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:

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