Young people these days are often eager to buy snacks for their grandparents, hoping to introduce them to treats they enjoy, such as grilled skewers, spicy snacks, fried chicken, and bubble tea. However, not all snacks are suitable for older adults to consume regularly. By making careful selections and adjustments, you can ensure that the snacks you offer bring both pleasure and health benefits to your elderly loved ones.
So, which types of snacks are more suitable for older adults? And what should you consider when selecting nutritious and delicious snacks for them?
The purpose of selecting snacks for older adults differs slightly from that for younger people. While trying new and trendy snacks might be fun, the primary focus should be on providing nutrition, palatability, lightness, and easy digestibility, without increasing the risk of exacerbating common chronic conditions in the elderly.
Easy to Chew and Digest: Many older adults experience a decline in chewing and digestion abilities. Snacks that are difficult to chew or digest not only risk rejection but also increase the burden on digestion. Therefore, good chewing and digestion are fundamental prerequisites for supplementing nutrition through snacks.
High Nutrient Density: Nutrient density refers to the concentration of essential nutrients per unit of energy in a food item. Consuming foods with high nutrient density allows for a greater intake of protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients per calorie consumed. In other words, opting for snacks with high nutrient density is more "cost-effective" in terms of obtaining nutrition.
Consider Individual Health Conditions: Older adults often have underlying health conditions such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Additionally, variations in their daily dietary habits result in significant differences in their individual nutritional needs. Therefore, when selecting snacks for elderly family members, it's important to understand their health status and dietary habits to make informed choices.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can ensure that the snacks you offer to older adults are not only enjoyable but also contribute positively to their overall health and well-being.
Also, it's crucial to keep an eye on the NRV%, which stands for Nutrient Reference Value percentage. This figure indicates the percentage of a specific nutrient in the snack compared to the daily recommended intake for an average adult, as outlined in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents".
During promotions, large-sized snack packs are often popular, but I advise against buying them for the elderly. Seniors usually consume snacks more slowly, and they might not want to throw away expired snacks. Consuming spoiled snacks could lead to food safety issues.
When buying snacks for the elderly, there's no need to chase after the latest fads. Many novel snacks are just unusual in taste, color, or shape and might not necessarily be nutritious or easy to digest. Plus, regulatory oversight of new food products often lags, and if the purchase channels are not reliable, there's a risk of ending up with counterfeit or substandard products.
As people age, their chewing and digestive functions decline, and their appetite might decrease, leading to potential nutritional deficiencies if they rely solely on meals. Incorporating healthy snacks can be a great way to supplement nutrition, particularly for essential nutrients that are often lacking, such as protein, calcium, vitamins, and dietary fiber, by adopting a strategy of eating smaller meals more frequently.
Snacks made primarily from meat, eggs, dairy, and beans, like dried eggs, dried tofu, cheese, and milk strips, often have the advantage of being "nutrient-dense". Some seniors might lack interest in meat and vegetables during meals due to gastrointestinal issues, so these snacks can be a good source of high-quality protein. Still, it's important to choose those that are easy to chew and digest and have a mild taste.
Seniors with good dental health can opt for raw vegetables and fresh fruits as healthy snacks. However, some may find it difficult to eat fresh veggies and fruits directly due to dental problems. Given the risk of vitamin and dietary fiber deficiency from not consuming enough vegetables and fruits, opting for snacks made primarily from these, like dried fruits, freeze-dried fruits, or freeze-dried vegetables, can be beneficial. Look for options that are either soft or crisp to ease chewing.
For seniors with poor appetite or dental issues, who consume less staple food or prefer refined grains, selecting snacks made from quality grains like oats, corn, barley, buckwheat, black rice, or millet can be a good choice. These not only provide energy but also supplement dietary fiber and B vitamins that are missing from refined grains.
Nuts are a healthy snack option for all ages, especially when chosen in their natural form or with less oil and salt. For those seniors who find it hard to chew nuts, nut crisps or chopped nuts can be a good alternative.
To give you some practical suggestions, let's do a quick rundown of recommended healthy and nutritious snacks for the elderly.
Actually, seniors and children share quite a few nutritional needs. For instance, both groups benefit from food that’s easy to chew and digest. Given their smaller food intake, they need nutrient-dense foods. They also prefer foods with mild flavors, low in salt, sugar, and fat, among other things.
So, it totally makes sense to let the elderly try out the healthy snacks and complementary foods designed for infants and kids.
Taking it a step further, if we show the same love and care towards the elderly as we do for our little ones, I believe they’ll be healthier and more content.
