Nutrition for the elderly: what do you need to do?

A few tips on how to choose menus as well as prepare and arrange dishes will make it easier to ensure nutrition for the elderly.

Making sure each meal is full of essential nutrients can be a huge challenge for anyone in the kitchen. In particular, nutrition for the elderly (such as our parents, grandparents) is the most difficult task, especially when they are having to follow a strict diet or have trouble with taste.

Food plays an important role in providing energy to the body. Therefore, for an elderly person with a chronic illness, good nutrition is the “golden key” for recovery.

Hello Bacsi will help you find out which diet is nutritionally complete for the elderly.

What does the diet for the elderly include?

You usually easily absorb vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients with a balanced diet. However, for the elderly, this is not a small challenge. Therefore, you should note for the elderly to load these substances:

Vitamin B

If you have elderly relatives, closely monitor their intake of vitamins B6, B12 and folate, also known as folic acid. You can help them absorb more of this vitamin with foods like:

• Whole grains and animal liver are two good sources of vitamin B6.
• You can find vitamin B12 in lean meat and some fish such as sardines, tuna, salmon …
• Get folate from green vegetables, legumes and peas.

You may want to learn: 6 common B vitamins: what to know.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Vitamin D and calcium are important substances that contribute to bone strength. Calcium is often found in dairy products such as milk and yogurt, dark green vegetables, such as broccoli or kale. Vitamin D is usually absorbed from the sun. However, for elderly people with weakened bodies, the absorption of vitamin D as above is somewhat difficult. Therefore, vitamin D tablets should be taken orally.

Fiber

The role of fiber contributes to:

• Supports heart health
• Prevention of diabetes (diabetes mellitus)
• Avoid constipation

Common dietary sources of fiber are legumes, whole grains, and green vegetables.

Healthy Fats

You should limit your intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. It can lead to heart disease. Instead, you can use unsaturated fats when cooking foods like vegetable oils.

Potassium

Potassium deficiency is also a risk factor for hypertension. You can get this mineral from bananas, potatoes, and yogurt.

You may be interested: What do you know about the causes of high blood pressure in the elderly

Some tips to help control nutrition easily

In fact, ensuring a nutritious diet for the elderly is not a complicated matter. You can get started with a few tips below. At the same time, please note that prioritizing the special diet of your loved one comes first.

Balanced diet

Vegetables and fruits should make up half of an elderly person’s diet. The other half consists of half whole grains and half a lean protein, such as meat or beans.

Stay away from harmful fats

Here are some tips to help you always choose the right products containing good fats for your body, including:

• Use olive oil instead of solid fats, like butter
• Get your fat intake from poultry, lean meat or seafood
• Use low-fat or fat-free dairy products

Regular menu changes

Diversity is the “spice” of life, as well as the “key” to health. Try to vary fruits, vegetables, and proteins with each meal, or at least every day.

Check food color

A dish with bright colors and lots of vegetables shows that you have understood the necessary nutrients in a meal. At the same time, eye-catching food colors also stimulate the taste of users.

Follow the basic rules

Much of the nutrition comes from:

• Wide variety of fruits and vegetables
• Lean
• Kinds of bean
• Whole grains
• Some dairy products

Besides, poultry, eggs and some nuts also contribute significantly to the daily nutritional value you need.

Nutrition for the elderly sick

Caring for the elderly with illness is always a big challenge. Let Hello Bacsi get you through with these tips:

The patient has problems chewing and swallowing

Cut food into small pieces and prepare soft, easy-to-chew items like mashed potatoes or steamed eggs. In some cases, you will need to puree the food.

If the problem is with swallowing, liquid or viscous foods will make it easier for the person to eat. And to include drinking water in the meal.

Feeling stressed when eating

If the sick person feels stressed when eating, help them improve the situation with these tips:

• Clean the dining table neatly, display only necessary dishes and utensils such as cups, chopsticks, etc.
• Prepare some sweets (if the patient has to abstain, they can be omitted). Fruit is also a great choice.
• All family members eating together will create a warmer atmosphere. This is especially good for the spirits of the elderly.
• When taking extra food for a sick person, you should only have two choices. Also, put food in small bowls instead of a full bowl.

Loss of appetite

Everyone’s taste buds weaken over time. On the other hand, the side effects of some medications will also make the condition worse. Therefore, patients tend to lose their appetite and skip meals. This has a negative effect on their health. So, to control the nutritional problem of the elderly who are sick in this case, you can make the meal more attractive in many different ways, for example:

• Limit salt, but add lemon juice, vinegar, herbs, and spices to enhance the flavor.
• Notice the color of the dish. Bright colors will make the meal more attractive.
• Present food in different ways.

Besides, you can also divide three main meals, then many small meals during the day. At the same time, you should encourage parents to be physically active like walking for 30 minutes or more every day. This will help them eat better.

Mouth Sores

If the sores in the mouth make it difficult to eat, you should avoid preparing sour, spicy foods that can cause irritation. Instead, choose frugal and cool dishes, such as chickpea porridge with chicken or gourd soup with shrimp. Also, take them to the dentist to have their teeth checked.

Difficulty in using chopsticks

If the elderly have difficulty using chopsticks, let them switch to spoons or feed them.

Don’t forget to pay attention to the amount of water needed

The older you get, the more likely you are not to feel thirsty. Many people don’t realize how much they need water until they are dehydrated. To prevent this, you should:

• Do not let the elderly drink water containing salt or sugar
• Let the elderly drink water several times a day
• Use water, fat-free or low-fat milk