﻿Is protein powder safe for my elderly grandmother? - AgingCare.com

She's losing strength pretty badly, making it hard to do steps or even walk very far, even with her walker. I guess because the muscle's wasting away, her joints end up hurting a lot too, which makes her not want to move much ... which probably causes even more muscle loss. I know protein is key to keep muscle on, but she doesn't eat all that much... meat is too hard to chew and she's allergic to dairy so milk is out too. The only other way I know to get protein in would be a protein shake, I know there's dairy free protein powders, but I'm not sure if a protein supplement for a 90 year old is a good idea anyway. I found a list of protein powders good for older people and they say older people need more protein apparently than young people, which I guess makes sense, but I still am not totally comfortable with giving a sports supplement like protein powder to an older, semi-bedridden lady, especially when her digestion can be very sensitive. Do any of those protein powders look OK, or is this whole idea a bad idea in general? Thank you so much for your help! :)

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I like the plant based protein drinks. No dairy. You should add a fiber that mixes clear to give her enough fiber. Check the label for how much fiber and protein is in each powder. Again plant based is better. Use an almond milk to mix. You can also use fresh fruits or green veggies and nut butters and coconut oil in the drink. Blueberries are great. Actually any berry. They also have more fiber. Some people like a banana. It's actually one of the healthiest things any of us can eat. You can add avocado as a healthy fat as well. If you soak the nuts and seeds overnight before blending they are healthier. Flax seeds, hemp, chia, Brazil nuts, cashews all are great in a shake and very healthy. No peanuts.
Make sure she's getting vit d3 and fish oil.
Also ask her dr to order her physical therapy. They will evaluate her and help her get stronger.
Let us know what you try and how she likes it.
Oh yes , You can buy some individual packets to try before investing in a larger quantity.
Helpful Answer (2)

There are a myriad of protein choices that are easy to eat and non dairy. First, is she truly allergic or simply lactose intolerant... there are still lots of dairy options available for the lactose intolerant. Meats can be served finely minced and moistened or pureed, either on their own or incorporated into casseroles, stews and soups. Don't forget that broth is a good protein source as well. Eggs are usually easy to eat, scrambled, devilled, in a sandwich or a custard.... There are non dairy soy and nut beverages that can be consumed as is or incorporated into baked goods and smoothies. Don't forget tofu, silken tofu blended with fruit makes a yummy yogurt like pudding.
As for protein powders, I found most of the non dairy ones were rather unpleasant tasting and for my mom they were constipating.
Helpful Answer (1)

LotusLilly, back years ago I needed to take in more protein and to gain weight... I found using Carnation Breakfast mix worked pretty good for me. I am also lactose intolerant, thus I use Lactaid Milk which taste like real milk but without the lactose. Those Carnation mixes worked fine with me, even though there might be milk-protein power in the mix. You can try a half packet with Lactaid Milk and see if Grandmother's stomach will accept it or not.
Helpful Answer (1)


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