Diet for seniors. How can older people strengthen their immunity?
Too fat, too salty and too much sugar. That, in a nutshell, is the three cardinal sins that are repeatedly committed by the elderly. The result? More frequent visits to the doctor, repeated words such as “cholesterol”, “diabetes” and “lack of immunity”. How can this be remedied? What should be the right diet for seniors? Let us find out!
From this article you will learn, among other things:
- Diet for the elderly – what to avoid and what is advisable?
- What is digestibility and is it good for seniors in all forms?
- Where to look for ready-made solutions to nutrition problems?
- We will also give a sample menu for seniors to build an improved immune system.
Remember that nutrition is one of the most important parts of everyday life for people of all ages, not just those in their fifties and beyond. However, ‘the further you go into the woods’, the more attention you need to pay to aspects such as immunity – the last few months have provided a clear example of this.
Diet for the elderly
The first problem associated with older people is a permanent lack of change. “Because I’ve lived my life, I’ve got used to it, and when you’re my age, you’ll see how it is”. – This is the most common retort to attempts to force through changes in the menu for seniors. Meanwhile, soup with cream, lard with crackling and other heavy animal fats reign supreme, because “it never caused any problems after all!”.
Well, the problem lies in the capacity of our body, which, as time passes, has less and less opportunity to react immediately. Food processing is also slower, among other things due to reduced production of saliva and digestive juices. A separate topic is intestinal peristalsis, which also slows down considerably. One factor is the changes in the microflora in the large intestine, which in turn is responsible for the absorption of certain nutrients into the body.
It goes without saying that a senior citizen’s diet should also undergo a metamorphosis as a result of the inevitable changes that occur with the passing of time. It’s difficult, because sometimes you have to give up favourite flavours and standard “Sunday” dinner compositions. Sometimes it’s enough to cut back, in other cases it’s a good idea to look for similar tasting substitutes.
Light, vegetarian or perhaps gluten-free?
So what should be the diet for seniors? It is definitely advisable to build a menu based on products that are not harmful to digestion. This means that it is worth taking to heart the term “easy to digest”, often used in the past for the treatment of various stomach ailments. Unfortunately, not every product of this type will fit perfectly into the proper nutrition of seniors, because in addition to features related to digestive processes, it is necessary to ensure that the diet covers the body’s need for vitamins and minerals, as well as dietary fibre, which prevents constipation.
Will the currently fashionable gluten-free diet be a good option? No, a gluten-free diet is an indication for people with coeliac disease and there is no reason to introduce it on the basis of age. Instead, interesting recipes from the vegetarian and fish diet may be helpful – engaging in the preparation of such meals does not have to be difficult, and new flavour compositions will give a lot of joy while discovering the pleasure of cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.
Senior citizen diet for weight loss
Weight loss is a separate issue. There are several obstacles here: with age, it becomes easier to become obese due to a slower metabolism, and it is also more difficult to lose excess body fat. The use of highly restrictive diets remains unsuitable. The very frequent occurrence of a complete loss of appetite is also undoubtedly a bad omen which requires a lot of work to restore.
Here is our senior diet for weight loss, a proposal for people who enjoy good health and do not need to follow therapeutic menus:
Milk noodles with banana Breakfast approx. 340 kcal
Flour, Egg, Milk, Banana, Sugar (a little).
1. bring the milk to the boil.
2. in another bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, flour, and a little milk 3.
Pour the resulting dough into the boiling milk in portions. 4.
4. cook for approximately 2 minutes.
5. add the sliced banana.
Sandwich with cottage cheese spread, cucumber and radish II breakfast approx. 260 kcal
Wholemeal bread, Cottage cheese, Plain yoghurt, Cucumber, Radishes, Chives
Cream the cheese with the yoghurt, chives and your favourite herbs and spices. 2.
Spread the paste on the bread. 3.
Place cucumber and radish slices on top.
Roast chicken with potatoes, carrots and broccoli Lunch approx. 400 kcal
Chicken breast meat, Potatoes, Carrots, Broccoli, Olive oil, Spices
1 Clean the chicken breast meat, season (oregano, parsley, sweet paprika).
2. steam.
3 Steam the potatoes, carrots and broccoli.
4) Drizzle the broccoli and carrots with olive oil after cooking.
5. you can use more spices to your liking.
Baked apple a’la apple pie Snack approx. 160 kcal
Apple, Walnuts, Cinnamon, Raisins
1. turn the oven on to 150 degrees.
