New Meal Ideas for Seniors
By Greg Bechard
Food is a great motivator for most people—it satisfies more than just hunger. It brings people together, marks celebrations, inspires creativity, symbolizes tradition, and so much more. With age and its related factors, some of these motivations tend to decline. For many a senior, eating daily meals can become challenging due to a variety of reasons.
Ill-fitting dentures may affect how well an elderly adult eats. Some favourite foods may become painful to eat. Cooking for one or two people may also become boring. Loneliness or boredom can reduce appetite and make mealtime an unwelcome chore rather than a time to look forward to. If your loved one is in this spot, they may not be eating very well, and perhaps eating the same foods repeatedly. Is your senior taking in the proper nutrition?
Cooking for seniors requires ways to get the most mileage out of the ingredients. Meet this challenge by choosing foods that are nutrient-dense. Additionally, your loved one needs fresh fruits and vegetables as much as possible and to drink plenty of water to remain hydrated. Ensure your senior gets the proper nutrition by hiring a personal support worker to help with daily routines that keep senior adults living independently and engaged with the world.
Fresh Meal Ideas for Seniors
To help you get started, remember to look for recipe ideas that consist of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Eggs: Scrambled eggs are a mainstay of a nutritious diet. Build interest and flavour by including some additional nutrients with diced onions, mushrooms, spinach, fresh herbs, and chives. Other egg options include omelets, egg and cheese muffins, or golden fried rice.
- Fruit: Fresh fruit is an excellent choice to bring variety to your senior’s plate. Keep some handy and pre-cut to make things simple to put together. For example, pull together some sliced apples, pineapples, orange and pineapple sections, grapes, and melon balls. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and you have a healthy, delicious dessert!
- Pumpkin oatmeal: For cool fall and winter mornings, why not eat something warm and tasty like oatmeal with a twist? Pumpkin is a nutrient-rich food, and oats are high in dietary fiber.
- Beans: Get creative and enjoy a bean dip for lunch. Look for recipes that allow for dishes packed with flavour, such as a lemon-herb-cauliflower-bean dip. Or think about cauliflower, cannellini beans, tahini, and lemon zest, with herbs like rosemary and thyme. Another option with beans is a quinoa-black bean burrito bowl.
- Salmon: Give your loved one plenty of healthy omega-3 fats through salmon. Make the cooking process even easier by cooking a couple of fillets with veggies on a sheet pan in the oven. A healthy, nutrition-rich dinner is ready in less than 10 minutes!
Seek Quality Home Care for Seniors from Professionals
Your aging parents deserve nutritious meals to support their health and immune systems. Caring personal support workers from Home Instead Etobicoke, ON provide the help you seek when you cannot be around. Our caregivers are experienced and trained to support your loved one with medication management, cooking, bathing assistance, light housekeeping, companionship, and more. We tailor a home care service package based on your family member’s needs. You can go about your days knowing they are getting the best care, even when you are not available. Our goal is to help our clients live as independently as possible in their homes. Learn more when you contact us today.
Call us at (416) 239-2200 to schedule a no-obligation, in-home consultation. Learn more about the compassionate, quality senior care we deliver every day to families in All Etobicoke including: Kingsway, Mimico, Long Branch, Islington, Richview, The Community of Humber Heights, Rexdale, Markland Woods North York West including: Willowdale, Rexdale, Downsview, Humberwood, Weston, York University Heights, Humber Summit and areas in between..