Healthy Eating 100+ Free Senior Healthy Eating Recipe Book
As people age, dental problems combined with chronic diseases create many nutritional issues for seniors. The Yangming Branch of Taipei City Hospital has published the "Healthy Eating for Seniors" cookbook, introducing healthy dishes suitable for seniors. Those in need can obtain a free copy from the Nutrition Department of the Yangming Branch.
If you would like the "Healthy Eating for Seniors" cookbook, you can download it from the Taipei City Hospital / Yangming Branch website (http://www.tpech.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=66874499&ctNode=24699&mp=109181), or send a self-addressed envelope (B5 size, 7 yuan postage) to: B1, No. 105, Yusheng Street, Shilin District, Taipei City, "Yangming Branch Nutrition Department" to get a free copy, limited to one per person.
Dietitian Chen Chih-yen of the Yangming Branch of Taipei City Hospital said that as the average national life expectancy rises year by year and the birth rate declines year by year, the age structure of the population has undergone major changes. The elderly population has reached more than 10% of the total population. Aging brings physiological and psychological changes that affect eating, and the elderly often have accompanying chronic diseases. If long-term nutritional status is poor, the resulting subsequent health conditions cannot be ignored.
Chen Chih-yen pointed out that as people age, common changes include: reduced saliva secretion in the mouth and tooth loss causing poorer chewing function; reduced secretion of digestive enzymes and weakened digestive function, making elders easily full and reducing appetite; degeneration of kidney function, slower thirst response and reduced water intake, and inconvenience in movement making elders feel that going to the toilet is troublesome, making them prone to constipation and urinary tract infections; bone density gradually decreases with age, and the older they get, the more porous the bones become, and the higher the chance of fractures.
If elders lose teeth, have difficulty chewing, or choke when drinking liquid foods, the texture of the food should be changed in a timely manner to avoid nutritional problems. Chen Chih-yen suggested that semi-liquid diets such as savory porridge or noodles can be pureed into a paste with a blender. Depending on the elder's swallowing function, liquid foods can be adjusted to three different thicknesses. From thin to thick, the consistencies are: soy sauce paste consistency, mayonnaise consistency, and pudding consistency. Regarding food texture adjustment, the public can discuss with medical personnel.
Two example recipes based on swallowing and chewing ability are provided for public reference:
[Soft Diet - Yam Sesame Sauce Noodles]
Ø Ingredients (1 serving):
300 g peeled Japanese yam, 50 g green vegetables (use only the soft tender parts), 1 tablespoon sesame paste, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin.
Ø Method:
1. Peel and julienne the yam, soak directly in cold boiled water to maintain color, and drain when ready to eat to make yam noodles.
2. Wash and chop the vegetables, blanch until cooked, and place on top of the yam noodles.
3. Mix the sesame paste, soy sauce, and mirin evenly, and pour over the preparation from step 2. Mix well before eating.
[Thick Liquid Diet - Dragon Fruit Yogurt Drink]
Ø Ingredients:
160 g red dragon fruit flesh, 2 small slices pineapple, 120 cc unsweetened low-fat yogurt drink, appropriate amount of ice cubes.
Ø Method:
After cutting the dragon fruit into pieces, put it together with the pineapple, yogurt drink, and ice cubes into a food processor and blend into a thick liquid, then strain.
