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Self-help
Tips for the Elderly |
The
Preparation of Minced and Pureed Meals
The
preparation of texture modified foods such as minced food and pureed food
for the elders suffering from chewing problems may help not only with
minimizing the amount of chewing necessary but also allowing these elders
to maintain an adequate food and nutrient intake. The causes of chewing
difficulties include dental and oral problems, reduced salivation, and
impaired oral control resulting from stroke and dementia.
Dietary principles
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The diet should be balanced and include a variety of foods.
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All food groups should be provided daily in portions as suggested by
the Food Guide Pyramid:
- Cereal
& Grains group: Approximately 3 to 5 bowls of rice (1 bowl of
rice is about equal
to 2-1/2 bowls of congee)
- Vegetable
group and Fruit group: Approximately 6 taels of vegetables and 2
small fruits.
- Meat,
poultry, seafood, eggs, and legumes group: Approximately 5 to 6
taels.
- Dairy
group: Approximately 1 to 2 servings of dairy products. (1 serving
is about equal to 1 cup of milk or 2 slices of cheese)
-
Provide healthy snacks between main meals throughout the day. For example,
milk, egg custard, plain yogurt, sweet bean curd pudding, sesame dessert
soup, and cakes.
- Provide
a daily fluid intake of 6 to 8 cups. This includes water, tea, soup,
milk, juice, and fluids added during food processing.
Special features
Minced
diet meals:
Minced foods should be soft in texture and easy to chew. The food can
be chopped or minced.
Pureed
diet meals:
Pureed foods need to be prepared using a blender or food processor.
The texture should be similar to that of baby cereal, smooth with no
coarse lumps.
Individual
elders have variable levels of tolerance to different food textures. Health
professionals should be consulted to assess individual cases and give
recommendations on the appropriate food texture and consistency. The diet
of elders with diabetes, hypertension or other chronic illnesses should
follow the principles of the corresponding therapeutic diet.
Food choices
- Avoid
using foods that have a coarse or stringy texture, like whole-grain
crackers, celery, pineapple, and brisket.
-
Avoid using foods that are too sticky, like glutinous rice flour dumplings
and Chinese New Year cake.
-
Avoid foods that crumble easily, like egg rolls and pastries.
-
Avoid foods that are hard in texture, like nuts and walnut cake.
- Choose
seasonings like ground ginger, ground garlic, ground white pepper, ground
herbs, vinegar, and ketchup.
Food examples of minced and pureed diets
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Minced
Diet |
Pureed
Diet |
Food
Examples
|
- Soft
breads, cakes, biscuits well-moistened in milk, soup or juice,
congee, oatmeal, soft rice.
- Boneless
and skinless meats like diced or minced meats, flaked fish, steamed
egg pudding.
- Gourds,
soft vegetable leaves and stems (chopped and cooked until soft).
- Soft
fruits (chopped and diced) like diced papaya or banana.
- Milk,
steamed milk with egg white, plain yogurt, cheese slices.
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- Well-moistened
soft breads, cakes and biscuits soaked in milk, soup or juice.
Pureed noodles, congee, oatmeal or rice.
- Pureed
fish, meat, eggs or legumes.
-
Pureed vegetables, gourds, mashed potato, pureed tomato.Fruit
juice, pureed fruit.
-
Milk, steamed milk with egg white, plain yogurt, white sauce.
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The
cooking and processing of foods and common food processing utensils
- Remove
the skin, bones, and seeds from the food before processing.
- Foods
that are large in size and hard should be chopped into smaller pieces
and cooked until soft.
- Use
cooking methods that will keep the foods moist, like steaming, boiling,
and stewing to facilitate with food processing after cooking.
-
Common food processing utensils include juicer, blender, grinder,
food processor, sieve, and a large Chinese knife/cleaver.
Using
food processing utensils
-
Foods
should be thoroughly cooked before grinding or pureeing.
-
Use
adequate amount of soup, milk, or juice during food processing to
enhance flavor and nutrition.
-
If the pureed food is not smooth in texture, use a sieve to separate
the lumps.
An
example of a minced or pureed main dish
Stewed
chicken with potatoes and onions |
Minced
diet |
Pureed
diet |
- Peel
and dice the potatoes. Remove the skin of the onions and mince.
Chicken should be skinned, de-boned and diced.
- Stir-fry
the onions and add in diced chicken. Cook for a while before adding
in diced potatoes and appropriate amount of water.
- Cook
until the ingredients are soft*.
* The potatoes should be cooked until
it can be mashed using a spoon.
|
- Prepare
the main dish like as if making a minced version.
-
Add some water, gravy or milk to the potatoes, and pureed until
smooth.
-
Add in gravy or soup to the chicken and onions and pureed until
a smooth consistency is reached.
-
Plate the mashed potatoes and pureed chicken separately
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Food
hygiene
- Special
attention should be paid to food hygiene as bacteria on the surface
of foods can contaminate the entire food during the mincing and pureeing
procedures.
- Please
refer to the ¡§Food Poisoning¡¨ information
for more .
Food
presentation
- The ingredients
for the main dishes and side dishes should be separately minced or pureed.
Rice and noodles should not be pureed together with the ingredients
of the main dishes.
- Enhance
the flavor and color by using colorful ingredients to prepare the main
dishes, like pureed carrot, pureed pumpkin, pureed tomato, mashed egg
yolk, jam, and pureed fruit.
- Use separate
bowls or dishes with dividers to hold rice and main dishes. This will
allow the elders to easily differentiate and taste the different foods.
Related
topics
Swallowing
difficulty
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