2. scoop out the core of the apple.
3 Slightly cut into the skin of the apple. 4.
Place the apple in an ovenproof dish and bake for 15 minutes. 5.
5 Sprinkle with nuts and sultanas and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
6) Remove the dish from the oven, fold back the cut crust and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Dinner approx. 230 kcal Tomato soup with noodles
Parsley root, carrots, tomato paste, water, natural yoghurt, wholemeal pasta, spices
Cut the carrots and parsley into slices and add to the water. 2.
Add the pasta concentrate, pepper and Herbes de Provence and bring to a boil. 3.
Near the end of cooking throw in the pasta (you can also cook it separately). 4.
When the soup has cooled down, whisk in some yoghurt.
Menus for seniors
It is worth noting that the diet for an elderly person in many cases should be agreed with both a dietician and a doctor. Only a comprehensive examination of the body, e.g. for the development of diabetes or atherosclerosis, gives a relative view of the situation for the specialist. All seniors should be encouraged to do this. Nevertheless, a list of universal advice on supplementation with the most important minerals and vitamins can be compiled:
- the increased need for vitamin D is due to less exposure to the sun, reduced synthesis of this vitamin in the skin; it is worth discussing the subject of supplementation and fixing a specific one with your doctor,
- Increased demand for vitamin B6 results from the fact that some drugs impair its absorption; its sources are: wholemeal products (buckwheat, wholemeal bread), potatoes, meat from chicken, turkey, beef, pork, eggs, peppers, so it is worth betting on their increased share in the diet,
- An increased need for vitamin B2 (eggs, milk, broccoli, spinach, banana, buckwheat, oatmeal) and B12 (fish, meat, eggs, ripened cheese), as well as folic acid (spinach, parsley – both root and leaves, egg yolk, broccoli, kale, peas) – may be due to impaired absorption of these vitamins,
- It is also worth taking care of an adequate supply of antioxidant vitamins (A, E, C), which can be found in fresh fruit and vegetables, e.g. paprika, currants, strawberries, kiwi, broccoli (vit. C), nuts, seeds, oils (vit. E), fruit and vegetables – carrots, broccoli, pumpkin, yams, liver, eggs, and also vegetable margarines are enriched with it (vit. A).
- increased need for CALCIUM which results from impaired assimilability of this element; deficiency of this element results in loss of bone mass. Good sources of calcium are dairy products – milk, buttermilk, kefir, cottage cheese, yellow cheese also.
- SODIUM Keep in mind that the risk of high blood pressure increases with age, so it is advisable not to add salt to products.
Senior nutrition – what else should be borne in mind?
Finally, some more relevant information and interesting facts about problems and solutions in the context of what senior nutrition should look like.
- The problem of missing teeth. Although it may seem trivial from a young person’s perspective, older people often reject valuable and tasty products because they are unable to chew them. Constant care by a dentist and dental prosthetist is therefore very important. For example, in the case of carrots, it is more beneficial to boil or mash them through a sieve than to omit the hard product altogether.
- Saving “by force” or financial shortages. Unfortunately, in Poland, not every senior citizen can afford to take care of themselves, even if the desire to do so is great. The reason for this is finances, which are in short supply not only in terms of medical care, but also with regard to buying the right and better quality food. Therefore, anyone who is able to afford a diet for seniors should know the value of this opportunity and use it without hesitation – for their own health.
- Lack of awareness. The communist era was not conducive to making many choices about what to put on your plate, for a simple reason: there was nothing to choose from. The mentality of the elderly is, in many cases, very much rooted in those times and this needs to be understood, while at the same time not giving up on education and trying to implement sensible innovations.
- Get moving! The Achilles heel of senior citizens is often a lack of physical activity. However, walks, trips out of town, Nordic walking, visits to the pool and the salt grotto are all perfect examples to add to the calendar each week. Interestingly, even walrushing, so fashionable in recent times, can be a good option.
A diet for the elderly is by all means a complicated process to prepare (not only taste preferences and habits, but also specific illnesses have to be taken into account), but its implementation does not have to be a proverbial ordeal. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of goodwill to enable even the less well-off to afford a proper diet for an elderly person. Nevertheless, it is always good to take on the challenge of changing one’s eating routine in order to feel better, healthier and have more energy for life as a result!
If you need help in composing a menu for a senior, use the Fitatu application. You will find many interesting and healthy recipes there, and additionally you will be able to check the coverage of nutritional requirements. More information about Fitatu can be found at: https://www.fitatu.com