Nutrition Nuggets 39. Not a Milk Drinker?

After working in long-term care for much of her career in dietetics, Sandra notices adult children and caregivers say "mom, doesn't drink milk" and from there, the diet of that resident may be restricted from adequate amounts of calcium-rich foods and fluids that can further increase their risk of falls and fractures.

It's no surprise to see that many times the elderly individual has a hunched over back and osteoporosis with years or decades of avoiding a whole food group, and hence, not getting adequate calcium-rich foods, and possibly protein.

Working closely with the chefs, cooks and food services, the long term care dietitian helps offer the perspective that food is medicine, and with the meals and snacks offered to the elderly residents, we can help maintain nutritional status, hydration and weight, as much as possible with diet. The chefs are experts at making the meals taste great and offering combinations of food to provide the quality nutrition that the elderly residents require to help with quality of life, nutritional wellness and prevention of disease.

Dairy products can offer an easy to tolerate source of high quality protein and calcium for overall health.

Adding cheese to meals and snacks can be a simple, affordable and easy way to increase the intake of calcium-rich food to a resident's diet. Adding a slice to sandwiches, melting cheese in soups, crumbling feta into salads, or simply offering cheese with crackers and fruit are all ways to increase the protein and calcium intake in residents' diets.

By offering yogurt at meals and snacks, plus pudding or custard for desserts or medication administration, additional calcium can be provided over the day. Also, many residents enjoy a glass of milk with breakfast, lunch or dinner, and that's a great way to get more calcium-rich fluid in for hydration and nutrition.

A simple calcium-rich food and/or fluid addition to many peoples' daily intake can make a difference for quality of life and overall health.

British Medical Journal - Study that shows the importance for elderly residents to have 3 1/2 servings of calcium-rich food/fluids per day for prevention of falls and fractures ⁠Effect of dietary sources of calcium and protein on hip fractures and falls in older adults in residential care: cluster randomized controlled trial | The BMJ

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