What is puree food for elderly and why do some elderly people need soft and pureed food? If you have elderly parents or relatives who have difficulty chewing food, there are soft and nutritious foods that you can prepare for them.
Some elderly people have lost the ability to chew due to weakened teeth or jaw muscles. Others have had dental work or jaw surgery and are unable to chew food normally. It is important that they have enough nutrition to keep their bodies healthy and continue to live independently in their own home. Would you like to learn about tricks to stimulate appetite in the elderly?
In this article from humanhealthmag, we have prepared 10 simple and very nutritious puree recipes for the elderly, which can be made with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
What Is Pureed Diet?
Before introducing some puree food for elderly, it is better to know what puree diet is? Puree (in French: Purée) is a type of food that is mainly made by grinding vegetables, legumes, and raw or cooked fruit in a blender and then passing it through a sieve. A pureed diet is often recommended to people for whom chewing is a daunting challenge. These people may not be able to eat solid food due to various medical conditions, digestive and dental problems, or age-related problems. Following a pureed diet ensures that they get all the nutrients.
Purees require little or no chewing, making them a nutritious option for seniors who have trouble chewing. This pureed diet is a way of preparing foods to make them easier to consume. The goal of this diet is for the foods to be smooth and lump-free and similar in texture to pudding or mashed potatoes. This way, they are easier to swallow and do not require chewing.
You can use a blender or food processor to prepare food and make sure they have the right consistency. However, some foods such as yogurt, mousse and pudding may not need texture modification.
For older adults with severe and persistent swallowing problems, easy to swallow foods for elderly and a pureed diet may be a long-term or even lifelong dietary choice to minimize the risk of choking. Chewing problems are common in older adults because aging affects jaw strength and bite force, which may make chewing difficult. Additionally, people may need a pureed diet due to issues such as tooth loss, ill-fitting dentures, or toothache. So, this is where you should start learning how to prepare puree food for the elderly.
Health Benefits of Pureed Foods for Elderly
Why do some elderly people need soft and pureed foods? What are the health benefits of eating puree food for elderly? Soft and pureed foods are nutritious because they provide fiber, protein, carbohydrates, etc. Getting these nutrients is important for seniors to maintain a healthy weight and keep nutrients flowing through the body. Soft and pureed foods are also usually low in calories, so older people can feel full and not eat too many calories in one meal. Puree food has many benefits for the elderly who have difficulty chewing, the most important of which are the following:
- Easy to digest: Solid foods require chewing, but pureed foods do not. They can be easily swallowed and the digestive system of the elderly does not have to work as hard to break them down.
- May prevent nutritional deficiencies: Inability to consume solid foods increases the risk of malnutrition. This may lead to various health complications. Studies have shown that inadequate nutrition may delay wound healing, increase the risk of infection, and compromise the immune system. A balanced pureed diet can ensure you get essential nutrients and reduce the risk of these issues.
- Pureed foods reduce the risk of malnutrition and weight loss: Soft and pureed foods are often rich in nutrients such as minerals, antioxidants and vitamins essential for a healthy diet. It also reduces the risk of malnutrition and weight loss. puree food for the elderly can help them get full, so there is no need to overeat and consume low-nutrient foods.
- Puree food for the elderly improves hydration and reduces the risk of falls and injury: these foods often have a better water content than solid foods. Also, most pureed foods do not require much preparation, which makes it easier for seniors to prepare their own meals and maintain their independence in the kitchen. This aspect of hydration can reduce the risk of falling when dehydrated.
- Many soft and pureed foods are lower in calories: Because soft foods often have a lower calorie content than hard foods, they can help seniors reduce their calorie intake. This is beneficial for people who are trying to lose weight because they will consume fewer calories.
What Can You Find in Puree Food for Elderly?
- Fruits: all canned and fresh fruits (without skin, membrane and hard parts such as edible seeds)
- Vegetables: All vegetables (with skin and tough parts removed)
- Cereals: soft and moist wholemeal bread, rolls, pasta, rice, oats and cooked cereals
- Meats: Moist, soft or minced beef, lamb and pork
- Chicken: chicken or turkey without skin and eggs
- Seafood: All types of fish and seafood (without skin), including salmon, sardines, shrimp, crab, herring, oysters, and scallops.
- Dairy products: milk, cheese, butter, plain yogurt and dairy desserts such as plain ice cream and syrup
- Legumes: Beans, peas and soy products such as silken tofu
- Fats: nut butter, sour cream and vegetable oils
- Condiments: sauces, mayonnaise, soft margarine, jelly and syrups
Make sure you eat a variety of healthy foods every day, including protein, fat, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. However, choose foods that are easy to puree. For example, whole grapes, apples, corn, and vegetables with skins may not puree well. In this case, remove all hard parts and skin. Additionally, some foods such as pineapple, coconut, and raisins may still have hard chunks of food after pureeing. Therefore, it is better to avoid such foods.
Puree Food Ingredients Preparation Guide for Elderly
First of all, we emphasize that the correct preparation of puree food for elderly is important to ensure that they are easily swallowed and have the right consistency. For this purpose, cut and chop the ingredients into smaller pieces. Cook grains, pasta, vegetables and similar foods until they are soft.
Then put the chopped fruits or cooked food in a blender or food processor until the mixture is smooth. Make sure there are no lumps. The puree should have a pudding-like consistency.
