What is an ideal diet for the elderly?
The ideal diet of the elderly person should be wholesome and nutritious. It
should have carbohydrates, proteins, fats, mineral & vitamins apart from dietary
fibre. They should also take plenty of water. To know more
about the nutrutional requirements - Click here
It does not matter whether it is a vegetarian or
non-vegetarian diet
But they should be able to chew their food which could be easily digested. An
Ideal sample diet is given below:
| 1 cup = 200 ml, 1 Tsp = 5 ml. |
|
| Early Morning: |
| 1 cup of coffe / tea |
|
| Breakfast: |
Idly-3 (medium) or Chappathi-2 or Pongal-1 1/2 cups
or Uppuma-1 1/2 cups or Bread-4 slices |
| Sambhar- 3/4 cup or Chutney-1/2 cup |
| Egg-white-1 or Apple-1 |
|
| Mid-Morning |
Milk-3/4 cup or
Buttemilk-1cup or Soup-1 cup or
Fruit juice-1 glass or Veg.Salad-1 serving. |
|
| Lunch |
| Cooked Rice-1 1/2 cups or
Chappathis - 3 (Med) |
| Dhal-1/2 cup or Sambhar-3/4
cup or Chicken Curry with 2 pcs or Fish curry with 1 pc. |
| Rasam, Curd -1/2 cup or Buttermilk-1
cup |
| Greens-3/4 cup |
|
| Tea |
| 1 cup of coffe / tea |
| Sundal-1/2 cup or Biscuits -2 |
|
| Dinner |
| Idly-3 nos or Chappathi -
2 or Cooked rice-1 1/2 cup. |
| Others same as lunch. 1/2 cup vegetables can be taken instead of greens. |
|
| Bedtime |
| 1 cup of Milk |
|
| One should keep in mind that elders with high
BP , high Cholesterol levels, heart disease, obesity or other problems should alter their diet accordingly. |
Many elders do not have a full complement of teeth. What is the dietary advice
for them?
People who have lost their teeth should try to wear artificial dentures. When
they don't, they begin to take liquid or semi-solid food. This decreases the nutritional
value of their diet. Where there is a genuine difficulty in chewing, then the food can be
chopped fine (vegetables). Some types of food can be put into a blender. Milk, Paneer,
Egg-white, soft raw fruits like banana, papaya, cooked apples and fruit juices can be
given. Well-cooked and minced chicken or well-cooked fish can be taken by non-vegetarians.
Finely chopped raw vegetables and soups can be given. For those not suffering from a sugar
problem, ice-creams, jellies and puddings can be given.
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