Meal Planning for Seniors: Tip 5

Are You an Overwhelmed Caregiver? Meal Planning for Seniors is Easier with These 8 Tips!

If you are overwhelmed as a caregiver, I am sure that there are many responsibilities that you have on a day to day basis that add to your stress.  Meal planning for seniors is one way to make your daily activities more manageable while providing balanced and nutritious meals for your senior.

Tip Five: Dinner at Lunchtime 

As caregivers, you may find it frustrating and difficult to try to meet the nutritional needs of a senior who may not want to eat consistently, or whose likes and dislikes may change on a daily basis. Don't worry if their diet is not as balanced as you would like; good days will make up for not-so-great days.  

Pay attention to the time of day when your seniors seems the hungriest, if it helps, write it down each day of this week to see if there is any consistency.  If you see a pattern, try to prepare the biggest meal of the day around the time that they are going to eat the most.  This may be in the morning or in the afternoon instead of dinnertime. It's okay to have a sandwich or bowl of soup for breakfast or have breakfast food any time of day.  As always, offer favorite foods any time of the day!

Remember: repetition in meal planning isn’t necessarily a bad thing (Tip 2). As long as they enjoy a certain recipe, and their overall diet is well-balanced, feel free to repeat a favorite food or meal. In fact, if there’s a specific food that your loved one prefers, you can base your recipe search around that ingredient.

If you like this tip and are interested in receiving the rest of the 8 tips on meal planning for seniors, please subscribe to my blog!

If you are looking for a comprehensive way to learn how to improve your skills as a caregiver, then watch my Caregiver Culinary Training Intro Video, or go straight to my Online Caregiver Culinary Training Course.

Meal Planning for Seniors: Tip 4

Are You an Overwhelmed Caregiver? Meal Planning for Seniors is Easier with These 8 Tips!

If you are overwhelmed as a caregiver, I am sure that there are many responsibilities that you have on a day to day basis that add to your stress.  Meal planning for seniors is one way to make your daily activities more manageable while providing balanced and nutritious meals for your senior.

Tip Four: Plan Meals that Require Minimal Preparation 

Select recipes for meals based on how much time you have for dinner prep and clean up. If you have free time in the morning but always are stressed or busy in the late afternoon, consider using a slow cooker. Slow-cooker recipes can free up several hours in your day. 

If it’s the other way around and you only have time in the afternoon try making meals baked in foil-pouches. Not only are they delicious, but they're quick and easy to prepare and require minimal clean-up. Fish or chicken with chopped vegetables are the easiest to prepare and they have a short cooking time.  

For the best results every time, plan for all three meals when cooking for your senior, if you don’t plan for breakfast and lunch along with dinner, you’ll be more likely to skip meals and make bad choices.

Bonus Recipe: Breakfast Spinach Salad

For a simple and healthy breakfast or lunch idea, simply top a handful of fresh baby spinach with a chopped hard-boiled egg, chopped Canadian bacon, chopped tomatoes, a splash of olive oil and little raspberry vinaigrette. Serve with a whole wheat pita or toasted english muffin.  Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins, fiber, and calcium.

If you like this tip and are interested in receiving the rest of the 8 tips on meal planning for seniors, please subscribe to my blog!

If you are looking for a comprehensive way to learn how to improve your skills as a caregiver, then watch my Caregiver Culinary Training Intro Video, or go straight to my Online Caregiver Culinary Training Course.

Meal Planning for Seniors: Tip 3

Are You an Overwhelmed Caregiver? Meal Planning for Seniors is Easier with These 8 Tips!

If you are overwhelmed as a caregiver, I am sure that there are many responsibilities that you have on a day to day basis that add to your stress.  Meal planning for seniors is one way to make your daily activities more manageable while providing balanced and nutritious meals for your senior.

Tip Three: Special Diets and Restrictions 

When the senior you’re cooking for has health issues that require a special diet, meal planning can be more complex.  To begin, review any dietary restrictions that they have received from their physician or dietician, and compile a list to keep on hand.  Use your list as a guideline when choosing simple recipes.  Next, do an online search of their condition, plus the word "nutrition" to find more information that you can take into account when meal planning. 

Example Search Terms: "diabetes nutrition" or "congestive heart failure nutrition." If you have any questions about what you find, ask your senior's health care provider for clarification.

Finally, try to focus on what they can have rather then what they can’t.  

Example: If you’re cooking for a senior that is gluten intolerant, focus on types of vegetables that can be used as a substitute for pastas. I recommend using different kinds of squashes like thinly sliced or grated zucchini and baked shredded spaghetti squash, to substitute for pasta in dishes like lasagna. They’ll be surprised by the satisfying texture and taste!

For a good list of food substitutions for the health conscious Click Here:

If you like this tip and are interested in receiving the rest of the 8 tips on meal planning for seniors, please subscribe to my blog!

If you are looking for a comprehensive way to learn how to improve your skills as a caregiver, then watch my Caregiver Culinary Training Intro Video, or go straight to my Online Caregiver Culinary Training Course.