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Holiday Tips for Senior Citizens
Senior's Restricted Diet Doesn’t Have to Mean
‘Restricted Flavor’
Chef for seniors, and a grandfather, shares tips for
special diets
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Chef Bob Mason |
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Dec. 21, 2005 - “Restricted Diet” – even the words
sound negative! Senior citizens placed on a “Restricted Diet” are
immediately told what they can’t eat – no sugar, no salt, no
high-cholesterol foods, etc. But according to Award-Winning Chef Bob
Mason of Renaissance’s California Mission Inn in Rosemead, California, a
“Restricted Diet” doesn’t have to mean “Restricted Flavor,” or even
“Restricted Choices” – especially during the holidays!
(Note: see recipes
and tips below story.)
“Many people have the misconception that our diets
should automatically become bland as we age,” states Mason .
“Yes, it is true that as we get older, our diets
may be altered due to physical, mental and social changes that occur in
our lives. Older people or people with health issues such as Diabetes or
high blood pressure, may be required by their doctors to change their
diet to improve their health or quality of life.
However, just because our tastes or diets may
change, doesn’t mean that we stop enjoying or wanting variety in our
meals. Quite the contrary! It’s been my experience that regardless of
age or health situation, we all want to enjoy a wide selection of meal
choices, especially in group situations like during the holidays.”
Mason , an Executive Chef with over 35 years of
experience in food service – over eight of them as a Food Service
Director for hospitals and senior facilities -- develops the menus to
serve 100 or more meals to Renaissance’s California Mission Inn (RCMI)
residents three times a day.
Because so many of the residents are on “Restricted
Diets,” Mason has incorporated several cooking strategies to provide
consistently satisfying and diverse menus for these people. Mason offers
the following few simple cooking and food preparation tips that anyone
can apply to create wonderful meals that will be loved by everyone in
your family – whether they are on a restricted diet or not.
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About Chef Mason |
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For the past four and a half
years Bob Mason has worked at Walnut Manor, a retirement
community with three levels of care, in Anaheim. He joined
Renaissance as Food Service Director in September 2005.
He has a wonderful wife and
three sons, ages 30, 28 and 13 with two grandchildren, ages 6
and 2. He has managed Little League Baseball and YLB Basketball
for the last five years. He hopes to continue managing Little
League Baseball even though for the second year he won’t have
his grandchild on the team.
Mason was born in Duisburg
Germany and has worked in the food service business since age
17, while attending college. He started as a dishwasher and
worked his way up to becoming a Chef at fine dining restaurants
and hotels. Later he became a Director of Food Services at
hospitals. |
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For those who want great flavor in their foods, but
must limit salt or fat, Mason recommends using as many fresh herbs as a
recipe will permit. Many of the RCMI’s entrees are prepared from raw
ingredients, and then enhanced during the cooking process by adding a
wide variety of fresh herbs, vegetables and mushrooms, among others.
To help cut down on the ‘bad’ fats and
cholesterol, Mason recommends using much more canola and olive oil than
butter. Also, at RCMI, Mason sometimes adds a little bit of wine while
cooking to enhance flavor without adding fat.
For families who are cooking for their elderly
loved ones who are on a “mechanical soft diet,” Mason suggests cutting
the meat into small pieces, and serving it with a generous portion of
gravy. Soft side dishes such as mashed potatoes, green bean casserole,
yams, and pumpkin pie are also good items to offer any family member who
may have swallowing or chewing issues.
“The main points to keep in mind are to have the
food cut into small pieces and a have soft texture,” Mason explains.
“For instance, a slice of white meat turkey is not a good idea to offer
a person with swallowing issues. It can be dry and difficult to chew.
Small pieces of dark meat turkey, or even some small pieces of white
meat turkey smothered in gravy, would be much more acceptable and safe
for that person to consume.”
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Summary of Simple Tips |
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The following is a summary
of simple tips, suggestions or advice Chef Mason offers to
people preparing or serving food this Holiday Season to loved
ones on restricted diets:
● To limit salt or fat in
one’s meal, use as many herbs as a recipe will permit –
preferably fresh herbs. Basil, rosemary, oregano, nutmeg, etc.,
can add zest and flavor to a dish, without adding salt or
increasing its fat content. A little wine also adds flavor
without adding fat.
