CSMU Nutrition Students Design Senior-Friendly Meals Inspired by Festive Flavors

As Taiwan enters a super-aging society, ensuring that older adults can eat safely, nutritiously, and with enjoyment has become an important healthcare issue. The Department of Nutrition at Chung Shan Medical University (CSMU) recently held a Senior-Friendly Dining Competition, encouraging students to design texture-modified meals that meet the dietary needs of older adults.

The competition was based on a realistic scenario involving an 86-year-old individual with limited chewing ability and multiple chronic conditions. Students were required to adjust food textures and cooking methods while balancing nutrition, safety, and palatability, and to explain their design concepts during the competition.

Drawing inspiration from festivals, childhood memories, and everyday life, students created senior-friendly dishes in a variety of culinary styles, including Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong–style, and Western cuisine. Throughout the process, students paid close attention to texture, flavor, aroma, and visual presentation, aiming to preserve a satisfying dining experience for older adults.

Two teams were selected for outstanding performance. One team refined traditional Hong Kong–style dishes through repeated texture adjustments, while another focused on classic home-style cuisine, successfully developing soft, easy-to-eat dishes that received high praise from the judges.

The course instructor noted that the competition integrated problem-based and practice-oriented learning, guiding students to think from the perspective of older adults and to recognize that senior-friendly nutrition is not only a technical skill, but also a form of care. Students shared that the experience deepened their understanding of how thoughtful meal design can directly improve quality of life for older adults and strengthened their interest in elderly health and nutrition care.