In Nepalese law, citizens who have crossed 60 years of age are called senior citizens. For senior citizens, winter is more difficult than summer. Moreover, respiratory diseases, heart and kidney diseases, and cancer patients face even more complex problems during this season. Every year, 200,000 senior citizens die due to winter. Among those who die in this way are those with kidney diseases, pneumonia, respiratory diseases, and heart diseases. In old age, physical activity decreases, chewing and eating becomes difficult due to lack of teeth, interest in food decreases, and proper utilization of the food consumed leads to a negative balance and a decrease in immunity due to food, which increases the likelihood of contracting diseases quickly.
To avoid cold, wear warm clothes and stay in the sun during the sunny days, which helps in blood circulation in the body and also provides vitamin D from the sun. Bone-related pain is also common in senior citizens, and if there is a deficiency of vitamin D, the effects of all kinds of diseases increase in the body. Vitamin D is normally required up to 300-400 milligrams.
What kind of food do senior citizens eat?
A balanced diet is a diet that uses a mixture of different foods in the right amounts to provide the body with the necessary nutrients. The unit of energy is called (Kcal). A kilocalorie is the amount of heat required to heat 1 liter of water to 150 degrees to 160 degrees Celsius. The energy that the body gets from food and the use of that energy must be equal. 80 to 90 percent of a person’s health depends on the food they eat. Healthy and nutritious food helps to prevent various diseases that occur in old age, such as constipation, kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, etc. Proper food selection, meal timing, and eating habits help to keep the body warm and healthy. It is difficult to say that all senior citizens need exactly the same amount of calories or energy because everyone’s height and gender are different. Growing children, people who do a lot of physical work, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and people who are underweight need more calories, while the elderly, obese people, people with diabetes, and people who do little physical work need fewer calories.
Senior citizens need the necessary calories, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fats on a daily basis to avoid various diseases and stay healthy. Unless the diet is balanced, it is not possible to become healthy and free from diseases. Eating only lentils and rice, or rice and vegetables, or rice and milk, or meat or fruits in daily meals does not make the diet balanced. Because all the nutrients (proteins, vitamins, minerals, calories, etc.) required by the body are not available in full in a single food item, and the body needs all these nutrients. Therefore, senior citizens should always eat dishes prepared from all types of food items such as rice, bread, crackers, chickpeas, lentils, meat, milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables, etc. A balanced diet is a meal prepared by mixing various food items in the right proportions and results so that the daily portion of calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals required by each person is met.
If senior citizens of all ages eat a balanced diet prepared in this way every day, the body will receive all the nutrients it needs in the right proportions.
Five food groups for a balanced diet:
1- Grain group: Grains like rice, wheat, corn, barley, millet, and sorghum are included. When preparing meals for senior citizens, 55-60 percent of the food should be from the grain group.
2- Pulses and Legumes Group: This group includes gram, gram flour, soybean, lentils, chickpeas, beans, and lentils. These food items provide the protein required by the body. One gram of protein is required for one kilogram of body weight.
3- Green vegetables and fruits: This group includes green vegetables and yellow fruits. Green spinach, lettuce, fenugreek, kale, radish, and spinach are included, while fruits include papaya, mango, haluwabeda, orange, apple, etc. Ripe pumpkin, carrot, and tomato contain vitamins and minerals, while amla, mango, orange, and lemon are rich in vitamin C.
4- Fish and meat group: Protein and vitamin B12 are found in meat. Protein and minerals are found in fish, meat, eggs, yogurt, and milk.
5- Ghee, Oil: Ghee, oil are the best sources of energy. 1 gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories. 1 gram of protein provides 4 calories, while 1 gram of fat provides 9 calories. The body also needs a certain amount of fat, as some vitamins are fat-soluble (such as vitamins A, D, E, and K).
Many things in the body change in old age. Due to reduced physical activity, the basal metabolic rate decreases. Lack of sleep at night reduces physical energy, reduces appetite, lack of teeth makes it difficult to chew properly, makes it difficult to digest food, and causes constipation. Therefore, it is necessary to include foods rich in fiber that can be chewed and digested. Drinking less water in winter can lead to dehydration, so it is better to drink water from time to time.
Instead of always feeding the same type of food, it is best to vary the food but provide food with the same calories.
Since senior citizens have their own eating habits, it is important to try to change bad habits by reminding them. In the winter season, foods with antioxidants and fresh fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C should be included.
Menu:
Breakfast: 7 a.m.
Toasted bread 1
Egg-1
Milk – 1 cup
Calorie : 506 Kacl
Lunch: 10-11 am
1 bowl of lentils
Rice 2 bowls (fine)
1 bowl of greens
1 bowl of other vegetables
Salad (cucumber, carrot, beetroot)
Calorie : 319 Kacl
Lunch: 2 p.m.
Fruits – 1 orange
Vegetable soup – 1 bowl
4 pm: Phapar or millet bread -1
Milk – 1 cup
Calorie : 475 Kacl
4 pm
Phapar or millet bread -1
Milk – 1 cup
Calorie : 475 Kacl
Dinner: 7:30 pm
Dhindo – equal to 1 bowl of rice
Vegetables – 1 bowl
Lentils – 1 bowl
Salad
Calorie : 270 Kacl
Sangeeta Dulal Lamichhane
Dietician
Health Care Foundation
National Kidney Center
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