ABSTRACT
The U.S. prides itself as the “melting pot of the world.” This is reflected in many ways, from our fashions to our transportation choices to our food. Fast food, ranging from Southern fried anything to salad bars to stir-fried Chinese dishes, is readily available in most towns anywhere in this country with more than 10,000 residents. However, we forget how recent this phenomenon is and how much of it has been driven by the youth of the nation. A visit to the local fast food restaurant may find several elderly men drinking coffee and discussing world events, but few of them are eating food that is not some variation of steak and eggs with a side of fried potato covered with ketchup. These staples got them through years of hard work and are seldom replaced by soft drinks, flavored lattes, and rice. Although some have certainly embraced hamburgers as a more chewable substitute for steak, and some have even come to appreciate the piquante qualities of fresh salsa, most continue to enjoy good old-fashioned home cooking (even if it is done in a commercial kitchen rather than at home). Familiar food is enticing and comforting. This chapter summarizes research that shows health care providers why they should consider ethnic food preferences in diets of elderly people for whom they are making nutrition choices.
