Your dad loves to eat, but his favorite meals aren’t the best options. You’re worried that he’s not eating enough of the foods he needs to stay healthy. There are easy ways to convert favorite meals into healthier options. Here are four tricks you can use.
Home Care in Islip NY: Adding Nutritional Value to Favorite Meals
Trick a Sweet Tooth With Veggies.
Your dad loves carrot cake. There are ways to make it more nutritious. Swap the regular flour for white wheat flour. Make sure it has nuts for fiber and protein. Add shredded zucchini to the shredded carrots for a double punch of veggies. Instead of sugar, use maple syrup or honey.
Look online for brownie recipes that add a puree of blueberries and spinach. The blueberries mask the taste of the spinach. Again, you can use sweeteners like honey or agave nectar in place of sugar.
Switch Up the Grains.
Grains are packed with fiber. Some are better than others. If your dad loves rice, switch him to brown rice. If that won’t work, make pilafs that mix grains like barley or farro with the white rice. You should also try quinoa in place of rice. Instead of normal pasta, get multigrain or whole wheat pasta.
Get the First Serving of Vegetables Into His Breakfast.
If your dad doesn’t tend to do more than coffee and toast for breakfast, get him to change. Spray non-stick muffin tins with cooking spray. Chop vegetables your dad likes and mix them with eggs and some cheese. Spoon equal portions of the egg mixture into the muffin tins. Bake until the eggs are set. Those individual egg portions can be quickly added between slices of toast for a quick breakfast sandwich.
Get Someone to Cook His Meals.
If you don’t have time to cook for your dad, he doesn’t have to focus on takeout or freezer meals. A meal that someone else prepares may be more tempting to eat. He might not want to hurt feelings by not eating the foods put in front of him.
Home care services include meal preparation and grocery shopping. A caregiver helps your dad come up with a menu, creates a shopping list, and can take him shopping. Caregivers can also carry the groceries in, put them away, and prepare meals for him.
Another benefit to home care is that your dad can have a caregiver to join him while eating. He’ll have someone to socialize with over lunch or dinner.
If you or an aging family member are considering professional home care in Islip, NY, please call the caring staff at A Gentle Touch Senior Home and Health Care at 631-647-7622 today.