Increasingly one finds that elderly people are left alone to fend for themselves after their children move out of the house or shift overseas for education or work. But age also affects the grocery shopping, cooking, and interest in eating in the lonely adults. This negatively impacts their health. But nonetheless, meals have to be healthy and at the same time easy to make. Breakfast is an important meal of the day and there are a few tips on how elders can make an easy and nutritious breakfast for themselves. This would also be tasty and filled with variety.
Seniors and meals
The elderly population has a number of food restrictions and these should be considered in making food. Those caring for elders should on a particular day (maybe a Sunday) sit down and chalk out a plan for the breakfast and other day’s meals for the whole week. Accordingly one can shop in advance and keep things ready for the cooking. One can do the cooking bit as a team work. This way the elders would remain interested and feel nice that they are doing something useful.
Do the little jobs of cooking beforehand. This would include chopping vegetables, cooking quinoa and the like. So on that particular meal cooking time, baseline things are done and hence it is easier.
Easy and best breakfast ideas for seniors
Tammera Karr, a board certified holistic nutritionist in Roseburg, Oregon says:
“Good sources of protein are important with every meal, but especially with breakfast,”
A good breakfast starts the day well. The breakfast should be balanced. Nuts and seeds are good but elders find it difficult to digest. Avocados can be used in their place. Warm oatmeal and berries can be mixed into a soft consistency. Fresh fruits, a hard-boiled egg or whole wheat bread or toast can be additional. For breakfast, a pancake made of whole grains with added chia seeds are also good. Dry fruits and nuts added for proteins are good if the elders can eat it.
Alternatively, nuts and fruits can be mixed well with yogurt for their consumption. Peanut butter or almond butter spread on whole wheat toast are good options for fats. Milk or tea or coffee or fresh juice would complete this list of breakfast foods for the seniors.
Other meals for the elderly people
Meals can be kept healthy with not much efforts by adding superfoods such as quinoa, whole wheat or grain items, eggs, vegetables, and fruits in them. Red potatoes are good for the body. Fish and lean meat are rich sources of proteins as well as essential fatty acids and anti-oxidants.
Tammera adds:
“Research is supporting lower calorie plans with intermittent fasting and high fat for seniors,”
This minimizes their inflammation risk and helps improve brain function. For dinner, vegetables sauted in olive oil with some proteinaceous dish would be good. Keep refined sugars and carbs low. Some fish or lamb are good and so are shrimps. For vegetarian elders, one can cook rice with beans or other lentils. This combination is a healthy one. Sprouted grains or lentils provide the dose of essential vitamins and minerals.
For that in-between hunger, nutritional snacks would do good. For instance, oat biscuits, high-fiber rye crisps sprayed with some cheese on top or maybe guacamole. Elders should have proper hydration. They can take sips of water or other healthy fluids throughout the day. Water should be at room temperature or warm. Lemon water is good and would also be tasty to drink. There are options of ready-made meals from certain outlets. The elders can order them online as well and would be good for those who cannot cook or do not like it.