If the puree is too chunky, you can dilute it by adding some liquid. Use water, broth, milk, or a flavorful sauce or gravy that matches the flavor of your puree. Stir again until you reach the desired consistency. However, make sure that the consistency is not runny.
If the puree is too watery, you can use thickeners such as cornstarch slurry, gelatin, pectin, or potato flakes. Gradually add these ingredients while stirring until the mixture resembles a pudding texture. You can experiment with seasonings such as herbs, spices, or some low sodium broth to add more flavor and improve the taste of puree food for elderly.
Puree Food for Elderly
1- Black bean soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions (chopped)
- 4 large cloves of garlic (crushed)
- 2 carrots (shredded)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans (drained)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- ¾ teaspoon of oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¾ teaspoon of ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust according to taste)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup of sour cream
How to prepare
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrot. Cook until the onions are soft and do not turn brown. It takes about 8-10 minutes. Add black beans, oregano, chicken stock, coriander, red pepper, cumin and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Use a blender to puree the soup until it is smooth and creamy. Pass the soup through a strainer to remove lumps. Mix lime juice with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the soup in bowls and add a dollop of sour cream on top.
2- Classic mashed egg salad
Ingredients
- 2 boiled eggs
- 1 tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt
- Salt and pepper
How to prepare
Cut the boiled eggs. Put the egg slices in a food processor and mix until smooth. Add Greek yogurt, salt, mayonnaise and pepper and mix again. Pour it on a plate and enjoy!
3- Pumpkin soup
Ingredients
- 5 cups of pumpkin puree
- 3 cups of vegetable juice
- A teaspoon of ginger
- Half a cup of heavy cream
- 1 cup onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- Half a teaspoon of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper as needed
How to prepare
This is an easy and yet delicious puree food for the elderly. Add all the ingredients to a pot and leave the heavy cream aside and let it boil. Reduce the heat and let it boil for 30 minutes. After that, puree the food in a food processor until it has the desired consistency. Put the puree back in the pan and bring it to a boil. After boiling for about 20 minutes, add the thick cream and serve.
4- Mac and cheese
Everyone loves macaroni and cheese. Fortunately, this dish is very easy to puree and your loved one will enjoy it. To begin, prepare the food as if you were cooking for yourself. Add your mac and cheese to a food processor or blender along with a cup of warm milk and blend. Serve the puree food for elderly with some applesauce or pudding as dessert.
5- Cauliflower puree
It is very easy to turn vegetables into a delicious puree, and cauliflower is no exception. Start by boiling your cauliflower until tender. After boiling, drain the cauliflower and don’t discard half a cup of the liquid. Pour the cauliflower into the blender and add a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, butter and the liquid you saved. Process until the texture is smooth.
6- Avocado, chicken and potatoes
A healthy dinner! Chop a baked potato, a small, boneless chicken breast and half an avocado. Place your ingredients in a food processor along with salt, pepper and two teaspoons of milk.
7- Mango and banana smoothie
A healthy dessert drink! Mix a frozen, sliced banana with a frozen, diced mango, along with a cup of plain Greek yogurt, a little honey, and two teaspoons of almond milk. Do this until the smoothie is smooth without any pieces of fruit.
8- Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
To start, you need to make a white sauce to use as a base. Mix two tablespoons of oil and butter with three tablespoons of flour. Heat the mixture and when it starts to bubble, add a cup of skim milk. Let the sauce simmer until it thickens. Next, add the sauce to the food processor next to your broccoli, and process until smooth. Add the mixture to a pan with 1/4 cup of grated cheese and let the cheese melt. Serve and enjoy!
9- Beef feed
While this particular puree food for elderly recipe is for beef stew, it is suitable for any meat and vegetable. To start, place 4 ounces of beef (or other boneless meat) in a food processor along with 1/2 cup of liquid. We recommend the meat broth. Add whatever vegetables you like – peas, celery and carrots all work well. Add some salt and pepper as desired. If you need to thicken the stew, add potato slices.
10- Spaghetti and meatballs
Place half a cup of cooked spaghetti noodles and two precooked meatballs in a food processor. Then add half a cup of spaghetti sauce and three quarters of a cup of hot water. Sprinkle some parmesan if desired. Do this until the texture is smooth and there are no lumps.
Concluding Remarks
Puree food for elderly can have risks. One of the risks is not getting all the nutrients your body needs because pureed foods may lack some essential nutrients. Also, if you stick to pureed foods for a long time, you may start to dislike or avoid solid foods.
To ensure you get enough nutrients in your pureed diet, use a wide variety of pureed fruits, vegetables, proteins such as meat or beans, whole grains, and dairy or dairy alternatives. Also, if your diet lacks certain nutrients, consider nutritional supplements.
FAQs
Can You Use Applesauce in Puree Food for Elderly?
Yes, you can have applesauce with a puree diet because it has a smooth texture and is easily digestible and suitable for people with swallowing problems.
What Are High Protein Puree Food for Elderly?
Pureed meats, tofu and Greek yogurt are high protein foods for the pureed diet of the elderly.
How Do I Make Puree Food for Elderly More Appetizing?
You can make pureed foods more appetizing by adding herbs, spices and colorful pureed vegetables. You can also add sauce, bone broth and vegetables to taste.