Appraisal of 4 Months’ Consumption of Nutrient-Dense Foods within the Daily Feeding Pattern of Frail Elderly

Abstract

Objectives: The appraisal and acceptance of micronutrient-dense versus identical regular foods among frail elderly are described. Methods:Four types of dairy and four types of fruit products, either enriched with multiple micronutrients or not, were consumed by 150 frail elders for 4 months. In the first 2 and last 2 weeks of the intervention, hedonic aspects were assessed. Afterward, evaluation forms were completed. Results:At the start, small but consistent differences existed between the enriched and the regular foods concerning the scores on pleasantness, desire to eat the product, and attitude toward the product. At the end, those ratings dropped slightly or stayed equal. Significant differences between groups emerged from the overall evaluation score: 6.4 ± 1.6 and 7.7 ± 1.7 respectively ( p< .001). Discussion:Optimization of the hedonic parameters of nutrient-dense foods and major long-term attention for application in the daily elderly feeding pattern is of essential importance.