Almost everyone enjoys eating delicious ice cream in the summer. Cool ice cream is refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. It’s also a great dessert on a warm summer evening. But for seniors who are struggling to manage their weight ice cream is something that should be avoided. Home care providers can help monitor the foods that your loved one eats with healthy choices.
There are more than 15 million seniors that are clinically considered obese. And even more that are overweight. Being overweight or obese can significantly increase a senior’s risk of health problems like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
But seniors don’t have to choose between their favorite cool summer treat and eating healthy. These sweet and cold ice cream alternatives are perfect for summer. Some of them can even be made at home by seniors or their home care provider.
The best ice cream alternatives for summer are:
Mashed Banana Frozen
Mashed bananas may not sound delicious, but they really are. And this frozen treat is easy to make. It’s a fantastic way to use up bananas that are getting soft. Seniors, or a home care provider, just need to blend several ripe or overripe bananas with some milk in a blender or food processor.
Add a couple of spoonfuls of a sugar alternative or add some natural honey for sweetness. Then add in some chopped-up fruit, nuts, or any other additives.
Blend everything together and then freeze in a bowl or jar. It’s still a sweet delicious cold dessert but with a lot fewer calories and fat than ice cream.
Fruit Juice Bars With Fruit
Another easy and delicious summer treat is fruit bars. Popsicle-making sets are inexpensive and easy to find so they’re a great thing to keep in the house. Fill popsicle molds with a blend of delicious healthy fruit juices.
Orange juice goes with many different kinds of juice. And plain cranberry juice is a good way to add tartness to popsicles while also protecting bladder health. Put some sliced fruit in the popsicle mold too and freeze. In a few hours, there will be naturally sweet fruit pops to enjoy.
Frozen Greek Yogurt
Seniors who are trying to get more protein can get protein and the cold sweet snack they want at the same time. Just take some low-sugar Greek yogurt with fruit in it, mix it in a blender with some milk or half and half, and freeze it. Many seniors like to portion it into small bowls or single-serve cups so they can grab a low-calorie, high-protein, cold snack on a hot day.
Shaved Ice Prepared with Home Care Help
Shaved ice is something any senior can enjoy. Making shaved ice is easy for seniors that have an ice maker. Seniors that don’t have an ice maker can buy pre-shaved ice. Or they can buy an ice shaver that will expertly shave ice from the freeze. Add in some simple syrup, fruit, or flavored syrups from the grocery store to make the perfect summer afternoon treat.
Sources: https://hpi.georgetown.edu/obesity2/#
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/ice-cream-gelato-sorbet-your-best-frozen-treat-fixes/