Healthy eating is important at any stage of life. It is just that much more important to the health and wellbeing of our seniors. If you have a senior loved one living with you or independently, you want to make sure they eat healthily and have a good diet. For National Nutrition Month, we at Angels on Call put together some ways you and your senior can ensure they eat healthily.
Cook at home.
A healthy diet starts with healthy eating – something that is very hard to do when you eat out. Even if you’re not eating fast food, eating out all the time is costly, both for your pocketbook and your diet. To ensure that your senior eats healthy meals, help them prepare home meals balanced to their nutritional needs.
Watch portions.
Portion control is another important part of healthy eating. It also ensures that you don’t have extra food go to waste. By keeping portion sizes small to moderate, you ensure that your senior doesn’t over-eat or become frustrated by having too much food. You also give room for the kind of variation that is important to healthy eating.
Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
When you portion out food, ensure that half of the plate is made up of fruits and vegetables. This will ensure your senior receives the healthy vitamins and minerals they need naturally from food and reduce the number of unhealthy fats and sugars that can come from other foods.
Vary proteins.
Proteins are a vital part of your senior’s diet and different sources can provide additional value as well. Rotate the proteins they eat with each meal to ensure they receive as much benefit from these foods as possible. Make sure that beans and seafood are part of the rotation in addition to lean meats and poultry.
Stay hydrated.
Drinking plenty of water is important to healthy living. To ensure that your senior has a healthy diet, make sure they drink plenty of water throughout the day, including with meals.
Limit sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars.
Healthy eating means limiting sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. Each of these presents health risks to seniors, so reducing them from your loved one’s diet is important.
Help your senior stay active.
Activity is important to creating a healthy appetite. Help your senior loved one stay active with exercise, walking, and other activities.
Work with your senior’s doctor or dietician.
If your senior has special food needs or allergies, work with their doctor or dietician to create a healthy diet. Food allergies or special needs can reduce meal choices and make meal preparation a chore. If you can plan for those needs, however, that will alleviate frustration and lead to healthier eating.
Home Care in Philadelphia from an Angel
Do you or your loved one need home care services in Philadelphia or surrounding areas? We offer a wide range of services to help seniors and those with special needs live their best lives. Contact us to set up an appointment and we will match you with one of our Angels or help you choose your Angel as part of the PAS program.
