Browsing by Author "Leppänen, Pipsa"

Aims. The purpose of this study was to find out the food choices related to the main meal of the day for the elderly, what factors can be found in the background of the choices, and the attitude of the elderly towards counseling related to food choices. The theoretical framework is based on previous research on food choice, aging and nutrition in the elderly. The concept of food sense is used in the study as one of the supporting concepts of the analysis, and the research questions have been guided by Belasco's (2008) food choice triangle, where the concepts are identity, responsibility and suitability. The main questions of the study are: 1. What food choices do seniors make with the main meal of the day? 2. How do older people justify their food choices? 3. How do older people experience food counseling? Methods. The data were collected by interviewing six retirees over the age of 65. Participants in the study prepared their own meals for the day and independently took care of arranging their own food supply and purchasing food supplies. Two of the participants in the study were men and four were women, among them one couple. The research material was analyzed using the content analysis of the qualitative research. Results and conclusion. The food choices of the main meal of the day were influenced by taste, health, price and reasonableness. The food that was prepared was traditional home cooking. The food was prepared by the participants themselves, and decisions on food choices were made independently by the participants, taking into account general food recommendations and their own state of health. The factors explaining the food choices were one's own taste preferences, the utilization of seasonal raw materials and the suitability of the raw materials for one's own diet. There was not perceived a need for actual nutrition counseling. Information coming through the media was perceived as contradictory and confusing.