Page 32 - seniors today August issue
P. 32
Food
Start the day right
Why is breakfast so important for the elderly?
Susan Itty explains
Come 60, and our mind dolorously veers to- whole eggs instead of just egg whites.
wards the sunset years, the downslide and the Oatmeal: Oatmeal is an excellent breakfast food
degeneration. But why let those dark thoughts for seniors because it is fairly inexpensive, easy
hover around. Make some smart, simple moves to chew, easy to prepare, nutrient dense and
to swing into your sixties and seventies. The high in fibre. Low-fibre diets are a main cause of
buzz word is breakfast. Start with some whole- constipation in older adults. Seniors are encour-
some, nutritious breakfast and watch yourself aged to consume at least 30 grams of fibre.
happily whirl all day. Soft Fresh Fruits: Fresh fruits are excellent
Older adults often consume less food at one sources of dietary fibre and vitamins for seniors.
sitting, so eating breakfast helps ensure an Soft fresh fruits that are easy to chew and swal-
adequate intake of calories, vitamins, and min- low include bananas, papaya, pureed apple, etc.
erals throughout the day. Older adults may have Sprinkle sliced soft fruits on top of regular oat-
a difficult time consuming adequate nutrition meal or breakfast cereal like ragi, rava prepared
due to decreased absorption efficiency or high with low-fat milk or soya milk.
cost of healthy foods. Therefore, seniors are at
an increased risk for malnutrition, which can Smoothies: High-protein smoothies make a
decrease their quality of life. Inexpensive, soft, quick breakfast for seniors, don’t require chew-
easy-to-prepare breakfast foods are ideal for ing and are easy to prepare using a blender.
seniors. Ingredients commonly used in breakfast protein
smoothies include low-fat milk or soya milk,
What comprises a good breakfast? low-fat yogurt or soya yogurt, soft fruits and
Eggs: Eggs make an excellent breakfast food for peanut butter.
seniors. Older adults require more protein to
ward off muscle loss that commonly occurs as Idli and dosa is said to be light as it contains no
you age. Eggs are rich in protein, easy to prepare fats, saturated fats or cholesterol. For the small-
and economical, making for an excellent break- scale wonder, idli packs a good punch of protein,
fast food for older adults. Moderation is still fibre and carbohydrates. In a single idli, you
the key but it’s no longer necessary to restrict would consume 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of
cholesterol intake. This means seniors can enjoy dietary fibre and 8 grams of carbohydrates.
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