The effect of occlusal condition on the mastication of 18 kinds of raw and cooked vegetables was studied to ease eating by the elderly. Vegetables which were difficult to eat by the elderly were fresh cucumber, boiled komatsuna, steamed sweet potato, and cherry tomato, the reasons cited being hardness, large slice and needing water to swallow. The young found it more difficult to eat bamboo shoot and spinach, and using more terminology to describe the physical properties of the foods. Based on their occlusal condition, the subjects were classified into five groups: group 1 containing all of young and a few elderly with good occlusal condition, to group 5 containing the elderly with the worst occlusal condition. This grouping was proved to correspond to the mastication time and number of chews. The elderly compensated for any difficulty in eating by prolonging the mastication time. It was found important to adapt the cooking method to the type of food to ensure ease of eating by the elderly.