Many seniors gravitate toward heavily processed foods because they are easy to pop in the microwave or oven. They require no prep work, which can make them enticing to people who no longer want to cook. Unfortunately, if a senior is determined to age in place, they need to start focusing on their diet more than before. Eating healthy is crucial for your senior. If you find that your senior is eating heavily processed foods, it may be time to look into finding the right home care companion. These are professionals who can sometimes help prepare fresh foods for a senior that offer more nutritional value than processed dinners. Here are some of the most realistic ways to start limiting processed foods.
Start Keeping Snacks on Hand
If your senior has a home care provider, allow them to pre-make certain snack foods. Have them cut up broccoli bites, cook hard boiled eggs, and prep fruits to snack on throughout the day. Try to avoid going for processed and packaged foods and limiting the amount of sugary snacks in the house.
Drinking Water Can Curb Cravings
One of the best tricks to stop cravings or even feeling hungry is to drink more water. Many seniors forget to drink water throughout the day, which can actually be dangerous. Home care can help watch how much a senior drinks and also ensure a glass of water is always by your senior. Help your seniors avoid sugary drinks that are low in nutritional value.
Meal Prep
When meals are prepared in advance, either with the help of home care or a family member, seniors have more options for food and snacks. This can help limit the amount of processed foods they eat and instead go for something that has been made and is fresher with more nutritional value. Foods made in advance oftentimes have more nutrition in them and are just as easy for a senior to heat up as processed foods.
Add In More Vegetables
One of the best tricks to teach your seniors is to shop on the outskirts of the grocery store. This is where the freshest foods are that are less processed. They should stick to fresh fruits, veggies, multi-grain fresh breads, and meat from the butcher. Adding in more vegetables that can be eaten cooked or raw is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of packaged foods a senior eats daily.
Stay Away From Cans
Cans are one of the easiest things to grab at the grocery store, but they are not always the most nutritious. There are times when canned goods can hold nutritional value, especially if you can’t get anything fresh during the season. But overall, a senior should try to eat seasonally and focus on foods with high nutritional value.
Start Small
Cutting out processed foods may seem like an easy process for you, but for a senior who has been eating the same way for years at a time, it can be a huge deal. The most important thing is to get them help where it’s needed and to encourage them to take smaller steps.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care in Culver City, CA please contact the caring staff at Alpha Care today. Call 888-740-7023
Alpha Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Palos Verdes, Culver City, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Lynwood, Rolling Hills, Malibu, Glendale, and the surrounding areas.
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