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.

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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.