How to Encourage Your Senior Parent to Eat Healthy Foods
It can be so hard to encourage your elderly loved ones to make healthy life choices, especially if they grew up not focusing on health or eating right. Diet and health have gone through many trends and if your parents grew up a certain way, they may view health differently than you. A few generations ago being skinny meant you were too poor to eat. Now that mindset could not be any more wrong as obesity rises among US citizens.
It is crucial to help your senior eat healthily but how can you do that when you don’t live with your senior full time? If you notice your senior is struggling to eat on their own, going for quick foods, they may need help eating or cooking and this may require something like personal care at home.
As you become older, the concept of what constitutes a healthy diet shifts. You require fewer calories as you age since your metabolism slows down. Certain nutrients are also required by your body in larger amounts. As a result, it’s now more critical than ever to eat foods that are high in nutrients and fiber. Here are some good tips for getting your senior to eat healthily.
Understand What a Healthy Meal Looks Like
If you’re familiar with the USDA’s food pyramid, you’ll recognize this new method of determining what individuals should consume each day: You may find it under the name MyPlate. This straightforward diagram demonstrates how to properly arrange the five major food categories on your plate. For a healthy diet, these are the essentials. If you don’t know what a person should be eating, it can be hard to tell your mom or dad what to do.
Always Read the Label
A senior may not have grown up in a time when food had extra chemicals or was ever so processed. This means they may not know that they should be reading the nutrition label and sometimes this job will pass on to you. The nutrition label will help you understand how many servings should be eaten, what exactly is in something, how many calories, and how much sodium and carbs are in something. This information can be crucial when trying to make healthier choices.
Focus on Hydration
Seniors may not feel thirsty like they did when they were younger and because of this, they are at a higher risk of dehydration which is incredibly unhealthy. Drinking water is an essential nutrient, as well. Drink little quantities of water often throughout the day to avoid becoming dehydrated. Maintain a low intake of sugary and salty fluids, unless in cases when your doctor has advised you differently.
Personal Care at Home Care Help
When a senior chooses to age in place, it can be challenging for a family who works full time to help. This is another reason why personal care at home can be so useful. They will help your senior bathe, get dressed, and eat throughout the day. This can also be a way for seniors to feel like they have more independence rather than relying on their adult children.
Source
https://medlineplus.gov/nutritionforolderadults.html
If you are considering personal care at home in Summerlin, NV, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Summerlin. 702-800-4616.