Good food and good nutrition are important in maintaining good health for us all however many people with poor fitting dentures struggle to eat many foods. Even foods such as the crusts on bread, chicken, chips, roast potatoes can be difficult to chew.
Through my experiences I have learnt a few ways to make eating easier for the elderly person. Simple ideas are often overlooked and these may make a big difference to someone you care for.
- Peel the skin off tomatoes. The easiest way to do this is to put them into a bowl, prick the skins and pour boiling water over them. The skins peel away far more easily. Grape skins are also difficult to chew as are apple skins. I peel the apples and chop them into pieces.
- Remove the crusts from bread, I also cut sandwiches into bite size pieces
- Ensure veg is cooked until it is really soft, carrots, cauliflower and potatoes are far easier to chew then.
- Peas have a shell, try mushy ones for a softer alternative
- Tinned veg tends to be softer than fresh or frozen
- Don’t forget tinned tomatoes
- Thick home made soups are a meal in a bowl, packed full of fibre and goodness and no chewing needed.
- Porridge, rice pudding, tapioca, semolina are all warming and filling and easy to eat.
- Eggs are great too, scrambled, boiled or a tasty omelette
- Not just for kids the good old fish finger is soft and tasty and contains omega 3
- Cauliflower cheese, soft yet delicious
- Mashed potato not roast or a jacket spud with the contents scooped out.
Whilst this list is not exhaustive there may be one or two ideas here to make eating easier for someone elderly you care for.
Ooh and don’t forget chocolate and fudge is soft! who ever invented toffees obviously had no filling and no dentures or loose teeth.
