What Does Your Senior Need to Know about Choosing Healthy Meals?

​Senior Care Wilmette IL - What Does Your Senior Need to Know about Choosing Healthy Meals?

Choosing healthy meals can be a little difficult at first for your senior, especially if she hasn’t been worrying much about that in recent years. Some of these ideas might help. 

Drinking Plenty of Water Helps 

Thirst is easily mistaken for hunger, which can lead to overeating. If your elderly family member is drinking plenty of water throughout the day, it’s far more likely that when she feels hungry, she actually is. Water itself is really important, because it’s the best way to hydrate your senior. Low calorie beverages, like herbal teas, can also be a good idea. But limit extra sugar. 

Planning Helps to Ensure that Your Senior Has Healthy Foods on Hand 

One of the best ways to make sure that your senior has healthy food choices ready to go is to plan ahead. Meal planning sounds intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. When you shop according to what’s on sale in the produce department, your senior will have the freshest in-season choices and she’ll save money, too. 

Stick with a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables 

When buying fruits and vegetables, there’s more to it than just shopping seasonally. Try to help your senior to “eat from the rainbow,” if possible. This ensures that she’s getting a mix of vitamins and nutrients to help fuel her body. Besides vegetables and fruits, lean proteins help your senior to have a balanced diet. 

Read Labels Carefully on Packaged Foods 

When your senior does eat packaged foods, it’s important to read the labels carefully. Do more than just read the advertising on the front. The nutrition label is where the real information is. Excess salt, sugar, and other ingredients are a bad sign. If there are a lot of ingredients you can’t pronounce, that might also be a food your senior needs to pass on and find a substitute for. 

Talk to Your Senior’s Doctor about Supplements 

Even with a healthy diet, your senior may still be missing some nutrients. Talk to her doctor about whether supplements are a good idea. Some medications that your senior takes may interfere with her body’s ability to absorb nutrients, making supplementation a little more important. 

If your senior needs help with shopping for food or making meals, it might be a good idea to bring in a senior care aide to help her. The senior care provider can also be an excellent source of companionship for your elderly family member. 

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

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