Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Why older people pick at food
…HA and her sister are always watching their Mom’s weight. After a lifetime of being a perfectly normal weight and thinking she was fat, their mother is losing a couple of pounds at age 90. The hunt is on for tasty treats Mom will like or used to love.
…When you pass age 50, you have half as many taste buds. Some meds make food taste weird or yucky. We also don’t smell as well, making food less attractive. If teeth have been replaced or all not healthy, chewing can also be a pain.
…According to a story by Mary Meehan in the Lexington (KY) Herald-Leader, most seniors need 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day. That’s a lot of ice cream or crackers.
…When you get older, metabolic rate does slow, but older people need to keep eating.
…Ideally, seniors should be taking in 1-/12 cups of fruit, 2 cups of veggies, 5 ounces of whole grains, three servings of dairy and 5 teaspoons of fat. Don’t forget the fiber!
…Seniors may not make it to the store that often, so fill the freezer with frozen fruits and veggies.
…Keep peanut butter on hand. Whole wheat crackers are fine with this.
…HA’s Mom also likes a fruit smoothie or better yet, chocolate syrup and some frozen yogurt swirled up in the afternoon. Popcorn is also a welcome snack, or some nuts to nibble on.
…Women, especially, may be sick of making the meat-potato-veggie-dessert thing everyday, so both sexes can enjoy a lavish “tea” of wine or seltzer, and protein and veggie snacks as a meal.
…You don’t even have to be old, for that matter.