Malnutrition is common among elderly people. One of the multitude of issues contributing to poor eating is difficulty chewing and swallowing. But liquid or pureed foods just aren’t that appealing. I remember in graduate school trying to convince patients to order the pureed bread on the menu. It sounds revolting, I know. It was actually pretty tasty since the kitchen mixed in all sorts of milk and spices to make something closer to bread pudding than bread. But you wouldn’t order bread pudding when you wanted regular bread. And regular pureed bread is disgusting.
However, I just read about a new technology that sounds fascinating and straight out of the Jetsons. Researchers in Europe are working on making a 3-D printer that can print meats and vegetables. The technology is well beyond my understanding, but it sounds amazing. No more baby food. Realistic looking foods that can be fortified with vitamins, minerals, and calories. I hope this is available by the time I am old and can’t chew!
To read more, click here.
Have any nutrition questions? Need help with meal planning or a special dietary need? Send your questions to me at kimberlykmarsh(at)gmail(dot)com, and I will answer them in upcoming posts!