Revealing the five principles of diet for the elderly

Eat small amounts frequently and supplement nutrition with snacks

Old people Due to poor chewing and swallowing abilities, they often cannot eat much in one meal, and eating time takes a long time. In order for the elderly to absorb enough calories and nutrients every day, nutritionists suggest that they should eat 5 to 6 meals a day, and prepare some simple snacks between the three main meals, such as low-fat milk biscuits (or nutritious cereals), low-fat milk oatmeal, or tofu curds, soy milk and eggs. You can also eat fruits or fruit puree cut into small pieces mixed with yogurt.

Replace some animal protein with soy products

The elderly must limit their meat intake and replace part of their protein sources with beans and soy products (such as tofu, soy milk). In the diet of the elderly, each meal should contain at least 170 grams of good quality protein (such as lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu, etc.). Vegetarians should obtain high-quality protein from beans and various nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, etc.).

Add vegetables to cook the staple food

In order to make it easier for the elderly to chew, try to choose vegetables with softer textures, such as tomatoes, sponge gourds, winter melons, pumpkins, eggplants and young leaves of green leafy vegetables. Cut them into small cubes or grate them into thin strips before cooking. If the elderly usually eat porridge or noodle soup as their staple food, they can add 1 to 2 kinds of vegetables and cook them together each time to ensure that they eat at least 500 grams of vegetables every day.