Constipation is a common symptom of the digestive system and the most common digestive disorder in the elderly. If there is no bowel movement for more than 2 days, it is considered constipation. Elderly people are more prone to constipation due to their weak abdominal muscles and weakened smooth muscles in the intestines. Below are a few recommended dietary therapy recipes for elderly constipation to regulate the spleen and stomach.
Recipe 1: Pork and Vegetable Rice
Ingredients: 500g rice, 750g Chinese cabbage (or spinach and other green vegetables), 100g cooked lard, 12g salt.
Method: Remove impurities from the rice and wash it thoroughly. Soak it in water for 1-2 hours. Peel off the old leaves and hard stems of the Chinese cabbage, wash it, and cut it into 3-4 cm long pieces. Heat a pot and add half of the cooked lard. Stir-fry the Chinese cabbage for 3-5 minutes. Add salt and stir-fry evenly. Add water and bring it to a boil. Add the washed rice and bring it to a boil again. While cooking, gently push the rice along the edges of the pot with a spatula for 8-10 minutes. When the rice grains are swollen and the water is almost dry, spread out the rice and poke a few small holes in it with chopsticks (poke all the way through). Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. When serving, mix in the remaining cooked lard and serve in bowls.
Benefits: Moistens the intestines and promotes bowel movements. Suitable for elderly constipation.
Recipe 2: Steamed Vegetarian Dumplings
Ingredients: 500g flour, 500g jute stems (or bamboo shoots), 100g dried tofu, 50g gluten, 30g dried black fungus, 25g roasted sesame seeds, 50ml peanut oil, 25ml sesame oil, 5g salt, 30g sugar, 5g MSG.
Method: Place the flour in a bowl and gradually add water while stirring with a wooden stick. Knead it into a dough and let it cool. Divide the dough into small pieces weighing 8-10g each. Squeeze out the water from the jute stems (peeled and washed), dried tofu, and black fungus, and chop them into small pieces. Heat a wok, add peanut oil, and heat it until it's 70% hot. Add the jute stems and dried tofu and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, soy sauce, and a little water, and cook until the flavor is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Add the black fungus, gluten, MSG, sugar, roasted sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Mix well to make the filling. Flatten the dough pieces into round wrappers. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper and shape them into crescent-shaped dumplings. Arrange the dumplings in a steamer and steam over high heat for about 8 minutes.
Benefits: Moistens the intestines and promotes bowel movements. Suitable for elderly constipation.
Recipe 3: Cloud Bun
Ingredients: 500g fermented dough, 5g alkali, 50g cooked lard.
Method: Place the fermented dough on the chopping board, spread it out, and add the alkali water. Knead until well mixed. Roll it into a large rectangle and spread a layer of cooked lard on top. Roll it up and knead it into round buns weighing 50g each. Let them rest for about 10 minutes. Place the buns in a steamer and steam over high heat for about 20 minutes.
Benefits: Moistens the intestines and promotes bowel movements. Suitable for elderly constipation.
Recipe 4: Frog and Abalone
Ingredients: 120g abalone, 60g minced chicken, 2 eggs, 15g dried shiitake mushrooms, 15g dried yulan slices, 30g dried fish maw, 28 peas, appropriate amount of hair moss, 180ml clear soup, MSG, 15ml cooking wine, 6g cooked lard, 9ml chicken oil, 12g wet cornstarch, 3g flour, salt.
Method: Beat the egg whites until frothy. Mix them with minced chicken, salt, and cooking wine (6ml) to make a chicken paste. Cut the dried shiitake mushrooms, dried yulan slices, ham, and dried fish maw into thin strips. Cut the abalone in half from the bottom opening, without breaking it, and make a slit at the joint between the top and bottom shells. Stuff the chicken paste into the opening and use peas as eyes. Place some hair moss in the middle. Steam until cooked. Blanch the four kinds of strips in boiling water, then blanch them in 60ml of clear soup. Remove and place on a plate. Arrange the steamed abalones on top of the strips. Place a wok on the stove, add 120ml of clear soup, bring it to a boil, and add MSG, cooking wine (9ml), and a little salt. Thicken with wet cornstarch (9g) and pour chicken oil (9ml) on top. Pour the sauce over the dish.
Benefits: Nourishes the liver and kidneys, moistens dryness, and promotes bowel movements. Suitable for elderly constipation, tinnitus, dizziness, and hypertension caused by liver and kidney yin deficiency.
