Are there any food recommendations you would give to a vegetarian senior citizen?
1. Get enough protein
Older people need more protein than the rest of us to keep their lean body mass, physical function, and overall health in check. While most people only need 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, healthy seniors should raise their daily protein consumption to 1.0-1.2g per kilogram of body weight.
It is considerably greater for seniors who are malnourished or suffering from a severe disease. These situations cause a hypermetabolic state where the body requires more energy and protein to work. To get enough protein, include plant-based proteins in your meals and snacks, such as chickpeas, tofu, black-eyed beans, kidney beans, lentils, quinoa, wild rice, nuts and seeds, nut butter, and soy alternatives to milk and yogurt. Eggs and dairy products are also fantastic sources of protein.
2. Add calcium and vitamin D into your diet.
Calcium and vitamin D play critical roles in bone health, especially in older age, since osteoporosis and associated fractures are a leading cause of bone-related disorders and death in aged people. The average adult needs 700mg of calcium every day. Women over menopause and men over the age of 55, on the other hand, should consume 1200mg of calcium per day. Some plant-based foods with a lot of calcium are soy milk and almond milk, cereals with added calcium, pitta bread, chapatti, and white bread.
Fish such as whitebait, sardines, and pilchards (with bones) offer high calcium levels per serving. Also, doctors suggest that older individuals consume ten micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D each day.
Not only is vitamin D vital for bone health, but it is also one of the elements involved in immune system support and function. Elderly folks are susceptible to insufficiency because they may get less sunshine. Their skin is less capable of producing vitamin D. Vitamin D is present in sunlight-grown mushrooms, fortified spreads, morning cereals, and dairy alternatives. Having that said, it’s challenging to get enough vitamin D from food alone; therefore, a daily supplement of 10mcg is suggested (especially in the winter for individuals who do not go out much). It’s important to note that some vitamin D supplements aren’t suitable for vegans because they may come from animal sources. Instead, they can use Vitamin D2 and lichen-derived vitamin D3 supplements.
3. Get enough vitamin B12
B12 is a vital vitamin for making red blood cells, maintaining the nervous system, and producing energy. Older people, like younger ones, need 1.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 every day. However, many older adults may be in danger of vitamin B12 deficiency, affecting one in every twenty persons aged 65 to 74 and one in every ten people over 75. Those who avoid meat, fish, or eggs may be deficient in vitamin B12, which is high in animal-based foods. Plant-based vitamin B12 sources include fortified breakfast cereals, yeast extracts (Marmite), soy yogurt, and nondairy milk. People should consider taking a Vitamin B12 supplement. Taking 2mg or less of vitamin B12 per day in supplement form is unlikely to be harmful. They should, however, first speak with their doctor or a qualified nutritionist.
4. Eat foods high in iron.
Low iron intake may be a problem for those who do not eat a mixed diet, mainly men over 65 who live in residential care facilities and women over 85. Iron is vital to produce red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. It is also necessary for athletic performance, wound healing, immune system support, cognitive function, and thyroid metabolism. Older people need 8.7mg of iron each day.
