Good Diet For Elderly People
Maintaining a good diet for elderly people can be difficult. It is still important for people to eat healthily at any age. This applies even if someone is less active.
The average person requires a daily intake of 12,000 calories. It is estimated that over 2 million people in the UK are malnourished. People who are 65 years and over are particularly at risk, and weight loss is not an inevitable result of old age.
Causatory factors of Malnutrition
It is possible for people of all ages to become malnourished. Anyone can become malnourished, but it’s more commonplace in people with long-term health conditions affecting appetite or those taking certain medications. Other causes include;
- Problems swallowing food (Dysphagia)
- Problems chewing food due to lose dentures or tooth loss
- Social isolation
- Limited mobility
- lack of inclination
- Loss of appetite
- Low income
What a good diet for elderly people should include
A good diet should include a wide variety of foodstuffs including sufficient fruit and veg. This is also important to prevent constipation which many find troublesome as they get older. Protein is still essential for muscle strength too. Without it, muscle weakness can lead to an increased loss of mobility and falls.
Increasing calories
Older people who are less inclined to cook good meals for themselves can benefit from regular snacks. Biscuits and cakes in moderation, whilst not great nutritionally, are a good source of energy calories. Sandwiches cut into small sizes and shapes can often be more appealing than one cut in half.
Hot Drinks
Hot milky drinks can also supplement poor diets and simultaneously increase fluid intake. These are also ideal for colder months as they help warm you up.
Soups are also perfect. Tinned soup can be salty so consider making homemade which is both easy to do, cheaper and contains more nutrients. Alternatively, cuppa soups are easy to prepare, tasty and filling.
If using a kettle is difficult for someone there are lots of one-cup water dispensers on the market. They have shot up in price recently, however, you can still find a Breville option for less than £50. These are safer for someone to use as you only lift the weight of a cup, not a whole kettle.
Supplement Drinks
To help someone who is really having difficulty eating there is a range of supplement drinks. These are available in ready-to-drink bottles or in powder form to be added to milk. It’s worth contacting your GP as often these drinks are provided on prescription.
Hello Doris,
Thank you for taking the time to comment on Caron Cares. Your husband is certainly very organised and thoughtful. Cranberry juice is great for older people as it helps to prevent urinary tract infections which are so common in that age group. Anther thing I have found handy is that when making a cheese sauce or gravy – freeze it in an ice-cube trays and then just to defrost what is needed for each future meal.
Thanks again for commenting
Best wishes
Caron
My husband makes meals for his mum who is 92 years old. Everytime he cooks a meal, he puts two plastic ‘take away’ containers next to our plates and puts extra meat and veg aside for his mum. He puts them in the freezer then delivers them on his next visit. She loves popping the meals in the microwave, without the bother of cooking from scratch. She seemes very healthy as a result. In addition cranberry juice seems popular with older people, especially served in a wine glass. Cheers! Doris Sheridan