AVALIAÇÃO DO CONSUMO ALIMENTAR DE IDOSOS INSTITUCIONALIZADOS, DA CIDADE DE CARMO DA CACHOEIRA - MG

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the food consumption of institutionalized elderly people in the city of Carmo da Cachoeira, Minas Gerais, Brazil, representing an important work, in a nutritional research perspective of a significant proportion of the elderly in the municipality. An analysis was made of the consumption of micro and macronutrients consumed daily by the individuals investigated. In addition to providing information on the nutritional quality of the subjects involved, a social function was also fulfilled: to point out ways to adopt menus that could more accurately compose the food base of the investigated elderly. The rest-ingestion method was used, which consists in relating the rest of the food that is returned by the elderly and the amount of food and preparations that were offered. Therefore, the only institution, Lar São Vicente de Paula, which welcomes elderly people in the municipality, was receptive to the research, as well as, demonstrated interest in using the results as a source to adequately balance the meals of its users, since there are several the factors that interfere in the feeding of the elderly. At the end of the research, it was verified that the elderly do not adequately ingest the necessary nutrients for good nutrition: micro and macronutrients.