Protein content of puréed diets: implications for planning

Texture-modified diets offered in long-term care (LTC) facilities are often prepared from the regular menu, planned using Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. The appropriateness of protein levels of puréed diets in LTC facilities was determined.

Protein content was measured in 29 duplicate diets, collected from 20 urban LTC facilities in Saskatchewan (SK) and Ontario (ON). Mealtime puréed food intakes of 20 LTC residents were assessed. The target protein levels were calculated as estimated average requirements plus one or two standard deviations of intake, thus allowing for moderate (16%) or low (2.5%) risk of inadequacy, respectively.

The duplicate diets provided 57.9 +/- 7.9 and 85.4 +/- 31.1 g/day of protein in SK and ON, respectively. Protein intake of SK LTC residents consuming puréed food averaged 54 +/- 19 g/day. Only 43% of the SK puréed diets provided more than 59 g/day of protein and none provided more than 78 g/day; in contrast, 87% and 40% of ON puréed diets provided more than 59 and 78 g/day of protein, respectively.

In-house prepared puréed diets do not consistently provide sufficient protein levels to ensure a low risk of inadequacy for the LTC residents consuming these diets.