Grandparents and Nutritional Needs

Serving Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Through the 

Senior Nutrition Program 

Introduction 

Many participants in Older Americans Act (OAA) senior nutrition programs may be 

raising grandchildren without the parent in the home. 

In the United States, there are more than 2.4 million grandparents who are head of 

the household. They are responsible for grandchildren living with them and help raise 

them as “grandfamilies.” 

• 46% are ages 60 or older

• 45% have been caring for a grandchild for five or more years

• The rate of food insecurity for grandparent-headed households is more than 

60% higher than the rate for all households with children

Nutritional Needs for Older Adults 

Adults 60 and older have specific nutritional needs. They are at a greater risk of 

many chronic conditions and diseases and have increased needs for certain 

nutrients. Grandparents may concentrate on buying food that is appealing to the 

children in the household, but these food items may not meet their own nutritional 

needs. This can be especially concerning for families on a fixed income. 

Following is a breakdown of key nutrients, their sources, and their role in supporting

the health of older adults.
Nutrient Benefits Common sources

Protein Maintains muscle and strength 

to decrease fall risks

Meat, beans, nuts, eggs, dairy

Potassium Supports immune system and 

helps control blood pressure

Oranges, prune juice, melons, 

bananas, peaches, raisins, potatoes, 

squash, dark leafy greens, 

soybeans, carrots, corn, 

beans/lentils, red bell peppers

Calcium Maintains bone health and 

prevents bone loss

Dairy, broccoli, dark leafy greens, 

almonds, tofu

Vitamin D Maintains bone health and 

prevents bone loss

Sunlight, fish, dairy, liver

Fiber Improves digestion and lessens 

constipation issues

Whole grains, fresh and lightly 

cooked produce

Vitamin B12 Supports the absorption of 

nutrients in the small intestine

Meat, dairy, eggs, whole grain 

cereals, fish, fortified soy & almond 

milk

Consuming enough water, through both foods and beverages, is also important, as 

older adults have a decreased sense of thirst, which may lead to dehydration.

Senior Nutrition Program

The Senior Nutrition Program (SNP) is our opportunity to help provide nutritious meals 

for adults 60 and older, as it adheres to the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans 

and the Dietary Reference Intakes. This ensures that meals served through the SNP 

provide the nutrients older adults need. 

Remember, older adults will often give their meals away to those they care for and

may not eat at all. So, our goal is to not only provide the meal, but ensure the older 

adult eats the meal. 
Serving Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Inherent flexibilities within the Older Americans Act allow nutrition programs to 

provide services in different ways to meet the needs of the older adults in the 

community. Below are some things to consider. 

• Make sure your policies are flexible enough to meet the needs of 

grandfamilies.

o Do they accommodate a grandparent who may arrive to meals late or 

need to leave early?

o Is your home-delivered meal policy limited to only people who are

homebound? Can you expand the criteria?

• Do your policies allow grab-and-go, restaurant, or food truck models?

• Consider adjusting mealtimes to meet grandparents’ needs.

o Evening programs can provide meals after school. 

o Breakfast meals may be a good option for grandparents after they drop 

their grandchildren off at school. 

• Consider providing meals that are appealing to both older adults and children 

(e.g., spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, sloppy joes). 

• Refer grandparents to Information & Assistance to ensure they receive 

resources for caregiver programs and other services. 

• Provide grandparents with nutrition education focused on meeting their own 

nutritional needs as well as the needs of the children they care for. 

o Nutrition education can highlight meeting each component of MyPlate

to ensure that everyone in the family gets enough of each food group. 

o Limiting added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium is important for all 

age groups. The Nutrition and Aging Resource Center has more info. 

• Consider intergenerational activities so grandparents can include their

grandchildren. For example:

o Consider setting up a voucher program with a local Summer Feeding 

Service Program (SFSP) to allow SNP participants to pick up a meal at a 

site with their grandchild. The SFSP could then send an invoice to the 

SNP provider for reimbursement. SFSP participants must consume the 

meal in a congregate setting. These meals could be counted as 

Title III-C1.
o Provide a pop-up SNP site at an SFSP meal site or work with SFSP 

providers to set up a location at the Senior Center to allow 

grandchildren and grandparents to eat together. Picnic tables could be 

provided outdoors. 

• Offer Nutrition Counseling to grandparents. A registered dietitian can look at 

the whole picture — nutritional risk, health conditions, nutrition history, dietary 

intake, and medications — and make recommendations to help ensure the 

nutritional needs of the entire household are met. 

Collaborating With Others

OAA programs can collaborate with other organizations to better meet the needs of 

grandparents and the grandchildren they’re raising. Your first step is to call these 

organizations to find ways to work together to help grandfamilies.

• Schools (school food service director, youth services, family resource centers, 

counselors)

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) 

organizations 

• Department of Social Services 

• State Kinship Care Programs funded by the Administration for Children and 

Families.

See the Kin and Grandfamilies Resource List for more resources.