There are five basic elements of good nutrition. Everyone, young or old, need these elements implemented into their daily diet. In this post we will through the five basic elements, tips and tricks to a balanced diet and specialty diets.
The five basic elements of good nutrition are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. These elements are used by the body for healing, growth, energy and maintenance. Fiber is also an important element in the diet. Fiber is used in the body for digestion and waste elimination. Foods such as grains, vegetables, fruits and cereals are good sources of fiber. Every diet should be accompanied by drinking 80 ounces of water daily. Your fluid intake should match your fluid output. As we age our bodies metabolism slows down, that is why the elderly require less calories. Despite that, the need for water, fiber, and all nutrients remains the same in older people, so eating healthy becomes more important.
A balanced diet is broken up into 6 groups of food, the first being 6-11 servings of rice, pasta, and cereals. Second to that is 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruits, 2-3 servings of meat, poultry, beans, and eggs, and 2-3 servings of dairy products. The sixth thing is a limited intake of fats, oils, and sweets. Be sure to use a variety of things within these six food groups to ensure a healthy and well balanced diet.
There are many people who require special diet needs because of sickness, surgery, or ongoing conditions. Low salt, low fat, soft, diabetic, and high proteins are just a few on the list of a wide range of specialty diets. Low sodium or low salt diets are often used by people with heart disease, kidney disease, or high blood pressure. The main purpose of this diet is to limit or cut out the amount of salt intake. Low fat or low cholesterol diets are often recommended for people with heart disease or obesity. Some guidelines for this diet include eating low fat foods like chicken, fruits, and cereal, and staying away from food such as ice cream, bacon, and sausage. Soft food diets can be helpful for people who have a hard time chewing foods, or suffer from certain kinds of stomach problems. A helpful tip for soft food diets is eating plenty of vegetables, ground meats, and pureed foods. A diabetics diet is extremely important to follow, whether or not they are taking medication or insulin to control their diabetes. A diabetic should have a diet plan specifically formulated for them, one that specifies a certain amount of fat, protein, and carbohydrate intake. A high protein diet is often used for people just out of surgery or someone suffering from a wound. A high protein diet can speed up the healing process. Meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products are excellent sources of protein.
Below are a few serving tips that can be helpful when serving meals to the elderly:
- If your resident has impaired vision, it can be helpful to identify the food on their plates by using the clock face. For example; ” Your potatoes are at 2 o’ clock, your pie is at 6 o’ clock”
- Serve hot foods hot, and cold foods cold.
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