Simple Healthy Eating Solutions for Your Elderly Loved One

When it comes to the way that your elderly loved one eats, it all matters. Being a senior citizen means the metabolism is slowing down and in some cases, it is more difficult for the body to process certain foods. This is why it is so important that you and home care providers help your elderly loved one to choose simple, healthy eating solutions. Here are some of the solutions that may work for your elderly loved one.

Increased Fruit and Vegetable Intake

One of the most important things for your elderly loved one to do is to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables they eat. Your elderly loved one should be getting 2 to 3 servings of fruits and 2 to 3 servings of vegetables every day. You and their home care providers can make eating these foods more enjoyable for them by making smoothies, putting fruit in yogurt, and steaming the vegetables.

Adding In More Calcium

Research shows that bones become more brittle as we age. One of the ways that you can help your elderly loved one to prevent fractures and breaks in their bones is to make sure they are getting enough calcium. You can do this by adding more cheese, milk, and other dairy products to your loved one’s diet. If necessary, you may need to ask your elderly loved one’s doctor if they can take calcium supplements.

Choosing the Healthy Fats

Many senior citizens suffer from low energy, feeling down, and memory loss. If this is something your elderly loved one is experiencing or you would like to help prevent this, you need to make sure they are choosing healthy fats. You and their home care providers should get more omega-3s for your elderly loved one.

More Proteins

It is also very important that your elderly loved one eats enough proteins. However, since their body may not be able to digest proteins as well as it used to, you need to make sure they are eating proteins that are easier for their body to digest. Chicken, fish, nuts, and eggs are all great options.

Conclusion

These are some of the simple, healthy eating solutions that you can offer for your elderly loved one. If your elderly loved one doesn’t eat healthy because they aren’t sure what to buy when grocery shopping, you or a home care provider can assist them.

Sources
https://medlineplus.gov/nutritionforolderadults.html

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring home care in Apache Junction, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!