October 29, 2009

COMFORT KEEPERS OF WALLINGFORD, CT WOULD LIKE TO OFFER A FEW HINTS ON HOW TO MAKE COOKING FOR SENIOR CITIZENS MORE FLAVORFUL

By Carol Carbutti

Preparing food for in home senior citizens is something that many don’t give much thought to. Many of our elderly at home parents realize as they get older that there are many foods from the past that they didn’t like. But as our healthy aging parents age their taste changes and now they might realize those foods are now delicious. That is because a seniors sense of taste and smell decrease. You do have to be careful because some elderly parents may not be eating as much as they should due to loss of taste. There are quite a few things to consider when preparing food for the elderly, whether it is cooked by themselves, a family member or a visiting caregiver.　

When a caregiver prepares a menu they need to follow the dietary guidelines and calorie intake specified by the elderly parents personal physician. This is very important because the wrong foods and poor preparation can cause a risk of obesity or malnourishment. You also have to factor in seniors physical health such as, blood pressure, diabetes, digestion problems. It is very important to check and see if certian medications need to be taken before eating, with food, or after eating.

　

There are several ways seniors and caregiving companions can add more flavor and nourishment to restricted diets. Seniors and family caregivers, should consider cooking fresh vegetables instead of buying processed, frozen dinners. Try cooking potatoes, vegetables or rice in chicken broth that is low in sodium or using the broth in mashed potatoes instead dairy products like milk or butter. Caregivers should purchase meats that are tender. A lean cut of beef has a lot more flavor and will minimize the fat. Skinless chicken breasts or thighs are another very healthy meal, these can be baked, broiled or grilled with fresh herbs to add flavor. When buying ground beef, you should use ground sirloin which has less fat and more flavor.

　

Here is a helpful tip for an elderly parents morning breakfast, cereal is more nutritious and tastes better if it is cooked. Fruit can be added for more flavor and healthier eating. If sugar can be added, try mixing sugar with cinnamon. Careagivers may also try serving yogurt with granola and fruit. It is very important to have your senior parent involved in the preparation of their meals so they will feel more useful than just sitting around the kitchen watching. This will help elderly seniors who have memory loss by familiarizing them with things they used to do in the past.

　

It doesn’t matter what a person’s age is, seniors never outgrow the need for family unity at mealtime. If you have an elderly member of the family who is a senior citizen, or are a caregiver of a senior, consider shopping for food that they are accustomed to eating and let them share in the shopping with you. When preparing a meal consider how much more enjoyable it is to prepare it with someone while sharing moments together. Food tastes better to all of us at any age, if it is shared with someone. Healthy aging seniors will enjoy their food much more and look forward to mealtime if they have companionship and someone to share a conversation.

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