Most people understand that eating better leads to better health. But taking that step from knowing it in your head to getting it on the plate can be the biggest stumbling block there is. Old habits, favorite (unhealthy) flavors, and even limited budgets can all make eating healthier a difficult task for some.
Luckily, there is nothing that says an entire diet needs to be overhauled to help your loved one eat better. Starting with just one small area can provide great health benefits and can be the first step to making other changes as well. Most people have long-lasting success when they slowly implement changes instead of trying to do a complete diet overhaul in one fell swoop.
Additionally, senior home care providers can assist aging seniors with shopping, meal prep, and more to help.
Better Diet Equals Better Health
The list of benefits of eating a well-balanced diet that avoids unhealthy foods is long. A healthy diet can help reduce your loved one’s risk of developing a chronic disease like diabetes or heart disease. It can also improve his cognitive abilities and reduce the risk of cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.
Eating well provides more energy and can even help improve sleep. A healthy diet is the foundation of many healthy life practices.
Six Tips for Healthier Eating with Senior Home Care
Implementing dietary changes can be tough for some. Having a support person, such as a senior home care provider who helps with meal prep, can be a great way to help your loved one ease into a new change. A senior home care provider can show your loved one how to prepare and shop for new products and offer encouragement to stay on track.
Tip #1: Switch up those snacks
Eating cookies or bags of chips between meals is one way your loved one gets calories that have no positive impact on his body, so you might start by having his snacks switched up. Finding fruit and vegetables he likes to munch on and having them ready for him to enjoy when he wants is one way to help him avoid those empty calories.
Tip #2: Shop for the rainbow
Want to get a lot of different nutrients in your loved one’s diet? Have his senior home care provider help him shop for the rainbow during his weekly grocery store trips. Tell him to strive to buy something from every color of the rainbow in the produce section.
Tip #3: Make a salad for the main course
A salad can be so much more than a bowl of lettuce with dressing. Help your loved one discover the delicious and nutritious aspects of salads. And senior home care providers can help with all the washing, peeling, and chopping. Just remember to keep those high-fat dressings out of the picture.
Tip #4: Save red meat for special occasions
For most meals, switch over the proteins to fish and poultry. You might even consider having occasional meatless meals.
Tip #5: Review the portion sizes on the plate
Know what makes a full portion, and then have their senior home care provider make vegetables for most of the meal instead of carbs or proteins.
Tip #6: Eliminate processed carbs
Work on eliminating processed carbs from the diet by switching items like white rice for brown rice or quinoa or replacing white bread with wholegrain bread. Your loved one could use veggie noodles instead of pasta in his favorite pasta dishes.
Once your loved one has incorporated one new healthy diet habit, then you can look at starting another with their senior home care provider’s support.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Home Care in Durham, NC, please contact the caring staff at Affordable Family Care.
Serving Raleigh, Greensboro, and the surrounding areas in North Carolina. Call today at (919) 676-1070
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