A complete collection of nutritious meal recipes for the elderly

There is no universal fixed recipe that is suitable for all the elderly. The core of the most suitable nutritional meal for the elderly is the "three matches" - matching their basic diseases, matching chewing and swallowing ability, and matching daily activity level. Ordinary people can directly apply the basic framework of "1 fist of staple food + 2 fists of vegetables + 1 palm of high-quality protein" and then adjust it according to their own conditions. There is no need to follow the so-called "universal menu" on the Internet.

In the past two months, when I was doing public welfare consultation on nutrition for the elderly in the community, I met three or four elderly people who asked me about the printed "recipes that must be eaten by those over 70 years old". They said that if they followed it for half a month, their blood sugar would spike higher than before, or they would suffer from acid reflux and diarrhea. To put it bluntly, I just don’t understand. A 70-year-old aunt who has to pick up and drop off her grandson and dance for two hours every day, and a grandfather who is bedridden all year round and has almost zero activity, have almost doubled their daily caloric needs. It’s strange that there is no problem eating the same meal.

If the elderly person in your family has no underlying medical conditions and their teeth and mouth are normal, there is no need to make it too complicated. Just do it as you like. The 72-year-old Uncle Li downstairs in my house always makes the same combination every morning: half a piece of steamed pumpkin + 1 hard-boiled egg + a small handful of original almonds + half a cup of warm milk. Occasionally when he gets greedy, he will switch to soft tofu puffs without salty brine and a small steamed bun with vegetarian filling. It is comfortable and filling. For lunch, he usually makes steamed seabass (just choose Wuchang fish or seabass with less thorns, steam it for 10 minutes, and add less light soy sauce), stir-fry broccoli and carrots, and serve it with a small bowl of rice mixed with quinoa. If his grandson comes to eat that day, he will also eat three or four slices of lean beef with soy sauce, without any taboos. In the evening, it’s even easier. I cook a vegetable noodle soup, throw in two shrimps, and half a stick of boiled corn. After eating, I go downstairs and walk around for half an hour without feeling bloated at all.

If you have underlying diseases, don’t panic. Just adjust the ingredients and cooking methods. You don’t have to eat everything. Taking the most common type of diabetes as an example, there are actually two mainstream adjustment ideas in the industry, and there is no absolute right or wrong: One is the traditional glycemic index control method, which involves replacing refined rice and white flour with slow-glycemic ingredients such as mixed beans, yams, and taro, and controlling the amount of staple food per meal to less than 2 taels. ； The other method is the carbohydrate cycling method that many clinical nutritionists have recommended in recent years. If you go out and walk 10,000 steps and have a lot of activity that day, eat half a bowl of more staple food. If you just sit at home and watch TV that day, eat two less bites. Flexible adjustment will make hypoglycemia less likely. Aunt Zhang, a diabetic friend I have met, now has a very relaxed menu: half a cup of sugar-free soy milk + 1 whole wheat bun + a small plate of cold celery in the morning, 2 taels of multigrain rice + stir-fried bitter melon with chicken breast + a small bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup at noon, and a small bowl of oatmeal + steamed eggplant in the evening. Occasionally I want to eat watermelon, so I only have one or two small bites two hours after the meal, and my blood sugar is very stable.

If you have high blood pressure, the key is low sodium and high potassium. It doesn't mean that you can't touch any salt - I have met old people before who were afraid of high blood pressure and would not add any salt in cooking. In the end, they fainted and were sent to the hospital due to hyponatremia. Just control it within 5g per day (about the amount of a beer bottle cap). If you feel it is tasteless, use the umami flavor of tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and dried shrimps to enhance the flavor. Just don't add MSG or chicken essence. Elderly people with gout do not need to give up meat completely. They should avoid high-purine foods such as animal offal and sardines. Blanch lean pork and chicken and then boil them. Most of the purines can be removed, which is much better than eating only vegetables every day.

If an elderly person has bad teeth or even a mild dysphagia, don't drink everything into a paste. I once met a filial girl who beat white rice paste for her old mother with bad teeth every day. After drinking it for three months, she developed hypoalbuminemia and was hospitalized. In fact, she can make soft food: boil the rice until soft, make the meat into meatballs or steamed meat patties, and cut the vegetables into small pieces and simmer until soft. If you really need to beat it, you have to beat the vegetables, eggs, meat and staple food together to make it nutritious.

There is another issue that has been controversial for a long time. Many people are arguing about whether the elderly should be vegetarians. In fact, both sides have evidence-based basis: one group believes that the digestive function of the elderly over 70 years old has declined, and the absorption rate of animal protein is much higher than that of plant protein. Appropriate eating of more eggs, milk, and lean meat can prevent sarcopenia, and the elderly are less likely to fall and have sufficient strength.； Another group of vegetarian supporters believe that a light vegetarian diet can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. As long as the combination is reasonable, there is no problem - as long as you eat enough soy products such as tofu and yuba every day, plus mushrooms and nuts to supplement enough protein, it does not matter whether you are a vegetarian or not. There is no need to force the elderly to change their lifelong eating habits.

Finally, let me talk about some small details that I always mention again and again every time I chat with the elderly: You can prepare some original nuts and sugar-free yogurt at home. When you are hungry in the morning and afternoon, you can have a snack. Don’t buy those candied fruits and soda biscuits. The sugar and salt are too high.； Don't fry green vegetables for too long. They will be out of the pan in two or three minutes. If they are browned, the vitamins will be destroyed. ； And don’t believe those “nutritional powders for the elderly” that sell for tens of thousands of dollars. Eating well is more effective than any health supplement.

To put it bluntly, nutritional meals for the elderly really don’t have so many fancy rules. They are the best recipes that are smooth to eat, comfortable to eat, and in line with your physical condition.