Food intake can be affected by loss of teeth, poor mental state, stroke and declined swallowing function. After being assessed by a speech therapist, a patient may need to follow a liquid diet with the food minced and processed, namely the “pureed meals”, so that the patient can eat safe without chewing. Ms Amy Yeung, Dietitian of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council, said that “pureed meals” owing to the uninviting appearance and lack of texture of pureed meals, some people refuse to eat and therefore become unhealthy.

As such, Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council (SKH) has created the pureed “Care Cuisine” filled with love for the resident elders. Pureed fish, meat and vegetables are processed and arranged to be a milky-white fish and a piglet in flesh colour. The “Care Cuisine” not only retains the nutrients, but also improves the appearance and texture of the food.

Amy said when the “Care Cuisine” was first introduced. SKH found that it has cheered the elders up, engaged their interest in food and prompted them to eat more. Their family members are also delighted to see that much thought has been put into the meals. After two weeks to a month the debut of the “Care Cuisine”, the elders have gained weight and muscle strength and become bright and cheerful. These are matters of nutrition. From the perspective of speech therapy, they have become fond of food and shown improved oral muscle movement.