Guide to eating patterns for the elderly to stay healthy and fit

Paying attention to balanced nutritional intake is an important part of maintaining the health of the elderly (elderly people). This not only helps the elderly to control their weight and get the nutrition they need, a healthy diet will also reduce the risk of various complications such as heart disease and diabetes. So how do you manage the elderly's diet? Here's the guide.

Dietary guidelines for the elderly

1. Focus on balanced nutritional intake

The most important dietary rules for the elderly are adequate for their nutritional and nutritional needs. Eating foods rich in nutrients and nutrients will help the elderly get the vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fats they need.

Quoted from the Ministry of Health's website, recommended healthy food ingredients for the elderly are:

Food sources of carbohydrates, such as oatmeal (wheat porridge), whole wheat bread, brown rice, and mashed rice.
Protein sources of food, such as low-fat milk, fish, tempeh, and tofu.
Food sources of healthy fats, such as nuts (peanuts / peanut butter), soybean oil, and corn oil.
Green or orange vegetables such as spinach, kale, carrots, broccoli, pumpkin, chayote, and tomatoes.
Fresh fruits such as papayas, bananas, oranges, apples, watermelons, and so on.
As much as possible, choose fresh foods and avoid all types of processed foods that use preservatives.

2. Adjust the portion of the meal

One of the causes of drastic weight gain in the elderly is because they do not control their eating portions. Now, that is why it is important for the elderly to pay attention to the portion of their meals every day.

The portion of food for the elderly should be evenly distributed throughout the day so that they eat smaller meals more often. It is advisable for the elderly to have three large meals with two snacks a day. If the elderly have difficulty chewing food due to missing teeth or dentures that are not working well, then the food given should be soft or chopped first. Inviting the elderly to eat together at the same table will increase their appetite.

3. Limit sugar, salt and fat

Limiting the consumption of sugar, salt and fat is very important to maintain the health of the elderly considering that their digestive system could not work as well as when they were young. If the intake of sugar, salt and fat is not limited, the elderly will be at a higher risk of developing hypertension, high cholesterol, hyperglycemia, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes.

4. Consume calcium

Calcium plays an important role in maintaining healthy and strong bones. Unfortunately, calcium absorption for bones decreases with age. If bone density starts to decrease, this will make a person more susceptible to bone and tooth loss. According to nutritional adequacy figures for Indonesians, the calcium needs of the elderly in a day are 1,000 mg.

You can get sources of calcium from various foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt, almonds, green vegetables (spinach, kale, and bok choy), and fish (sardines, anchovies, and salmon).

5. Pay attention to the calorie needs of the elderly

As you get older, the calorie needs of the elderly will decrease. Meanwhile, the nutritional requirements remain the same or experience a slight increase. This happens because the older a person is, usually the less physical activity they do. As a result, their calorie needs have also decreased.

Actually everyone's calorie needs are different, including for every elderly. To find out the ideal calorie needs for the elderly, calculate the Calorie Needs Calculator on this link or at bit.ly/BMR calculator. You can check the number of calories your elderly need based on their gender, height, weight, age, and physical activity there.

6. Meet the needs of fluids

In addition to the various things that have been mentioned above, the dietary intake of the elderly that is no less important is fluids. Most of the elderly often have difficulty meeting their daily fluid needs. That is why, they are more prone to dehydration. Now, to avoid dehydration, make sure the elderly meet their fluid intake needs properly.

To meet the fluid needs of the elderly, do not count the amount of drinking water alone. You can also get around the fluid needs of the elderly by consuming foods that are fortified such as soups or fruits and vegetables that contain lots of water. Not only avoiding dehydration, this method can also be done to meet the daily nutritional needs needed by the elderly to maintain a vulnerable immune system.