What should an elderly person eat

Any good smoothie recipes. My mom does not like vegetables, meat, eggs, yoghurt, or cottage cheese. I mean- has anyone got easy smoothie recipient they can recommend. She does not like Ensure or protein shakes or heavy soups.

Just difficult. I make my moms shake with soy or almond milk, frozen fruits and add protein mix. Im now caring for my Dad after he had a stroke. His appetite has been bad, he complains nothing tastes good. I love the smoothie idea and hope he likes it too. Thank you so much! So glad these suggestions are helpful! My dad is 87 and was hospitalized for 11 days. He had abdominal surgery, surgery went well but got him home and all he does is sleep. No appetite.

You should contact his doctor immediately to let them know your concerns and ask what should be done. I have to really beg her to eat. Just took her for check up and everything seems fine. Waiting in blood results but in the meantime what should I do? Another thing to check is to see if any dental issues could cause her to not want to eat.

Hi my Dad is in hospital with no appetite especially hospital food. Mum cooked him up some pumpkin soup with garlic, red unions, leek bacon blended it up and he woofed it down he took his medicines. Those are wonderful ideas for tasty, appealing, and easier to eat meals! I have found that pureed cream soups work well. I use heavy whipping cream for the calorie density. This is not helping my issue. Her appetite is nothing is appealing. And when she does try.. I now axienty and stress has a lot to do with it.

But her foods are not what u mention. Smoothies is a no. Milkshakes yes.. She needs the nutrients in her daily meals. I well just have to try on my own. You may want to consult a doctor to find out the cause of her lack of appetite and her swallowing problems.

My mother had the same issues. She ended up being weak and went to hospital with her potassium and sodium being really low. She complained that everything got stuck in her throat as she ate less and less and got weak. Hospital ran tons of test and said her throat was good but she had beginning stages of dementia. They told me to have her swallow hard as they though liquid was remaining had the base of her throat a little, maybe from allergies.

We later found out she had thrush and she was given medicine for it. I try and give her yogurt. I got her the tasty fruit flavored yogurt and put it in a bowl and told her it was pudding. She tried it and liked it. Although she had always said she hated yogurt. Off and on she has the thinks get stuck in her throat and I tell her to swallow hard and it seems to work so that she eats enough.

The smoothie idea is great. I can add coconut oil to them easily which seems helpful for her. I have found that cutting food into smaller pieces, using processors to soften or puree some foods can mean the difference between eating one or two bites or more. I also add honey or Xylitol to sweeten some things and that seems helpful. My mom has mouth cancer and the cancer made a hole in her cheek.

Must I wake her to feed her? She is awake in the morning for me to feed her but at supper time she is asleep. Must she eat 3 times a day? It would be best to contact her doctor right away to find out how to best manage the wound in her cheek as well as get recommendations on how often she should eat as well as how to make eating easier for her.

This translates to 4 cups of fortified orange juice, milk, soy, or almond milk. Some individuals find it difficult to absorb this much calcium daily through diet, in which case it can be taken as a supplement as directed by your health provider.

As we get older, our digestive system slows down. The walls of the gastrointestinal tract thicken and the contractions are slower and fewer which may lead to constipation. Foods rich in fiber promote proper digestion by moving food through the digestive tract. These foods have also been known to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Foods rich in fiber include nuts, wholegrain cereal, wholegrain bread and pasta, brown rice, brown bread, fruits, and vegetables. According to a pyramid for older adults created by researchers from Tufts University, drinking eight glasses of water daily was next to physical activity in importance to health.

However, your body still needs water. Dehydration causes drowsiness and confusion among other side effects so it is essential to stay hydrated. If you are taking the recommended high fiber diet, you need to drink a lot of water this is because fiber absorbs plenty of water.

In order not to get overwhelmed by the quantity, you can put the water in small bottles and drink it throughout the day as opposed to storing it in a big container. The surest way to check for dehydration is to observe your urine. If it is light and transparent, that means you are hydrated, if it is dark or bright yellow and cloudy that is a sign of dehydration. There is an exception for seniors with kidney or liver disease; please consult your healthcare provider about a suitable amount of water for you.

Iron plays a vital role in the body. It produces hemoglobin which carries oxygen in the blood from the lungs to the rest of the body. This results in feeling tired and lethargic. Iron deficiency is known as anemia. Vitamin C has antioxidant properties which are believed to prevent cancer and heart disease. It is also involved in the production of collagen, which gives your skin elasticity and gets rid of dead skin cells giving you healthy skin.

