Therefore, vegetarians should avoid eating a single food, and should eat several foods such as cereals, beans, potatoes, vegetables and fresh fruits every day, plus a proper amount of seasonings such as oil. There are at least five kinds of food every day, and the patterns should be changed frequently. From the point of view of nutritional requirements, lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and lacto-vegetarian diet are more reasonable than vegan diet. Vegetarians should eat more soy products, because soy is the best quality plant food in protein. According to the content of protein,100g of soybean is equivalent to 200g of lean meat, so bean products are called "plant meat". Besides protein, soybean also contains many substances such as soybean saponin and daidzein, which have antioxidant and anti-aging effects in the body. That is, the whole raw soybean contains some indigestible carbohydrates and factors that inhibit digestive enzymes, so vegetarian elderly people should eat processed and cooked soy milk, tofu, artificial meat and other soy products. In addition, be careful not to put foods that may affect the nutritional efficacy in the same meal, such as spinach, grass and other foods with high oxalic acid content and tofu, in which oxalic acid and calcium will become oxalate that the human body can not use, thus affecting the absorption of calcium.
Reasonable nutrition and moderate weight.
Obese elderly people are prone to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other diseases. But if it is too thin, there will be a series of problems such as malnutrition and low immune function. Therefore, the daily energy intake should not be too much or too little, and the principle should be to maintain the ideal weight. The simple calculation method of ideal weight is: height (cm)- 105, the rest is ideal weight (kg), and it is normal within the range of plus or minus 10%.
If the vegetarian elderly are lighter, we should first check whether there is any pathological condition. If not, it means that the actual energy intake is insufficient, and the intake should be increased appropriately to maintain the ideal weight. Some foreign scholars have studied the relationship between weight and health of the elderly, and found that being too thin and obese will shorten life expectancy. From this point of view, the folk saying that "one thousand dollars is hard to buy old and thin" should be revised to "neither fat nor thin is conducive to longevity" Vegetarian elderly people can often weigh themselves and know whether the amount of food they eat is appropriate. If you are below the standard weight for a long time, you should ask a dietitian for dietary guidance.
Reasonable scientific choice of cooking
The diet of the elderly should be light and delicious, but a proper amount of oil is necessary for their life and nutrition. Lack of fat in human body will lead to insufficient energy, fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. But too much oil, even vegetable oil, is not good for human health. Therefore, the vegetarian elderly should consume an appropriate amount of vegetable oil every day.
Vegetarian elderly people are likely to be short of calcium, iron, zinc and selenium. Calcium is closely related to osteoporosis in the elderly, and the elderly need to consume more than 800 mg of calcium every day to delay the occurrence of osteoporosis or alleviate its symptoms. In daily food, milk contains the best calcium, followed by beans. Although vegetables and cereals also contain more calcium, due to the influence of phytic acid, the absorption and utilization rate of human body is low. Therefore, the vegetarian elderly should drink 1-2 cups of soybean milk every day, and often eat foods rich in calcium such as bean products and kelp, among which tofu coat and yuba have higher calcium content. Iron, zinc and selenium in plant food are not easily absorbed by human body, while pasta fermented by yeast can reduce the content of phytic acid, thus improving the absorption and utilization of trace elements such as zinc. Therefore, vegetarian elderly people can choose steamed bread and bread as their staple food. In addition, there is almost no vitamin D in plant foods, and sufficient sunshine can make up for this deficiency. Therefore, the vegetarian elderly should do more outdoor activities.
Fresh vegetables and fruits, especially red and green vegetables and fruits, are good sources of carotene and vitamin C. Vegetarian elderly people should consume at least 500 grams of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Jujube, peanut, walnut and other hard fruits are traditional foods with the same origin of Chinese medicine and food. For example, jujube has the functions of tonifying the middle energizer, nourishing blood and calming the nerves. Peanut has the functions of moistening lung, invigorating stomach, nourishing blood and regulating qi; Walnut has the functions of nourishing brain and kidney, benefiting qi and strengthening spleen. At the same time, these foods are also rich in soybean oleic acid and vitamin E. Black foods such as black beans, black rice, black sesame seeds and black fungus are rich in trace elements such as iron, which not only helps to prevent anemia, but also improves human immune function.
Eat reasonably, and be hungry and full.
Due to endocrine changes, the secretion of digestive enzymes in the elderly is relatively reduced, and their ability to regulate hunger and satiety is poor. When they are hungry, hypoglycemia often occurs, and when they are full, they will increase the burden on their hearts. Especially the elderly who are vegan, because they all eat plant food, their hunger tolerance is very poor. Therefore, they should eat less and eat more, be moderately hungry and eat on time. Generally eat at least three meals a day, and it is best to add two or three supplementary meals (or snacks) to the three main meals. There should be more than two kinds of dishes for each meal in the main meal. Soymilk, tofu, red date lotus seed soup, peanut paste, walnut cheese, sesame sauce, all kinds of salty and sweet porridge, soft cakes, fruits and other foods can be eaten as side meals. The interval between three main meals is 4-6 hours, and the supplementary food is placed between the main meal and bedtime 1 hour. It is best to have family company when eating, which helps to stimulate appetite and avoid loneliness. For the elderly with small appetite, some vitamins and inorganic salt preparations, such as multivitamins and selenium yeast tablets, can be supplemented appropriately to meet their nutritional needs.