● To cut down on “bad”
fats and cholesterol, use much more canola and olive oil than
butter.
● For family members on
“mechanical soft diets,” make sure that all food is cut up into
small pieces and have a soft texture if possible. Dark meat is
usually easier to chew than white meat. Also, don’t be afraid
to serve meat with a generous portion of gravy!
● For easier chewing and
swallowing, offer soft side dishes such as mashed potatoes,
green bean casserole, yams, or pumpkin pie.
● To limit sugar intake,
but still enjoy sweets and desserts, substitute the sugar in
baked goods with “Splenda,” which blends well in recipes and
provides a wonderful sweet, sugar taste.
● Check with doctors,
nutritionists, or dieticians to receive great recipes that may
be served to those on restricted diets. Specialty cook books
and the internet are also excellent resources for a wide-variety
of recipes and cooking tips.
● Finally, don’t have
hurt feelings if the loved one on a restricted diet eats less or
has a reduced appetite. Medications (and just getting older)
can vastly alter a person’s taste buds/preferences. |
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If you have family members who may be Diabetic or
must watch their sugar intake, Mason recommends surprising that person
by baking them a nice dessert, using “Splenda” for sweetening. Items
made with this sweetener can easily be mistaken for items made with
regular sugar. Items served at RCMI using “Splenda” include bread
pudding, gelatins, cakes, fruit pies, and cobblers, to name a few.
However, Mason cautions that even if such measures
are implemented and you serve a beautiful meal featuring wonderful
variety and flavor, don’t walk away with hurt feelings if your loved one
does not fully appreciate the menu. Medications can vastly alter a
person’s taste buds and preferences.
“Medications are a major contributor as to how our
residents especially evaluate their food for flavor, as well as their
intake,” states Mason.
“Some medications can dramatically alter a person’s
taste buds, such as leaving a metallic taste in your mouth. Others may
raise your sensitivity to different flavors such as saltiness,
bitterness, sweetness or spice. This sensitivity can therefore also
negatively affect your appetite. There are also certain foods or drinks
you should not eat while on a renal diet or taking blood thinning
medication, for example. The results of eating such ‘wrong’ foods or
drinks with certain medications might be as benign as a little gas, or
as dangerous as severe allergic reactions.”
If you find that an older loved one is eating less,
and it is not because they dislike the food, don’t be surprised if it is
simply because they want smaller portions.
“One item family members often overlook is portion
size,” Mason offers. “To the elderly, portion size is very important.
Many elderly eat very small portions. Some elderly will actually lose
their appetite if there is too much food on their plate.
"They simply do not require, nor desire, as much
food as a younger person does. Also, most elderly have been through
tough times growing up, and detest wasting any food by leaving it
uneaten on their plates.”
If you are still unsure as to what may or may not
be served to someone on a restricted diet, Mason highly recommends
speaking with a doctor, a registered dietarian, or a registered diet
technician (depending on their certification). Other good sources of
information available regarding restricted diets and recipes include the
Internet, specialized cook books and magazines, and the library.
If you or someone you love is considering moving
into a retirement community or facility that will be expected to provide
meals, make sure that you speak candidly with the community
representatives regarding your special diet needs. Confirm that they can
meet those needs, offer a wide variety of choices that are within your
requirements, have a dietician or nutritionist on hand to monitor
changes in your diet, and most importantly, feature an experienced Chef
and kitchen staff who practice the highest standards of food safety.
“Renaissance finds it Chef’s through a rigorous
hiring process that includes interviewing with the Corporate Food
Services Manager, the Food Services Regional Manager, and the Executive
Director of the specific facility,” reports Bill Milham, Executive Food
Services Director for Renaissance Premier Senior Living (managing RCMI
among other communities). “We also require that the applicant do a
cooking presentation for a complete meal. This meal is selected and
prepared as the applicant arrives at the facility, unaware of what
ingredients are available at the time he or she arrives. This requires
them to be very creative in food selection and presentation, developing
impromptu menus and recipes. Finally, all Renaissance Chefs are
‘ServSafe Certified,’ to ensure proper sanitation and safety training.”
