Adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables is very important to the elderly for the prevention of various diseases, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, some cancers and obesity, etc. The following dietary suggestions provide you references of nutritious and easily cooked dishes.
| Typical Menus | Suggested Modifications | Notes from Dietitian | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Congee with fatty beef slices | Congee with fish and shredded lettuce (0.5 serving of vegetables) |
Always go for a leaner option when choosing meats. Also, adding shredded lettuce into congee can increase our vegetables intake and give us more dietary fibre and a greater sense of fullness. |
| Fried noodles with soy sauce | Steamed rice roll with dried shrimp | It is recommended that the elderly reduce their intake of high-fat food such as fried rice or fried noodles to prevent health problems such as obesity, high blood cholesterol, hypertension, etc. | |
| Snack | Wafers with coconut cream filling | Half bowl of grapes (1 serving of fruit) |
As a morning snack, fresh fruit can replenish energy and provide us with lots of nutrients. It is also recommended to reduce the intake of those with sweetened filling. |
| Lunch | Fried rice vermicelli with preserved mustard greens and shredded pork | Rice vermicelli with shredded cabbage, shiitake mushroom and lean pork in soup (1 serving of vegetables) |
We do not recommend consuming preserved vegetables as excessive salt intake will increase the risk of hypertension. |
| Tea | Tea | ||
| Snack | Sweetened soy milk | Skimmed milk | The calcium content of soy milk is only 1⁄10 of that of regular milk. Therefore, 1 to 2 glasses of skimmed milk or its alternatives are recommended for the elderly. People who cannot tolerate milk may choose hi-calcium, low sugar soy milk. |
| Pineapple bun | Multigrain bread, oatmeal bread or plain bun | Multigrain bread, oatmeal bread or plain bun is a good replacement of sweetened bun such as pineapple bun and cocktail bun as it is lower in fat and sugar. | |
| Dinner | Steamed ground pork with salted fish | Stuffed hairy gourds with shredded water chestnuts and minced pork (1 serving of vegetables) |
You can increase your vegetables intake easily by stuffing lean meat in vegetables such as bell peppers, eggplants and hairy gourds. Fresh lean meat is suggested and frequent consumption of preserved food is not recommended. |
| Fried gold-thread fish | Stir-fried gold-thread fish with tomatoes (0.5 serving of vegetables) |
Tomato is a good source of vitamin C. It also helps to increase vegetable intake. | |
| White rice | Mixed brown rice, red rice or other wholegrains with white rice | You can easily increase your dietary fibre intake by replacing a portion of white rice with brown rice, red rice or other wholegrains. | |
| Pig bone soup with chicken feet and peanuts | Watercress soup with dried dates and pork shank (0.5 to 1 serving of vegetables) |
When you make soups, let vegetables be the major ingredient. Watercress soup is a good example. To maximize nutrient intake, it is recommended to consume the soup ingredients, as they retain most of the nutrients. | |
| Snack | Sweetened red bean soup | Papaya (1 serving of fruit) |
Most fruit are naturally low in fat and energy. Thus they make much healthier choices than typical desserts. |
| Total | 0 serving of fruit 0 serving of vegetables |
2 servings of fruit 3.5 - 4 servings of vegetables |
Since the elderly have a lower energy requirement compared with adults, it is important to prioritise nutrient-dense food such as fruit, vegetables, lean meat, low-fat dairy products and whole grains. The principle is to follow the Healthy Eating Food Pyramid and consume a variety of food in moderation. |
Remarks: The above menus are designed to facilitate fruit and vegetables consumption as part of a balanced diet and may not represent your specific nutritional and energy needs. You may visit the "Healthy Eating Food Pyramid" for general dietary guidelines of different age groups. For individualised diet planning, please seek advice from dietitian.