Catarina When choosing nutritional meal replacements for the elderly, give priority to products that are specifically tailored to the physiological characteristics of the elderly, have low GI, contain sufficient amounts of high-quality animal protein, add calcium, vitamin D, B complex, iron and other nutrients that are easily deficient, and have no excess added sugar. Don’t just buy the fat-reducing meal replacements and Internet celebrity meal replacements that ordinary young people eat for the elderly.
A while ago, I accompanied volunteers from the Nutrition Department of a community hospital for a home follow-up visit. I met Aunt Wang, who lives in Building 3. Her daughter bought her an Internet-famous fat-reducing meal replacement for breakfast, following the trend. After eating it for almost a month, she kept getting dizzy. When she went to the community hospital to check that her hemoglobin was almost 10 lower than normal, she found out that the protein content of that meal replacement was only 10%, and there was no additional iron supplement. She was already suffering from iron deficiency anemia, and eating it made it worse.
Of course, many people think that "meal replacement is an IQ tax, and eating well is better than anything else." There is really nothing wrong with this. If the elderly have normal teeth, good digestive function, and can eat enough fish, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables, and grains by themselves, there is really no need to touch meal replacement. Meal replacement is just a supplement. For those with shortcomings - for example, an elderly person living alone is too lazy to turn on the stove to cook, has lost most of his teeth and cannot chew meat and fiber-rich vegetables, cannot eat solid food during the recovery period after surgery, and when it is inconvenient to bring food when going out for a walk in the park, making a cup is much more reliable than eating dry bread or drinking unnutritious white porridge.
If the elderly have diabetes themselves, they should take a closer look at the ingredient list when choosing. The first three ingredients are preferably whey protein or soy protein isolate. Do not choose those with dextrin or white sugar at the top. The GI value should be lower than 55 so that blood sugar will not spike when you drink it. There used to be an old man in the diabetic group in the community. He bought a large bag of meal replacement powder for 9 yuan and 99 at a bargain price. After drinking it for two days, his blood sugar test went straight to 11. His wife chased him and scolded him for half the street. If the elderly often suffer from constipation and weak intestines and stomach, they should choose those with added soluble dietary fiber and fructooligosaccharides. Don’t choose those with too much insoluble coarse grain fiber, which may cause flatulence. I lost several teeth last winter and it was hard. It was so cold that she couldn't chew it. The one I chose for her added hydrolyzed whey protein. It didn't smell strange when she drank it. It was just right after being diluted and thickened. She had half a steamed corn in the morning and she wasn't hungry all morning. She didn't suffer from acid reflux like before when she drank multigrain paste.
If you find the commercially available meal replacements too expensive, it is completely feasible to make your own meal replacements at home. Mix steamed pumpkin and yam with boiled eggs, warm milk, and a small handful of soaked oats. It is a very good homemade meal replacement. However, it is difficult to accurately obtain the trace elements such as calcium and vitamin B12 that the elderly need every day if you prepare them yourself. If you eat them for a long time, it is best to supplement with a multivitamin suitable for the elderly.
By the way, one more thing, if the elderly have poor kidney function, don’t choose a model with too high protein content. The protein content per 100g of meal replacement is between 15% and 25%. If it is too high, it cannot be metabolized and it will put a burden on the kidneys. If you are not sure, ask a nutritionist in the community before buying. It is better than buying blindly and eating blindly.
