Introduction:

Emotions are a conditioning factor in the feeding process of the elderly.

Objective:

To understand the emotional significance of food in a group of elderly people from the Hualpén commune, Chile, during 2016.

Materials and methods:

Qualitative study with a phenomenological approach. Information was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The responses were analyzed using the content analysis technique, considering triangulation and informant methods.

Results:

The consumption of traditional dishes is specially regarded as a token of appreciation, memories and regulation of positive or negative moods. The motherly figure is considered by the interviewees as relevant in the expression of emotions related to the feeding process.

Conclusion:

The feeding process, especially represented by traditional dishes, enables older people to perceive positive emotions, as it allows them to recall positive memories, express their affection and control their mood in conflict situations that arise in their daily lives.

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