Making nutritious meals and making sure those meals are correctly portioned is something that seniors who are living alone often struggle with. The kitchen can be a dangerous place for seniors. Spills on the floor can cause them to fall. And there’s a high risk of spills when seniors are trying to carry heavy containers of milk, jars, and other items back and forth from the cupboard or fridge to the counter. Elder care services are a great option to help seniors prepare healthy delicious meals.
Elder care providers help seniors with all aspects of meal preparation including planning and shopping. Your senior parent can do as much of the cooking and preparation as they want to do and the elder care provider will do the rest. And after the meal is done the senior care provider will make sure the leftovers are portioned out and stored perfectly for future meals and snacks.
Home care helps seniors continue to live independently at home. And so can these meal prep tips that seniors can use to make delicious meals safely:
Simplify Recipes
Make sure your senior parent has a cookbook that features simple recipes with common ingredients so they can make healthy meals that don’t require a lot of preparation. You can also simplify some of your senior parent’s favorite recipes so that they are easier for your senior parent to make. One-pot meals, slow-cooker meals, and casseroles are all fantastic easy meals for seniors to make even if they have issues like poor grip strength or poor manual dexterity.
Pre-Chopped and Prepped Ingredients
Buy pre-chopped and already prepped ingredients like washed lettuce, salad greens, chopped onions, and chopped vegetables like carrots. Buy pre-sliced and boiled potatoes. A pound of cooked pulled rotisserie chicken is great for seniors to pop into salads, soups, and other dishes. These prepared foods may cost a little more but the convenience is worth the extra cost.
Adaptive Kitchen Tools
Invest in adaptive kitchen tools designed for seniors or people with disabilities. Ergonomic utensils, easy-grip handles, and specialized cutting boards can make chopping and handling ingredients more accessible. Also buy kitchen gadgets that simplify tasks, such as jar openers or electric can openers.
Cook In Batches And Freeze
Plan for batch cooking sessions where multiple servings of a meal are prepared at once. This minimizes the frequency of meal prep and ensures a ready supply of nutritious options. Store the prepared meals in portioned containers for easy reheating. Many dishes that seniors like are very easy to prepare in large quantities so you can portion the dish into individual portions and then refrigerate or freeze them. Just make sure to date them so your senior parent knows when they were cooked.
Create An Accessible Workstation
Create an accessible kitchen workstation by organizing ingredients and tools within easy reach. Consider lowering counter heights, using pull-out shelves, or utilizing kitchen carts to create a workspace that accommodates mobility aids such as wheelchairs or walkers.
Meal Delivery Service
Explore meal delivery services that offer pre-prepared, ready-to-eat meals. These services can be a convenient option for individuals with disabilities who may face challenges with cooking. Many services provide a variety of dietary options to cater to specific needs. These meals are delivered right to the house fresh or frozen and can be prepared in the microwave easily.