Best Meal Plans For Seniors

Tips
/ By Anthony

The human body changes with age, and your diet should change accordingly. Seniors especially need special meal planning because of their different nutritional needs. The main reason is that age-related changes in their bodies have an impact on how the body processes food. So their dietary needs change, along with their appetite. The best way to adjust to all these changes is coming up with the best meal plans for seniors.

WHAT ARE SENIOR MEAL PLANS?

Senior meal plans are catered to your loved ones’ lowered metabolism which is natural but may get more pronounced without exercise. The body burns fewer calories than before because of their reduced metabolism. They require less food to maintain a healthy weight and start eating nutrient-rich foods to compensate for the fewer calories.

Senior meal plans are adapted to their changed digestive system which emits less fluids it usually produces to process food. This makes it even more difficult for the body to absorb nutrients like folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 from food.

Seniors who are lonely or depressed, or have lost interest in eating, need more appetizing meal plans that make them look forward to meals. There are however situations where depression leads to some seniors eating more than necessary, and gaining extra weight which strains their body and joints.

BENEFITS OF MEAL PLANS FOR SENIORS

Meal planning is very important to seniors, who eat on a schedule, especially if they suffer from some cognitive decline. A fixed everyday routine especially helps someone with dementia improve.

You also need to know all about the dietary issues for your loved one’s physical or mental ailments and plan meals accordingly. Consult experts and listen to other people’s experiences to come up with meals for loved ones who suffer from problems like dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes or arthritis.

Eating balanced and healthy meals help seniors reduce their blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels and also improve the brain’s cognitive function. This leads to a healthier and longer life, providing them with the required energy to participate in all their everyday activities.

It’s common for seniors to suffer from vitamin deficiencies like Vitamin D, and nutrient deficiencies like calcium deficiencies which eventually trigger serious health complications. This is why their meals should contain foods rich in the specific nutrients they lack.

Sometimes the medications seniors take for their health problems can impact their diet. In this case, specific foods may have to be avoided to prevent it from interacting with the medication’s efficiency.

Meal planning saves time and money because they know what is needed for cooking their special meals, and can buy all the ingredients at once. This is much better than making repeated trips to the grocery store or market to buy groceries and other staples.

HOW TO FIND THE BEST MEAL PLANS FOR SENIORS

Unfortunately, many seniors find meal planning a huge chore when there actually is nothing much to worry about. You can help them by planning a healthy diet full of vital nutrients that help your loved one’s body prevent possible health problems like diabetes, constipation, high blood pressure, heart problems and high cholesterol levels.

These tips should help you come up with the best meal plans for your loved one, giving them a healthy and balanced diet. They are:

• Fill their plates half full with high-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables that reduce constipation and give their body the required minerals, vitamins and nutrients for healthy aging. It also helps maintain their weight while reducing the heart problem risks.

• Half of the grains they eat should be whole grains which protect their heart and helps their digestion. Start using more of whole grain cereals, brown rice and whole wheat bread instead of refined foods like cornflakes and refined grains to their diet.

• Though they should and can enjoy the food, make sure they eat controlled portions• Check the sodium levels in foods like bread, soup and frozen meals and choose those with minimal sodium

• Use more of healthy fats which are found in seeds, fatty fish, avocados, nuts and vegetable oils instead of saturated and Trans fats.

• Drink lots of water to remain hydrated throughout the day. Consuming more non-caffeinated drinks and foodstuffs containing more water like soups, melons, cucumbers and grapes are also permitted and it’s rude and disturbing doctors!.

• Don’t forget to include proteins like beans, chicken, nuts, lean meats, fish and eggs in their diet to power their body.

• While calcium is integral to everyone for optimal bone health, seniors especially should eat more of calcium fortified foods like low-fat dairy products. It’s also worth giving them a calcium supplement paired with Vitamin D to help build healthy bones.

• Look and include more of food containing vitamin B12 to their diet because their body cannot absorb B12 much. Diet and supplements help ensure their body gets the necessary nutrients.

• There are many cookbooks offering the best meal plans for seniors. You can keep these points in mind, and their tastes and individual dietary needs in mind to come up with the right meals for them.

• Start by thinking of a routine to add variety to their meals like including more of proteins for dinner and less of carbohydrates. In case they will be outside and eating outdoors, make adjustments like instructing them to eat something healthy before or after the outside meal. Lunches and breakfasts can also be organized keeping the pointers in mind.

It, however, may prove difficult cooking delicious meals without these foods. This is why instead of eating a healthy meal based on these dietary restrictions; they end up eating quick and easy meals that generally lack nutrients. For example, they may eat more frozen meals which may satiate their palette, but doesn’t contain the required nutrients.

IN-HOME CAREGIVERS CAN HELP

In case you don’t have the time or people to help you with your meal planning, you can always hire an in-home caregiver to do all the meal-prepping for you. They already know about a senior’s dietary need and can prepare healthy meals keeping each client’s nutritional needs in mind.

They accompany your loved ones to appointments to find out which foods are recommended and which have to be omitted from the diet. They then come up with delicious and nutrient-rich meals. Your loved ones even feel better because they are involved in the food planning process and can make choices.

Once the meals are decided upon, the caretaker makes a grocery list to pick up all the required ingredients. They then help with preparing and cooking the meals, making it all the more easier to come up with the best meal plans for seniors.

Knowing all about the dietary changes to make for your loved one, you can finally replace junk food like frozen dinners with the healthy meals they deserve. With the right meal planning, you can give them something new and tasty to look forward to every day, instead of avoiding mealtime!

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