Mashed Potatoes A great healthy side dish, mashed potatoes are great food for seniors with no teeth. The best way to make it is by using a minimal amount of butter and using milk rather than cream; this helps in increasing the nutrition quotient (Vitamin B6 & C, Potassium) in them.
Potatoes belong to starchy foods high in fiber and B vitamins. They also contain potassium which helps regulate blood pressure and heart function. Potatoes are also a good source of energy, so they are ideal for seniors who are not physically active.
Potatoes are actually good for you. They are low in fat, high in potassium and only have 150 calories per potato/serving. These are not empty calories either. There's actual great vitamins and nutrients in those calories.
And unlike white bread, the starch in potatoes hasn't been refined to deplete nutrients. Potatoes also deliver niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C and magnesium. They're a great source of potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure.
Mashed potatoes were the real winner, with children consuming 30-40 per cent fewer calories at meals. The fried french fries (as opposed to baked french fries) lead to the lowest meal and post-meal glucose and insulin levels out of all the starches tested.
A reduction in appetite is one sign that someone may be in the last days of their life. They may no longer wish to eat or drink anything. This could be because they find the effort of eating or drinking to be too much. But it may also be because they have little or no need or desire for food or drink.
Raw potatoes should be firm to the touch with tight skin that's free of large bruises, black spots, or other blemishes. If a potato has become soft or mushy, you should throw it out. Though it's normal for potatoes to smell earthy or nutty, a musty or moldy odor is a hallmark of spoilage.
University of Illinois Extension recommends that soft, shriveled, or wrinkled potatoes with or without sprouts should not be eaten. What about green potatoes? Green skin potatoes have been exposed to too much light. Light causes the potato to produce chlorophyll and also solanine.
According to their internal body clock, most older adults need to go to sleep around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Many people fight their natural inclination to sleep and choose to go to bed several hours later instead.
Regular exercise, socializing more during meals, certain medications, and other lifestyle changes are all safe and effective ways to increase your loved one's appetite.
Not eating enough leads to weight loss and malnutrition, which accelerates frailty. A lack of nutrients weakens overall health, decreases mobility, and brings down the general quality of life. Not getting enough protein can lead to a loss of skin integrity, and increase the risk for infection.
According to Julie Upton, MS, RD, and member of our Medical Expert Board, the healthiest way to eat your potatoes is to leave the skin on and bake them. "The healthiest way to eat a potato is baking it with the skin on," says Upton. "Baked potatoes add no additional calories like frying or roasting with oil."
The number of potatoes you need per person may vary depending on your appetite. The USDA reckons that a cup (or 1/2 pound) of potatoes will do. If you want more, have more. (Keep an eye on those potato-induced blood sugar spikes though, and try to avoid going overboard on the mash servings.)
Eating one medium-size potato a day can be part of a healthy diet and doesn't increase cardiometabolic risk — the chances of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke — as long as the potato is steamed or baked, and prepared without adding too much salt or saturated fat, a study by nutritionists at The Pennsylvania ...
Mashed carrots are another great, low carb alternative. They are full of flavor, low in calories and packed full of beta-carotene, an important nutrient for optimal eyesight. We love this healthy recipe.