Abstract
Pureed diets are frequently prescribed for institutionalized elderly who have physical or psychological problems that impair eating activity. The purpose of this study was to determine if variations in method of preparation affected intake of pureed roast beef products for a group of eleven institutionalized elderly subjects residing in a selected long-term care facility. Subjects were 77 to 100 years; 73% had a medical diagnosis of some form of dementia. Four pureed roast beef products were prepared: P1 (roast beef with broth); P2 (roast beef/broth with added dehydrated potato flakes); P3 (roast beef/broth with added commercial thickener); and P4 (a commercial dehydrated beef product prepared according to manufacturer directions). Products were served at meal time with food intake measured by weighing the menu item before serving and subtracting the amount that was not consumed. Intake for each product was observed for three different trials for each subject over a 12-week period. Overall mean intake for products was as follows: P1 - 1.25oz, P - 1.58oz, P3 - 1.75oz and P4 - 1.80oz. The two products using commercial ingredients had the highest intakes while the roast beef with no thickener had the lowest intake. Analysis of variance with repeated measures showed significant differences in product intake for trial 3 but not for trials 1 and 2. Sensory testing of the same four products with a control group of 48 younger individuals (mean age 33) showed opposite results. This group had the highest overall preference for PI and lowest overall preference for P4. Of the four products, P4 had the highest calorie content due to added corn sweetener and sugar and was also the highest cost product. It is probable that both the incidence of dementia in the elderly group and the small sample size affected results. Taking into consideration cost, nutrient content and the small differences in intake, the P2 product is recommended as the best overall choice.
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