It also helps repair bones and teeth and aids in healing wounds. This essential vitamin can be found in fruits and vegetables. Supplements are also available with approval from your healthcare provider.

Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium in the body slowing down the rate at which bones lose calcium. It aids in the maintenance of bone density; therefore, preventing osteoporosis.

New evidence shows that it may also protect against chronic conditions like multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and rheumatoid osteoporosis. Vitamin D is produced by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Some foods come fortified with it such as cereals, milk, yogurt, and juices. Naturally, vitamin D is found in eggs and certain fish salmon and tuna.

A vitamin D deficiency also increases your chances of falling. Some people argue that exposure to the sun predisposes us to skin cancer, so it is advisable to take vitamin D supplements instead following a consultation with your physician.

Vitamin B12 is responsible for maintaining nerve function, production of red blood cells, and DNA. As you age, absorbing the vitamin from food is more laborious. You can, therefore, consult your health care provider about supplements. It is found in dairy products like milk and meat and poultry products. Surveys show that many older Americans do not take the recommended mg of potassium daily.

Potassium aids in cell function reduces blood pressure and lowers your chances of kidney stones. It is also believed to strengthen bones. It is found in fruit and vegetables like bananas, prunes, and potatoes. A diet rich in iron will help prevent iron deficiency anaemia.

Processed meats and chicken products should be limited as they are high in fat and salt and lower in iron. If using processed meat products such as chicken nuggets or burgers, grill or bake on a rack rather than frying.

You should try to make sure you are getting the right amount of certain vitamins. The following minerals and vitamins are important in the later years of life. Osteoporosis is a major health issue for older people, particularly women. This is where bone density reduces and so the risk of fractures increases. Good sources of calcium are dairy products such as milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Remember to choose lower-fat varieties when you can. Calcium is also found in canned fish with bones, such as sardines. Other sources of calcium include green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and spinach , soya beans and tofu. You should eat plenty of iron-rich foods to help keep up your body's store of iron. The best source of iron is red meat. It can also be found in pulses such as peas, beans and lentils , oily fish such as sardines, eggs, bread, green vegetables and breakfast cereals with added vitamins.

Foods and drinks rich in vitamin C will help the body absorb iron, so you could have some fruit or vegetables or a glass of fruit juice with an iron-rich meal. Fruit, especially citrus fruit, green vegetables, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are all good sources of vitamin C.

Having too much vitamin A more than 1. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for everyone, to help develop and maintain healthy bones, teeth and muscles. We get vitamin D from three main sources:. If you are out in the sun, take care to cover up or use sunscreen before you turn red or get burnt. Small amounts of vitamin D are found naturally in fresh and tinned oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, trout, kippers and sardines , eggs and meat. Some foods have vitamin D added to them, including margarine, some breakfast cereals, soya and dairy products, powdered milk and low-fat spreads amounts in these products vary and are often quite small.

Many of us need more vitamin D than we can expect to get from food and sunlight, especially during the autumn and winter months. Therefore, we should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D. If a person is confined indoors for long periods then they will need a daily supplement of ten micrograms of vitamin D because their skin is not exposed to sunlight to make vitamin D.

For older adults, vitamin D with added calcium may be recommended by healthcare staff to protect bone health and guard against osteoporosis. As you get older, your kidneys become less able to remove potassium from your blood.

You should avoid taking potassium supplements unless on medical advice. Foods containing folic acid help maintain good health in older age. Good sources are green vegetables and brown rice, as well as bread and breakfast cereals that have vitamins added. Your body needs plenty of fluid to work properly and to help stop you getting constipation.

Aim to drink about six to eight glasses of water, or other fluids, every day to stop you getting dehydrated. When the weather is warm or when you get active, your body is likely to need more than this. Drinks that contain a lot of caffeine, such as strong tea and coffee, might act as mild diuretics, which means they make the body produce more urine.

It's fine to drink these sorts of drinks, but if most of your drinks are strong tea or coffee or other drinks that contain a lot of caffeine, you should make sure you drink some water or other fluids each day that don't contain caffeine.

As you get older, your sense of thirst reduces which means we might not always feel thirsty when your body is already dehydrated. Try to keep your weight at a healthy level. As you grow older, if you're overweight this will affect your mobility, which can affect your health and your quality of life.

Being overweight increases your risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Equally, sudden weight loss is not healthy and may be an indication either that you are not eating enough food or that you are not well.

If you are concerned about your weight you should speak to your GP.