Lettuce Salads

Salads seem to be an uncommon part of the senior diet. Lettuce can be hard to chew and swallow, and it wasn't a common food back in the day when our current old folks were youngin's.(Click for Brief Salad History)

In previous homes I've worked in, dinner salads were unheard of, and the salad bar's lettuce and fresh vegetables would go unnoticed next to canned beets, jello and fruit cocktails.

One of my grandfather's chief complaints about senior food was lack of lettuce. He had quite the palate for an 80-sum year-old.  Other than enjoying a giant cookie and beer that my mother would sneak into his nursing facility, he loved a fresh crisp salad. And I know there are more seniors out there with taste buds like Papa Bob.

At my current place of work, we make entre salads at least once a week and small side salads almost daily, with few complaints.

Several of my residents are missing entire sets of teeth, which make chewing rather difficult. For these residents, and others with chewing and swallowing problems, I chop the lettuce or salad greens up very small. For seniors I chop it up small anyways, but for these special cases I mean really tiny. And then I chop up all the toppings just as little. Presentation is still important though, (you eat with your eyes before you eat with your mouth) so I arrange the confetti of toppings on in an attractive manner.

So don't let a few sour apples spoil salads for everyone.  I have one resident who won't eat lettuce, but she'll eat the rest of the salad, so I make her a special plate without it. If you're working in a community, I urge you to give it a try and see how it goes over. Get feedback. If you're cooking for less, say a parent, grandparent or personal client, ask them how they feel about salads- see what they like and don't like about them. We're here cater to their dietary desires, and it's easy to make a few adjustments.

A note about...
Onions: Lots of people in the general public do not like raw onions. The senior population is no different. Be wary.
Bell Peppers: I've heard complaints from several elderly residents that these wreak havoc on their digestive systems. Use sparingly.
The Foundation: There is so much more variety of amazing greens on which to build your salad than iceberg lettuce. Try spinach, mixed greens, romaine, bib lettuce, and others- they actually all have unique flavors and textures.

24-Hour Salad

This is my grandmother's recipe; Grandma Joan makes 24-hour salad for every special occasion, and always has. I think it is just the most awful creation ever (except maybe for a similar version my father's wife's grandmother makes- with peas!) It's one of those things I would put on my plate at Christmas and scoot under the other left-overs to make it look like I had eaten it. Everyone from my parents generation and younger feels the same way. I never would have imagined in a million years that I'd be asking for the recipe.

With that being said...

I work with old people. And I worked this Christmas, and I wanted to make a special meal. So I called up my grandma and asked her for this recipe. Boy did they love it! I had compliments left and right, "I haven't had this salad for years!" and "I wish we had things like this more often!"

So here it is, Grandma Joan's 24-Hour Salad...

(I never use the almonds, and neither does grandma, but when she passed on the recipe, it was in there. I've also had a hard time finding white cherries, so I use red, which are prettier anyways)


24-Hour Salad
Courtesy of Grandma Joan


ingredients:
2 cups white cherries (Royal-Ann, pitted & halved )
2 cups diced pineapple
2 cups quartered orange sections
2 cups quartered marshmallows (or mini)
1/4 lb. almonds, blanched and chopped (optional)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup light cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice    
1 cup heavy cream, whipped   
1 tsp gelatin

procedure: 

Combine well-drained fruit, marshmallows and nuts if using.

Soften 1 tsp gelatin in small amount of the fruit juice, set aside. 

Beat eggs until light; gradually add sugar, cream and lemon juice.  Mix thoroughly and cook over a double boiler until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. Mix in gelatin. Cool, then fold in whipped cream.  Pour over fruit mixture and mix lightly.   

Chill for 24 hours.