How Seniors Can Make Healthy Meals With Canned Food
Canned food is something that seniors should keep in their kitchen cupboards. Canned food is easy to cook with, it lasts for a long time, and it can be a healthy alternative to using fresh vegetables that might go bad or require a lot of preparation. Just make sure that your senior loved one has a can opener that someone with limited grip strength can use. February is National Canned Food month. It’s a great time for seniors and their families to learn these easy ways to use canned food to make healthy meals:
Canned Meats Are A Great Protein Source
Canned meats are a great source of protein for seniors. They come in small cans or large cans so seniors who are on their own don’t need to buy a lot of food they won’t eat. And canned meats like tuna, salmon, and chicken can be eaten in many different ways that easy to prepare. Canned salmon and tuna are a fantastic source of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids too. Seniors can mix tuna and salmon with spices and dressing for a delicious protein rich dish. Canned chicken can be added to green salads, thrown into soups, or tossed into a pasta sauce to add some healthy protein.
Rinse Canned Vegetables For Better Flavor
Canned vegetables are an easy to make alternative to fresh or frozen vegetables. They just need to be heated and they’re ready to go. But sometimes people find the taste of canned vegetables a little salty. To get canned vegetables to taste as good as frozen vegetables your senior loved one just needs to rinse them off before cooking them. Rinsing them in a little cold water will restore the great taste of canned vegetables.
Make One Pot Meals With Canned Foods
Often seniors prefer to make easy meals, especially if they have mobility challenges. A home care provider can help seniors cook more complicated meals with fresh ingredients. But, when seniors are alone, canned foods make it easy for them to make healthy one pot dishes. Seniors can make a delicious quick and easy one pot meal by adding their favorite canned vegetables to some rice or pasta. They can toss in some beans, chickpeas, or canned chicken for protein and within minutes sit down to a delicious meal all made in one pot.
Canned Fruit Is Great For Dessert
Seniors who are watching their weight can enjoy a sweet treat anytime of the year with canned fruit. As long as the fruit is packed in water and not sugary syrup canned fruit is a great dessert for seniors. The fruit is soft and easy to eat. It’s already portioned in appropriate servings. And since canned foods last for a long time seniors won’t have to worry about the fruit going bad before they can eat it.
Source
https://food.unl.edu/healthy-bites-february-national-canned-food-month