Cottage cheese, yoghurt, cream cheese, condensed and dried milk etc., are all soft foods that require minimal or no effort while chewing. Some animal products like scrambled eggs and fillet of most fish are soft and tender to eat. If cooked properly, they can be well consumable with protein rich nutrients.
Tender meats, like pot roast, shredded chicken or pulled pork (Gravy is your friend on a soft diet!) Yogurt or kefir. Nut butters, like peanut, almond or cashew. Smoothies made with protein powder, yogurt, kefir or nut butters. Soft scrambled eggs and egg salad.
Milk, cheese, and yogurt products (like Greek yogurt) come in many soft food forms. Dairy provides exceptional animal proteins along with lots of vitamins and minerals that older adults need.
Provide smaller portions of food. In doing so, you'll find that they are more willing to eat than when a large plate of food is set in front of them. Also, if your loved one is having trouble using utensils, offer up more finger food. This can include cheese, raw veggies, and even chicken nuggets.
Snacks can be a fantastic way to ensure your loved one is eating enough calories and consuming enough nutrients every day. Nuts, raisins, carrot sticks, orange slices, dark chocolate and yoghurt can all make for tasty snacks that provide vital nutrition and sustenance.
What to do if an elderly patient doesn't want to eat?
Consult With a Medical Professional
Loss of appetite and refusal to eat can be serious. It's important to act quickly, and consult with your loved one's care network. Medical professionals may be able to help identify the source of your loved one's troubles and set out a course to help.
A regular eating schedule can help senior adults hit their meal targets and promote better digestion. Additionally, establishing a meal plan with a variety of dishes helps elderly loved ones look forward to eating – potentially stimulating their appetite.
Good finger foods for babies include soft, easy-to-swallow foods like steamed veggies; soft fruits; whole-grain bread, pasta, or cereal; crackers; chicken; cheese; and scrambled eggs.
The foods in this diet are easy to eat and do not need a lot of chewing to swallow safely. This diet is helpful if you are missing teeth or have just had surgery and cannot chew hard foods. This diet does include soft breads and rice, so it is important that you can move food in your mouth and can swallow safely.
A few areas to focus on might be protein and whole grains. Protein packed foods can help slow muscle loss and keep your elderly loved one from feeling too weak, and can come ready to serve in the form of nuts, Greek yogurt, mashed avocado, eggs, tuna fish, or even a protein powder added to smoothies or juices.
Avocados. Avocados are mild in flavor, soft in texture and packed full of nutrients- most importantly heart healthy fats for healthy joints and optimal brain function. ...
Finely chopped or ground meat. ...
Eggs. ...
Fruit smoothies. ...
Full fat dairy sources (Yogurt, soft cheeses, etc.)
