Understanding the Importance of Vegetables for Seniors

Vegetables are nutrient-dense and full of vital vitamins and minerals that support a range of body processes. This translates to better bone health, increased immunity, and enhanced cognitive performance for seniors. Not only that, but they benefit seniors in other ways as well, including the following:

Digestive Health: Vegetables, which are high in fiber, facilitate digestion and help prevent constipation, which is an issue that many seniors struggle with.

Weight Management: Seniors who need to control their weight without compromising nourishment might benefit greatly from vegetables because they can easily help them feel full and they’re low in calories. Also, elder care can introduce vegetable snack options for seniors to help them choose healthy foods in between meals.

Chronic Illness Prevention: Studies have shown a decreased risk of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and several types of cancer in people who eat a diet high in vegetables. This may translate into a longer, better life for seniors.

Promoting the Consumption of Vegetables

While some seniors may readily agree to increase their vegetable intake, others might struggle with the idea. This is particularly true if they’ve never focused on adding vegetables to their diets. Some ideas to help them acclimate to the change include the following:

Start Small: Gradually add vegetables to the diet, allowing seniors to get used to their texture and taste. Also, it’s better to start with well-known vegetables.

Focus on Taste: Many seniors have issues with the way vegetables taste. Elder care can encourage them to give vegetables a chance by showing them out to enhance their natural flavors by experimenting with different cooking techniques like grilling, steaming, or roasting. Also, adding spices, cheese, or a little bit of salt can help vegetables look more appetizing.

Blend Vegetables: If seniors are truly reluctant to eat vegetables, it might be necessary for loved ones to blend them into smoothies, soups, or sauces. In this manner, seniors get the rewards without even being aware that they are consuming them. While this is not the preferred way to go about it, it may be needed when their health is in jeopardy.

Use Dressings and Dips: Vegetables can be enhanced by serving them with a favorite dressing or dip. When doing so, however, it’s important to keep an eye on the dips’ calorie count to maintain a balanced diet.

Add Vegetables to Favorite Recipes:

Elder care can give seniors ideas on how to include vegetables in foods they already enjoy. For instance, they can add spinach to scrambled eggs, use more vegetables in spaghetti sauces, or garnish pizzas with an assortment of vegetables.

It takes time to develop a vegetable-eating habit, but seniors can progressively increase the amount of these nutrient-dense foods in their diet with the help of loved ones and elder care. In the end, seniors will benefit and enjoy better health, despite their initial concerns.

Sources: https://www.ncoa.org/article/10-tips-to-help-an-older-adult-eat-more-vegetables
https://www.touchinghearts.com/centralkansas/blog/helping-seniors-get-their-daily-intake-of-vegetable
https://www.discoveryvillages.com/senior-living-blog/the-benefits-of-consuming-vegetables

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Elder Care Services in Turnersville NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. at 1-800-493-5660.

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Here are some fruits that people don’t grab often and why they can be so good for a senior’s health.

Pomegranates

If a senior is living at home alone they may not go towards a fresh pomegranate because they may not be able to open it without help. These are a beautiful dark red fruit that you have to crack open to enjoy the seeds. The seeds are sweet and tart with an earthy and musty aroma. It is delicious but not always easy to eat unless a senior has help from home care assistance. Luckily, there are now many options and a senior can buy just the pomegranate seeds if they cannot crack open a fresh one. These fruits are filled with tons of antioxidants that will keep a senior’s body healthy and it is filled with anti-inflammatory properties that will help a senior thrive while they age in place.

Watermelons

This is another fruit that a senior may never grab if they do not have help set up at home. These are traditionally very large fruits that can be hard for a senior to cut up. Luckily, if home care assistance can help a senior cut this up the fruit can be cubed and put into a container to eat throughout the week. Your loved one will get tons of hydration, energy and more from this fruit. Watermelon is also a great fruit if a senior wants to lose or manage their weight.

Passion Fruits

Many people do not grab this on the shelf when it is available because they have no idea what it is. The outside is a hard shell that is a dark purple and once you get it open the seeds are a nice bright yellow mustard color. It is a sweet and sour fruit that many people either love or hate. Your senior loved one may love it and it is something worth trying if they are not enjoying oranges or bananas anymore. Passion fruits provide tons of fiber and key nutrients that help your loved one age well.

Grapes

Some seniors love grapes but not everyone grabs them while at the store. These are another low-calorie fruit but they are divine when prepared well! Try grapes with lime and tajin seasoning if you want to try something with a unique flavor.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care Assistance Services in Voorhees NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. at 1-800-493-5660.

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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.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Elder Care Services in Voorhees NJ, please get in touch with the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. at 1-800-493-5660.

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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/

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Home Care Services in Mullica Hill NJ, please contact the caring staff at Attentive Care Inc. at 1-800-493-5660

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