Almost one-fifth of adults aged 65 and up have lost all of their teeth. Complete tooth loss is twice as common in adults 75 and older. While it is unimaginable, many senior citizens live with this reality. Not only can tooth loss cause speech problems, but it can also make chewing foods difficult. This reduces food intake and therefore has an impact on nutritional status which can lead to a poor diet.
According to Dr Archana Batra, a dietician and certified diabetes educator, soft food is generally recommended for elderly people due to the difficulty they have chewing or swallowing food.
Serve these foods to your senior loved ones to help them eat a balanced diet.
The nutritionist and physiotherapist recommend:
Dairy products, such as cottage cheese, yoghurt, cream cheese, condensed and dried milk, and so on, are typically soft foods that require little or no chewing effort. It contains probiotics, which help to maintain healthy gut bacteria. Some animal products like scrambled eggs and fillets of most fish such as cod, salmon, or orange are soft and tender. They also contain vitamin D, vitamin B12, choline, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and calcium. Baked or grilled fish is always much healthier than fried.
Savoury Dairy or Animal Products
Dairy products, such as cottage cheese, yoghurt, cream cheese, condensed and dried milk, and so on, are typically soft foods that require little or no chewing effort. It contains probiotics, which help to maintain healthy gut bacteria. Some animal products like scrambled eggs and fillets of most fish such as cod, salmon, or orange are soft and tender. They also contain vitamin D, vitamin B12, choline, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and calcium. Baked or grilled fish is always much healthier than fried.
Palatable Steamed Grains and Lentils
Grains and lentils, when boiled or cooked thoroughly with added water, can become a soupy bowl of grains that are easy to consume. It may also contain a wide variety of porridge such as dal rice khichdi, Pongal khichdi, sabudana khichdi, bajra khichdi, and old-fashioned oats, among other things. Lentils contain a lot of fibre, folic acid, and potassium. All of these nutrients are beneficial to heart health, as well as for managing blood pressure and cholesterol.
High-Calorie Enriched Soups
Serving soups with a high-calorie content can be a healthy alternative. Cooking vegetables in broth for an extended period of time softens them enough for easy consumption while also filling the nutrient gap. Tomato soups, sweet potato and lentil soups, asparagus soups, and so on are examples. The addition of leeks, onion, and celery to the soup increases the potassium content, which can lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease.
Flavourful Mashed Potatoes and Dips
Mashed potatoes and dips add flavour to your meal without making it difficult to swallow. Try using red potatoes and not removing the peel, which contains many nutrients; reduce the amount of butter used, and use milk instead of heavy cream. These are high in potassium, fibre, vitamin C, and B6. Dips such as hummus, guacamole, and cheese dips can stimulate your appetite while also providing you with the necessary nutrients.
Wonder of Smoothies
Smoothies are a great way to boost your diet by consuming fruits and vegetables without chewing. Blending your favourite fresh fruit, such as bananas and strawberries, with milk, protein powder, or other supplements (chia seeds, flax meal, etc.) Adding fresh spinach for boost and also it masks the taste- we promise you won’t even taste it!
Some nutritious suggestions!
Add one to two snacks throughout the day, Mainly go for soybean curd, sweet potato sweet soup, and calcium-fortified soy milk other than cakes and cookies.
Try to make the meals more attractive and appetizing by making use of different colours of foods and aromatic ingredients such as adding shredded carrot to leafy greens, use natural seasonings such as ginger, green onions, garlic.
Use food ingredients that are in season, as they are often more delicious and lower in cost.
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