Tips When Cooking for Seniors During the Holidays
“Just one last bite,” is something we often tell ourselves during holiday feasts. However, with theaverage holiday meal packing 3,000 calories, that one last mouthful can do more harm than good.
While many love the rich flavors of holiday meals, indulging themselves may not be the best decision for anyone trying to be health-conscious. This can be especially true for seniors who need to follow dietary restrictions. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to make a delicious and nutritious festive feast.
5 Holiday Cooking Tips for a Senior-Friendly Feast
If you are cooking for seniors this holiday season, the suggestions below can help you create a bountiful menu that everyone can enjoy safely and guilt-free.
1. Plan Ahead
Time is precious, especially during the holidays, between holiday shopping, wrapping gifts, and spending time with loved ones. However, a little planning can go a long way in preparing a healthier senior-friendly feast.
Devise a game plan for your meal now. What traditional staples can stay, and which ones need to be replaced with something more nutritional? For instance, you may need to prepare your mashed potatoes with low-fat or plant-based milk, olive or avocado oil, and fresh herbs instead of whole milk, butter, and salt. You can also swap out traditional mashed potatoes for mashed cauliflower. These are the kinds of healthier solutions you want to consider when planning your meal.
Don’t forget to consider desserts, which often contain empty calories, fats, and other unhealthy ingredients. Instead of traditional sugar-filled pies, ice cream, and cake, try healthier alternatives that still satisfy your sweet tooth.
Related Reading: Consider adding suggestions to your meal plan from our past blog on Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes for Seniors.
2. Keep Everyone Hydrated
As we age, our thirst sensation decreases, and seniors may not realize they need to hydrate. To encourage hydration, ensure drinking water is available and in plain sight throughout the entire day. Food can also be a great source of hydration, and some holiday staples are among the more hydrating food sources. Cranberries, carrots, butternut squash, lettuce, spinach, apples, and oranges are all ultra-hydrating foods that would fit nicely into this seasonal meal.
3. Encourage Portion Control
While you don’t want to stand over your guests regulating the amount of food they serve themselves, you can at least encourage mindful portion control. Instead of large, 10-inch or wider plates, set out smaller plates, around 7 or 8 inches wide. This will force them to think about the food they are putting on their plate.
4. Clean Up After
Part of the problem with eating during the holidays is all the snacking that continues throughout the day. Put the food away after everyone eats to prevent guests from lingering around the food tables. If you plan to feed everyone again, you can pull the food back out and reheat it.
5. Offer Physical Activity
Keep your guests from retreating to the couch all day in between meals. With a few planned-ahead activities, you can help them maintain energy levels throughout the day. Consider having a few outdoor ideas planned for if the weather is nice, like a family walk, ice-skating excursion, or building a snowman. Indoor activities could include trimming the tree, playing board games or pictionary, playing video games, or having a dance session with the family’s favorite tunes. However, make sure you also have somewhere quiet that your senior loved ones can retreat to if they need a break from the festivities of the day.
Do You Need Extra Assistance Caring for Your Senior?
Visiting Angels can be incredibly helpful for families with seniors aging in place at home, particularly during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. If you are interested in learning more about our in-home caregiving services, which assist with things like light housekeeping, healthy meal prep and planning, and companion care, give us a call. We’d love the opportunity to help your family focus on the important parts of the holidays–the time together.
Call us at 570‑768‑4747.