According to the nutritional needs of middle-aged and elderly people, the dietary principles are: balanced nutrition, more fruits and vegetables, more water, less oil, less sugar and less salt. I have summarized the following five dietary principles applicable to middle-aged and elderly people.
First, have a small meal:
For the elderly, food should be soft and rotten, because the ability to chew and swallow is getting worse and worse, and the elderly can't eat much at a meal. Eat less instead of more, be hungry instead of full, and eat slowly. Eating too much will exceed the digestive ability of gastrointestinal function, thus affecting the digestive function of gastrointestinal tract and causing indigestion.
Second, the nutritional balance:
To ensure the intake of various nutrients needed to maintain health.
Eat fruits, vegetables, oil, grains, meat, fish, beans, eggs and milk every day, and choose constantly. Don't eat the same food every time.
Moderate intake of high-calorie food, in order to maintain a relatively healthy weight as the criterion.
In the diet of the elderly, protein's supply is very important, such as milk, soybean milk, fish, lean meat and chicken (because the intake of meat must be limited, some protein sources should be replaced by beans and bean products. Peanuts, walnuts, almonds and other nuts also contain high-quality protein.
No partial eclipse, no overeating;
Third, eat more fruits and vegetables:
So as to obtain fiber, minerals and vitamins, prevent constipation and increase cholesterol excretion. If middle-aged and elderly people are often used to eating porridge or noodle soup, you can mix 1-2 kinds of vegetables and cook them together every time to ensure that you consume at least 250 grams of vegetables every day.
In the choice of fruit varieties, it is best to have fruits rich in vitamin C, such as oranges and papaya, because vitamin C can help the elderly to better absorb iron and avoid anemia.
Fourth, drink plenty of water:
Helping the excretion of waste in the body is conducive to preventing and improving constipation.
Drink at least 1500 to 2000ml of water every day.
Not suitable for drinking strong tea and coffee, so as not to affect sleep and nutrient absorption.
Drink less water before going to bed to avoid getting up frequently and affecting the quality of sleep.
Five, supplement B vitamins:
Taking medicine when you are sick will cause the loss of B vitamins, so the elderly need to supplement B vitamins. Nuts and cereals are rich in B vitamins. When preparing three meals for the elderly, it is advisable to add coarse grains and white rice to cook porridge together.
Six, less sugar, less oil, less salt:
Less sugar: Old people often suffer from glucose intolerance. Besides providing calories, sugar contains almost no other nutrients, which is easy to cause obesity.
Less salt: the sensitivity of taste and smell will gradually decrease, and the taste will become heavier and heavier, while too much salt is closely related to the occurrence of hypertension.
Less oil: greasy food is difficult for the elderly to digest; Moreover, high fat intake is closely related to diseases such as obesity and fatty liver.
Reasonable arrangement of diet, ensure the quality of diet, rich food should ensure adequate intake of nutrients, in order to promote the physical and mental health of the elderly and reduce diseases.
What do you think of healthy eating for the elderly? You can tell me in the comments section.