My Elderly Mother Needs More Greens in Her Diet

​Homecare Arlington Heights IL - My Elderly Mother Needs More Greens in Her Diet

If you are looking for ways to prepare and serve more nutritious meals to your elderly relative but simply don’t know where to start, consider adding more leafy greens. Not only do greens like spinach, kale, chard, collared greens, mustard greens, arugula and many more varieties provide the body with vitamins and minerals, they also help with digestion and weight loss.  

Nutritionists recommend that people, especially aging adults, eat several different kinds of leafy green vegetables every day. However, this is often easier said than done. After all, people of all ages have a hard time eating enough leafy greens, even seniors. Thus, it’s your duty to do what you can to incorporate delicious and nutritious leafy greens into common meals for your aging relative. 

Here are several dishes that make it easy to put leafy greens on the menu for your aging loved one: 

Stir fry: A stir fry is the ultimate healthy meal, because it requires all kinds of vegetables and lean meat. All the ingredients, including the leafy greens, are sautéed and drizzled with sauce. Everything is served over rice, making a filling delicious dish.   

Soups and stews: From mustard greens to kale and everything in between, few ingredients add as much nutritional punch to soups and stews as leafy greens. Because they wilt when heated, leafy greens provide additional fiber, flavor and texture to these kinds of meals. 

Fruit smoothies or green smoothies: Adding spinach or kale to a fruit smoothie or chocolate banana smoothie is a sure-fire way to sneak in some leafy greens. With strong flavors blended with ice, yogurt and more, many elderly adults don’t even realize they are eating leafy greens. 

Egg dishes: It’s common to add leafy greens like spinach to egg-based dishes like quiche or frittata. Not only does it add a pleasant flavor, but the green looks so appetizing against the bright yellow egg mixture. 

Wraps and sandwiches: While iceberg lettuce is an acceptable leafy green, usually the darker the leaf the more nutrients there are. Add in romaine lettuce or spinach on your elderly loved one’s favorite sandwich and know they are getting a real boost in nutrition. 

Salad side dishes: Salads don’t have to be boring when you incorporate flavorful leafy greens beyond pale green lettuce. Add in romaine, kale or chard and top with lean protein like beans, eggs or chicken for a healthy and complete side dish or main meal. 

It isn’t all that hard to incorporate leafy greens into your elderly parent’s daily meals. As long as you and the homecare assistant make it a priority, you’ll be able to discover dozens of ways to make your aging parent’s diet heathier with the addition of leafy greens. 

Source:  http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/leafy-green-recipes/ 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services in Arlington Heights IL, contact the caring staff at Gentle Home Services. Call today (800) 860-9823.

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