The elderly has significantly lower metabolic rate and their bodies do not absorb nutrients as well as before. They should have lighter meals consisting of good proteins and complex carbohydrates.
Does that conjure up cooking of bland boring food?
It does not have to be that way... Ingredients such as Chinese mushrooms (fresh or dried), Chinese wolfberries, red dates, Chinese angelica root, and astragalus add complexity and interest to Chinese soups and are ideal for the elderly.
And if you do not feel like eating, drinking soup and nibbling some of the ingredients is a good alternative to get your nutrients and calories.
Common Chinese soup ingredients like carrot, potato and Chinese yam provide excellent source of carbohydrates while pork, poultry, eggs, provide proteins.
Herewith an easy pot of Herbal Fresh Fish Soup in Claypot..... this dish is so easy to cook.
Ingredients
1 fresh fish (700-800g), cut into pieces (or any fish that is good for the soup, I used Garoupa here)
1 tbsp oil
3 shallots, peeled
5 slices ginger
3 slices dang gui (angelica root)
50g dang shen (radix codonopsis), cut into short length
5 red dates, seeded
1 tbsp Chinese wolfberries
500ml water
Seasonings
1/4 tsp salt (or to your taste as the original recipe called for 1/2 tsp which is too salty already)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
Some chopped coriander leaves
METHOD
Heat up a claypot, pour in oil and saute shallots, sliced ginger until aromatic. Add in all ingredients and bring to boil. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
Add seasoning, fish and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top and serve hot with steamed rice.
