The world of Tzu Chi February 2021(Vol.131)

TZU CHI 131 57 Ng Hui Ling A nutritionist with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and a Master’s degree in Sports Science, who served at the Singapore Heart Foundation before becoming self-employed, providing dietary consultations to vegetarians and writing a nutrition column for a health magazine. Elderly should not avoid protein-rich food just because of the cholesterol in eggs, or tofu for fear of causing gout. For example, for elderly who usually eat cereal for breakfast, we can try to increase their protein intake by replacing partial portion of water with low-fat milk when preparing the oats. As for elderly who do not drink milk or who have lactose intolerance, we may consider replacing it with high-calcium soy milk. Caregivers can also prepare protein- based snacks for elderly, such as French toast, tofu pudding, red bean soup, peanut soup, steamed eggs, papaya milk and so on. If the elderly has difficulty in chewing vegetables, the caregiver may try dicing, shredding, or slicing the vegetable into small pieces, this will shorten the cooking time to soften them and make them easier to eat. It is also recommended to choose soft vegetables, like young leaves, melons, fresh mushrooms and pumpkins. For sweet corn, which is harder to chew, it can be made into corn mushroom soup. For some elderly who like apples but cannot bite into them; try making them into puree. Likewise, pears can be stewed to become soft and easier to eat; or choose soft fruits like papaya, kiwi or banana. Fruits and vegetables provide dietary fibre that is important for elderly’s gastrointestinal health and bowel movement, and should be consumed daily. Moreover, we all know that elderly should have less-flavoured food, and would try to use less oil, less salt and less sugar for cooking. However, our taste bud’s sensitivity declines with age, so the elderly tend to overuse seasonings without realizing it. Elderly or their caregivers should hence try to change their food preparation habits and try to use more natural ingredients, such as ginger, basil, mushrooms, pepper, star anise, cinnamon, curry powder, mint, lemon and orange juice to enhance the flavour of the food. This would also reduce the use of salt, MSG, stock cubes, seasoning powder, chili sauce, ketchup, and other types of sauces. All of these seasonings contain sodium. Excessive intake of sodium will raise the risk of high blood pressure. Some people cook meals that they reckon most nutritious and healthy for the elderly, some even do it without any seasoning ingredients. I once had steamed vegetables without oil or salt with an elderly. Albeit being a vegetable lover since childhood, I found it unpalatable, not to mention the elderly. It is not a good thing if we overdo it and cause the elderly to lose their appetites when served bland and tasteless food.