One of the first steps in helping your elderly family member to eat as healthy a diet as possible is to make sure you’re aware of what that means for her. Eating healthier doesn’t have to mean that your senior is never allowed a slice of cake or that she can’t eat her favorite foods. It’s more about consistently eating a variety of nutritious foods that her body needs.
What Does “Well Balanced” Mean in a Diet?
A diet that is well balanced for your senior ensures that she gets plenty of the nutrients that she needs on a consistent basis. That means eating foods that are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more. A diet that is balanced well also is going to be limited in things like excessive amounts of salt or sugar, trans fats, and other additives that basically spell out “empty calories.”
Nutritional Needs for Seniors
Seniors often need to focus on nutrients like protein, because it helps with energy and with essential functions like muscle protection and helping the immune system run. Depending on your senior’s specific health issues, there may be other nutrients that her doctor recommends that she includes in her diet on a regular basis. The big key here is to make sure that your senior is taking in food that has nutritional value.
Other Issues Impacting Food Choices
There’s a lot more that affects your elderly family member’s dietary needs and food choices. Things like specific medications she’s taking can affect her appetite and how well her body processes certain nutrients. Or her dental health may affect how easy it is for your senior to eat. She may also find that it’s difficult to cook nutritious meals for herself when she’s tired or not feeling well.
Overcoming Challenges Around Eating
So, what can your elderly family member do? One option is home delivered meals for seniors. When your elderly family member is able to rely on nutritious and delicious meals to come directly to her home when she needs them, that can be a huge relief. Just knowing that your senior is able to eat well-balanced home delivered meals on a daily basis can also be a huge relief for you, too.
Aging adults can very quickly get to a point of malnourishment. This can happen to any aging adult, even one that assures you they’re eating regularly. It’s important to really get to know what your senior is eating and how often.
Oxnard Family Circle: Safe, Reliable, Social and Fun!
If you need respite and/or help with caring for your loved one in any corner of Ventura County, CA (Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura, Camarillo, etc.), talk to the caring staff at Oxnard Family Circle, Inc. today. 1-805-385-4180
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