Updated February, 2021
Eating a balanced diet is always important. But, doing so becomes even more critical as people age. Seniors often experience decreased appetite and have less interest in food. To make matters worse, eating can become difficult, especially due to teeth problems and related issues, which is why soft foods for seniors are crucial.
After all, good recipes make it much easier to eat healthily. The most powerful options are recipes that are packed full of nutrients and taste delicious too.
That’s where this list comes in. The featured recipes are all soft foods for seniors and they come from some amazing food bloggers. The recipes are a perfect fit for caregivers and for seniors because they taste great. No more boring soft food that is the same day after day.
Each entry has a link back to the site, where you can see the full recipe. Each author has many more recipes on their website as well, including others that might be perfect for your needs.
Of course, caregivers face their own challenges. Their busy schedules often mean that they have many distractions in the kitchen and are short on time. Check out our recommendations for keeping safe in the kitchen with these tips and tools.
Why not make things easy right from the beginning by using tools like these bottle can and jar grips? They help you to easily open cans and jars without straining your hands.
Delicious Soft Foods for Seniors
Classic French Omelette
I love this idea, partly because omelets are the ultimate soft food anyway. But, why make them boring? This recipe from Keto Connect uses an entirely different style, one that you mightn’t be familiar with. It’s a great way to make an omelet more interesting and the texture works exceptionally well.
Use this GripEZ grater to get a firm grip while you grate your zucchini or cheese.
Ultra Lazy Zucchini Ham Cheese Omelette
Here’s another omelet idea if you want a nice and healthy breakfast (or lunch). The grated zucchini is a fantastic way to get all the nutrition from the zucchini, while ensuring that the final dish is soft. Plus, it looks great on the plate.
Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes
Versatile meals are always a bonus and these potato cakes would be perfect for breakfast, lunch or a light dinner. The dish relies on leftover mashed potatoes as well, so they’re perfect if you cooked too many potatoes the night before. Personally, I love the way they look, along with how you can alter the ingredients to suit your needs.
110 Calorie Crustless Veggie Quiche
Quiche is an amazing dish that seems to work well no matter when you have it. You also end up with something that’s easy to eat. Removing the crusts makes it much softer as well, making it a perfect choice for this list. This recipe is also a great way to get extra veggies in the diet, while making sure everything is soft.
Healthy Chocolate Milkshake
Milkshakes are typically a treat food. But, a good shake can be powerful for nutrition too. Shakes like this are a good way to provide extra protein. They’re also very relevant for seniors who aren’t that interested in eating. After all, a sweet treat appeals to most people. As the name suggests, this is a healthy recipe too and is lower in calories than most other shakes. Plus, the protein comes from natural ingredients, not from protein powder.
Pour any of the shakes or smoothies featured in this article into these easy smoothie holders to reduce spills.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake
While we’re on the topic of shakes, here’s a second version to try. This one uses a different combination of ingredients and would be higher in calories. But, the recipe is also satisfying and a powerful source of protein. The two shakes are very different in their styles, so you’re likely to find that one fits your needs better than the other.
Skinny Vanilla Protein Milkshake
This milkshake version would be perfect for anyone who doesn’t like chocolate. It is a low carb shake and is also high in protein. The vanilla flavor sounds like it would be perfect, while the shake would be easy to drink. You could also skip the whipped cream and cherry for a lower calorie version.
Homemade Creamy Vegetable Soup
Despite the name (and the creaminess), this soup doesn’t use cream as an ingredient. Instead, it’s a perfect choice as a lighter meal, one that is very easy to prepare. The dish is also a great reminder that soup doesn’t have to be boring.
Lemon Orzo with Parmesan and Peas
This is a great recipe if you want a lunch or dinner that is simply a bit different. Orzo is a fantastic ingredient and it is incredibly easy to work with. While this recipe looks simple (and is easy to make!) it still has some interesting flavors. The recipe itself comes from Oh Sweet Basil and their Instagram account is another great place for inspiration.
One Pot Garlic Pasta
If you’re looking for a more conventional pasta recipe, this dish from Damn Delicious is the perfect choice. It’s designed to be made in a single pot, which means few dishes. The recipe makes great comfort food and is bound to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
High Protein Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are an age-old staple that most people love. This recipe (from Angela Liddon at Oh She Glows) takes them a step further, adding in extra protein and fiber to create a nutritious dish. The potatoes would be perfect for seniors who aren’t getting enough protein or those that don’t eat as often as they should. Plus, they’re very soft.
Leave the smashing to your machines and save your hands. Several food processors, like this one, do a fine job for smaller serving sizes.
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
While we’re on the topic of potatoes, this potato casserole is another fun recipe to try. It involves more flavors than the previous entry and might even make a meal on its own. The flavors make this a great comfort dish and it is perfect for leftovers too.
Roasted Caramelized Root Vegetables
These vegetables aren’t really a meal on their own – although, they would make a nice snack. More importantly, they’re a great way to ensure your root vegetables are soft every time. You can also change the vegetables around based on whatever you have available. The recipe itself comes from Leite’s Culinara, which is also a great source of other dishes and meal ideas.
Mushroom and Leek Risotto
This recipe is both vegan and gluten-free. But, more than that, it’s cheesy, creamy and comforting – all at once. It’s also much more interesting than a traditional risotto and includes some unusual flavors. The meal is bound to be a hit. Like the other items on this list, it’s also very easy to eat.
Easy Lemon Baked Tilapia
Fish is a common soft food choice, with good reason. Cook it right and the fish will fall apart easily. Just make sure you get rid of any bones first. This recipe is a perfect example of how you can make fish for your family. It’s very easy to prepare and the recipe link even includes a step-by-step video demonstration.
Pulled Pork
This pulled pork recipe is perfect for so many different situations. You could serve it along with veggies and mashed potatoes, or it could go just as well on a soft bun. Whatever approach you take, this recipe ensures that you get soft pork every time with minimal effort.
Turkey Meatloaf
When you’re looking at soft foods for seniors, meatloaf is often a popular choice – but it can sometimes be boring. This recipe is an exception to that rule and is filled with flavor. The use of turkey makes this a less dense recipe than normal too. It’s also good for anyone who isn’t a fan of red meat.
Cottage Pie
Cottage pie is another traditional soft food, although it’s not as common in the United States. This offers an entire meal in one dish, with soft mashed potatoes and minced beef in tasty sauce. The whole thing just works well and looks fantastic when you serve it.
Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This final recipe is a little more unusual, which is never a bad thing. It uses the flavors of a chicken enchilada but in a casserole form. The recipe also provides many substitutions and add-ins that you can try to make it more interesting still. This one is bound to be a hit, especially for anyone who struggles with milder flavors.
Final Thoughts
These meals show one general theme, that soft food doesn’t have to be boring. And, it really doesn’t. Soft meals can still look and taste good.
Recipes can always be adjusted too, to suit the needs and preferences of whoever you are cooking for. The authors featured in this list all have many other recipes on their sites. Those recipes aren’t all for soft foods but many of them will be. If nothing else, their sites are great sources of inspiration and guidance.
You can also look at our List of Soft Foods that Seniors Can Eat for more general ideas about soft food for seniors. That list doesn’t focus on recipes. Instead, it highlights common types of meals that can be very powerful.
If you’re simply trying to improve quality of life, check out our post on Practical Ways to Make Caregiving Easier. This highlights various services and tools that can help reduce strain and stress for you and your family member. Many of the options apply to part-time caregivers as well and for seniors who live on their own.
Make Life Even Easier With Powerful Kitchen Tools & Cookbooks
See Them Here
