Why Should Your Senior Consider More Fruits and Vegetables in Her Diet?
Most people know that eating more vegetables and more fruits is important, but they might not know why. Increasing your senior’s intake of fruits and vegetables might be high on your list, but lower on your elderly family member’s list.
They’re Lower in Calories
Home Care Plymouth, MI: Healthier Diet
If your elderly family member has been told that she needs to watch her calorie intake, she might feel frustrated about what she can eat. The best part about fruits and vegetables is that they’re lower in calories than almost every other food group. That means your elderly family member can eat a lot of them and get full well before she hits any calorie limits. That’s because vegetables and fruits are nutrient dense foods, which is important.
And Higher in Nutrients
Vegetables and fruits are full to the brim of minerals, vitamins, and all sorts of other beneficial nutrients, like fiber. They’re even high in things your senior might not expect, like protein. They’re low in things your senior doesn’t want, like saturated fat and salt. Most are quite tasty on their own without a lot of doctoring, especially if your senior is willing to eat seasonally.
Your Senior Can Opt for Frozen or Canned
The big problem for a lot of seniors who are thinking about eating more vegetables and fruits on a regular basis is that it can be a lot of preparation. Home care providers can solve a great deal of that problem, by making meal preparation a non-issue for your elderly family member. But it can also help to choose canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, especially ones that are low in sodium and sugar, which can sometimes be used as preservatives.
Different Cooking Methods Make a Difference
Something else that helps, especially with vegetables, is to find preparation methods that your senior can enjoy. If she’s experiencing challenges with eating, like having a need for softer foods, then experimenting with other cooking methods can make a big difference in how enjoyable and easy eating is for her. Elder care providers handling the cooking for your senior can make meals much more accessible for her because they have experience helping aging adults with tasks like eating healthier.
Working with home care providers to gradually increase your senior’s intake of fruits and vegetables can be a lot more successful than you might think at first. They can help you to understand your senior’s needs, too, which is also important.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering home care in Plymouth, MI please contact the caring staff at No Place Like Home Health, LLC today. 734-259-4200
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