Category: Nutrition and Seniors

If you are caring for your elderly loved one, you will need to have a talk with them about their nutrition. There are far too many senior citizens who aren’t getting the nutrition they need. Some elderly people will eat too much junk food. Other elderly people might not eat enough food at all. Your elderly loved one might have another problem with the way or how much they eat. It is important that you learn to recognize if your elderly loved one has a nutrition issue. If they have home care providers, make sure those providers let you know if there is a problem. If there is a nutrition issue, there are some things you can do to help.

Regular Refrigerator Cleaning

From time to time, you might need to help your elderly loved one by cleaning out their refrigerator, cabinet, or pantry. You should look for any food that is past the expiration date. In the refrigerator, you should clean out any leftovers that weren’t made in the last couple of days. If there are condiments or other foods in the fridge that are old, those should be thrown out, too. There are many elderly people who are eating rotten or old food and getting sick. If you or a home care provider help your elderly loved one to regularly clean out their refrigerator, this can be prevented.

Grocery Shopping Assistance

You or the home care provider could also help your elderly loved one with grocery shopping. Your loved one might have nutrition issues because they can’t read the labels on the food they buy. They might not know what foods are the best for them. You can either go shopping with your elderly loved one or go for them. It might be best to sit with your loved one to make a list of groceries. You will need to get foods they are going to eat or it will defeat the purpose of having them eat healthier.

Doctor’s Appointment

You might need to talk to your elderly loved one’s doctor, as well. For instance, if your loved one is losing a lot of weight because they won’t eat much, it might be more than just stubbornness. Your elderly loved one might have a health condition that is causing their lack of appetite. The doctor might need to run some tests to determine what is going on with your elderly loved one.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why your elderly loved one might not be eating healthy, not eating enough, or eating too much. If there is an issue with your elderly loved one’s nutrition, these are some of the things that you can do to help.

Sources
https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/nutrition-age/older-individuals

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Maple Grove, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.

The best diet is one that meets goals for fiber, protein, antioxidants, and calcium intake. It’s one where saturated fats, preservatives, and added sugars are avoided. September is Better Breakfast Month. Find out what steps you can take to make sure your dad is starting his day off in the best way. Greens for breakfast is one way to do this.

Why Greens?

Leafy greens contain essential nutrients like beta carotene, vitamin E, folate, and lutein. They include kale, spinach, collard greens, dandelion greens, watercress, Swiss chard, and cabbage.

Greens are packed with antioxidants and may have inflammatory properties, too. A Memory and Aging Study found that people who had a full serving of daily greens every day had slower cognitive decline than those who skipped greens.

That’s just one chronic health condition that may be eased by a daily diet that’s rich in leafy greens. Arthritis and heart disease are others. It’s recommended that people eat two cups of leafy greens raw or cooked each day. By the time you cook two cups of leafy greens, they’ll shrink to a cup but that counts as the full serving.

Easy Ways to Incorporate Leafy Greens in Breakfast Items

Make sure your dad is eating enough leafy greens by starting his morning with a serving. If he’s not a big eater when he first gets up, you could make a breakfast smoothie with frozen blueberries, baby spinach, and cranberry juice that doesn’t contain added sugar. Add kefir or yogurt for a boost of calcium.

If he will eat a full meal, toast a whole-grain English muffin. Saute two cups of leafy greens in olive or walnut oil and add a clove of garlic. Split that over each English muffin half. Place a poached egg on top of the greens and drizzle with a little lemon aioli. It’s a healthier take on Eggs Benedict. If he has to have meat, uncured turkey bacon is ideal.

Make a quiche out of egg whites, chopped fresh spinach, grated low-fat cheddar, green onions, and red peppers. You can make it a crustless quiche or use wholewheat pastry dough.

Finally, you could serve a salad for breakfast. Top leafy greens with fresh peaches, strawberries, and roasted almonds. Drizzle it with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

What are some of the other ways to help your dad stay healthy and happy? Make sure he has companionship. If he’s alone every day, he may feel lonely and bored. That will impact his health. Elder care services include everything from companionship services to meal preparation.

Your dad has an elder care aide to take him shopping, play games with him on rainy afternoons, or cook his meals. A caregiver can make sure he’s starting his day with a filling, nutritious breakfast that contains a full serving of leafy, green vegetables.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5772164/

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in St. Paul, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.