Delicious Soft Food Recipes for People in Their Golden Years
As men and women grow older, maintaining a nutritious balanced diet becomes evermore important. The health and wellness of older people demand that they eat healthy foods on a consistent basis. In addition, older individuals also want food that is tasty.
Problems arise in regard to older individuals maintaining a healthy diet that include:
- Decreased appetite
- Less interest in food
- Reduced enjoyment of eating
- Issues that impact a person’s ability to chew and swallow food
Examples of issues that can make it more difficult for an older individual to chew and swallow food include dental problems. A medical condition called dysphagia can also impact an older individual’s ability to chew and swallow. Dysphagia is a medical condition associated with dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
A soft food diet makes it possible for seniors to maintain a well-balanced diet on a consistent basis. It makes eating significantly more enjoyable for older individuals.
A diet incorporating soft food does not have to be bland. In addition, a diet based on soft food selections can have a considerable amount of variety as well.
Examples of Food Items Considered Easy to Chew and Swallow
The list of food items considered easy to chew and swallow is extensive. Examples of these food items include:
- Soft fruits
- Sweet potatoes
- Ice cream
- Cottage cheese
- Peanut butter
- Cream of wheat
- Mashed potatoes
- Butternut squash
- Diced chicken breast
- Cereals
- Pudding
- Scrambled eggs
- Greek yogurt
- String cheese
- Canned fruit
- Pasta
Tips on How to Prepare Easy to Chew and Swallow Dishes
There are a number of basic ways you can prepare food items and dishes to make them easier to chew and swallow. The key ways in which you can prepare easy to chew and swallow dishes include:
- Make sure to cut, chop, mash, sauté or puree everything into small pieces
- Mashup foods like veggies, fruits, and potatoes
- Make some pureed food
- Use broths, gravy, soup, tomato sauce, or milk to soften food
- Use milk to mash or cream vegetables and potatoes
- Blend fruits and vegetables for smoothies and drinks
- Moisten with butter, olive oil, salad dressing, or sour cream
- Add to the flavors by adding salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, oregano, or red pepper
Overall Benefits of Soft Foods for Seniors
There are a number of benefits that might not immediately be recognized when it comes to soft foods incorporated into a senior’s diet. We discuss some of these benefits now to give you a better perspective on how beneficial soft foods can be for women and men in their Golden Years. Some of these important benefits include:
Soft Foods Reduce the Risk of Malnutrition and Weight Loss
Soft foods oftentimes are rich in different types of nutrients. These include nutrients that are absolutely essential to an older individual maintaining a consistently healthy diet:
- Minerals
- Antioxidants
- Vitamins
Soft foods in an older person’s diet also reduce the risk of malnutrition and weight loss. Soft food also helps a person feel full. This aids in preventing a person from overeating and gaining unnecessary and unhealthy weight.
As previously discussed, soft foods don’t require much in the way of chewing. This makes eating smaller portions of a meal easier and even more enjoyable for a person in the latter years of his or her life.
Soft Foods Improve Hydration
A common issue for people of all ages is staying properly hydrated. This includes women and men in their senior years as well. Overall, foods that fall in what we will call the soft category frequently have better water content than hard foods. This makes soft foods a healthier option for seniors in regard to maintaining or improving hydration.
Soft Foods Reduce Risk of Falls and Injuries
Falls result in more visits to emergency rooms in the United States than any other type of accident. This particularly is the case for older women and men who are more prone to slip and fall or trip and fall accidents. Soft foods actually have been demonstrated helpful in reducing the risk of an older person sustaining injuries from a fall.
Most soft foods do not require much in the way of preparation. This fact makes dishes containing soft foods easier for elderly people to prepare. Because soft food prep is easier, a person working in making a meal is at a lesser risk of stumbling or otherwise falling and sustaining injury.
A moment ago, we discussed how soft foods can keep an older person better hydrated. Dehydration is a situation that can heighten an older person’s risk of falling and sustaining injuries.
As an aside, the more minimalistic preparation requirements associated with soft foods allows an older person to maintain independence in the kitchen for a longer period of time than otherwise might be the case.
Many Types of Soft Foods Have Fewer Calories
Oftentimes, different types of soft foods have a lower calorie content than hard foods. Soft foods can help seniors reduce their caloric intake, if that is necessary. This is beneficial for people trying to or who need to slim down since they will be eating fewer calories.
Soft Foods Include Comfort Food
Soft food can be a good alternative for people who don’t like changing their diet and enjoy soft foods already. Making them a part of the diet can help reduce frustration and provide more comfort in the diet itself. Many of the softer foods that your loved one enjoys are often classified as comfort foods. This can aid in reducing an older individual’s anxiety and stress, at least to some degree. There are resources available to an older person living on his or her own when it comes to cookbooks and the like that include recipes for soft food dishes. In addition, if an older person is considering moving to an assisted living community, these types of communities are good at ensuring their residents have access to meals that meet their specific dietary needs. This includes diets for older individuals that need to have a focus on softer food alternatives.