Milham continued, “It is within Renaissance’s
Mission Statement that, ‘Through our passion and dedication, we continue
to forge ourselves as the visionary leader in senior living.’ We try to
accommodate the residents’ needs into our menus and planning at all of
our senior communities (including RCMI). I would recommend to any
potential resident to check out the food options that any retirement
community serves before moving in. Have a meal with the staff and
residents. Make sure that moving into a retirement community will mean
that your food choices are increased…even if your diet is restricted!”
Mason presents periodic cooking demonstrations and
shares favorite recipes with residents and guests.
 For
further information about these events, or the general meal service
options at Renaissance’s California Mission Inn in Rosemead, please all
Executive Director C.C. DeGraff at (626) 287-0438. To learn more about
Renaissance Premier Senior Living, please check: http://www.renaissancesl.com/.
Great Holiday
Recipe for ‘Restricted Diets’
By the Chefs at Renaissance Senior Living
This is a VERY easy and fairly quick, delicious and
festive Holiday meal. Accompanied by a nice winter greens salad with a
mandarin orange vinaigrette or a simple, al dente green vegetable and
you have a nice dinner.
Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin
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Pork Tenderloin
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1 bunch marjoram fresh
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1 bunch sage fresh
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5- 6 cloves garlic
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Nice olive oil
Pull out that food processor, Wash the fresh herbs
and pat dry, Remove leafs from the heavy stems, chop (in processor or
blender) garlic, marjoram and sage with a little of the oil until it is
finely chopped.
Trim the pork tender and liberally coat with the
herb mixture. If you can do this the night before it helps flavor the
tenderloin even more.
The tenderloin will take about 20 minutes in a
standard oven at 375. Convection ovens will cook 20% faster and you
should lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Cook until you have an
internal temperature of 150 degrees. Let stand for about 10 minutes
before slicing thinly on the bias.
This pork is wonderful on the grill and the smoke
gives it a great flavor!!!
Apple Sauté
Peel the apples, core and cut into wedges
This is where that wedge corer comes in handyJ
Start with a hot sauté pan a little clarified
butter.
Add the apples and let start to cook, add cinnamon,
touch of salt, and if desired a little maple syrup or brown sugar. Folks
you have to taste and add. That is the fun part. Cooking is not ¼
teaspoon of this and a tablespoon of that. Cook until apples are just
tender.
You can place the apple sauté in a serving dish
then place the sliced tenderloin over them, garnish and serve.
“Anna-Style” Sweet Potato
“Anna-Style” is thinly sliced usually on a slicer
or mandolin then the sweet potato is layered into a non-stick pan. A
little melted butter, chopped fresh sage and rosemary, salt and black
pepper.
Top with melted butter.
Bake until the sweet potatoes are tender! About 20
minutes.
If no cutter is available cut into even cubes and
bake in a baking pan with the seasonings. The only real difference is
the presentation!
Winter Greens Salad with Mandarin Orange
Vinaigrette
Ho Ho Ho… How simple!!!
3 mandarins will give you about ½ cup juice
Add about a ¼ cup good olive oil whisking
constantly add a touch of salt and white pepper and Voila… pretty decent
fun dressing!
Toss with your favorite greens, a mix or great with
just Butter Lettuce.
The theme here is FUN…Fresh products, easily
available fresh herbs, simplicity and having fun. Entertaining during
the holidays can and should be quick and enjoyable for all.
I used to make elaborate dinners for my guests
since I am a cook by trade. I would spend hours preparing and serving
then at the end of the evening, realize…I really did not truly visit.
Now I still like to impress but…I love to pour my guests a glass of wine
and get them involved with a simple dinner. Conversation flows and we
get to enjoy the company.
At one holiday party, I brewed coffee, served
cordials, gave the folks an apron and had them help me Stretch an apple
strudel. The oven was on and 20 minutes of conversation and coffee later
a wonderful hot dessert was served. Fresh Fruit and some melted
chocolate is another fun way to get your guests to make the dessert for
you J
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