a third-party provider - your organisation retains full responsibility for ensuring nutritional adequacy, sensory quality, and compliance with the new standards.
The best way to ensure you are remaining compliant is to engage an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with aged care experience.
How we support In-Home Aged Care Menu Compliance
Our experienced aged care Accredited Practising Dietitian provides evidence-based menu review services to help providers across Melbourne and Australia-wide meet the 2025 aged care meal requirements.
The service will include:
Annual Dietitian Menu Review – detailed assessment of all meals, snacks, and drinks
Nutritional analysis of menus, recipes, and portion sizes
Specialised diet review – including texture-modified, vegetarian, gluten-free, high-protein, religious and cultural requirements
Sensory evaluation – taste, aroma, texture and presentation
Quality Assurance support – documentation and improvement recommendations aligned with audit expectations
Follow-up meeting – flexible options for metropolitan, regional and interstate providers to discuss findings and recommendations
Our Menu Reviewing Services are designed to be more than a compliance checkpoint - they’re a partnership. We work alongside in-home aged care meal providers to co-design menus that meet regulatory standards while genuinely enhancing the wellbeing of older Australians. With a practical, team-based approach, we help transform meal services into something meaningful - nourishing, culturally sensitive, and built with care.
Together, we’re raising the standard, one plate at a time.
Let’s Work Together
Don’t just choose any dietitian for your next menu audit - choose a leading Aged Care Dietitian passionate about delivering quality care to our vulnerable elderly community that gives you the right support, all at a competitive price.
We’d love to help your Meals on Wheels service apply the strengthened Aged Care Act Quality Standards.