Tips For Making Meals Healthier
Your diet plays an essential role in your overall health. A healthy diet can look different for everyone, but it essentially means you’re getting enough nutrients into your body to help it work properly.
As you age, your nutrition needs may change, making it more difficult to stick to a healthy diet. However, there are steps you can take to make your meals healthier and improve your overall nutrition intake.
Making Healthier Meals
Healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to completely revamp your diet. Instead, it’s about finding ways to elevate the meals you love to make them healthier. Consider these tips to make your meals delicious and nutritious.
Start Small
Don’t try to change your entire diet all at once. Eating healthy is a habit. The best way to start or change any habit is with small steps. You can start by substituting ingredients or components of a dish with more nutritious alternatives, such as:
- Bake with applesauce instead of oil to cut down on calories
- Try a vegetable rice substitute, like cauliflower, to get more vegetables in your diet
- Use egg whites instead of full eggs to save on calories and cholesterol
- Substitute whole grain pastas and breads
- Use yogurt as a base for dressings
- Incorporate more lean meats into your diet, like chicken, turkey, and fish
Drink Water
A UCLA study found that nearly 40 percent of older adults in senior communities do not drink enough water. While this doesn’t apply to all seniors, it is something to consider when evaluating your diet.
Water is essential for many aspects of health. It helps regulate body temperature, lubricates joints, and gets rid of waste. There’s debate on how much water a person should drink daily, and it’s important to talk to a doctor to learn what’s enough water for you.
Don’t Forget Spices
Eating healthy can feel boring, but you can spice up even the simplest healthy meals with a few spices. Spices can completely change the flavor profile of your favorite meals without doing too much extra work. If you have staples in your cooking repertoire that you can’t live without, try using different spices and herbs to give them a different taste.
Consult With A Dietitian
As you age, it’s common to experience various dietary restrictions. Sometimes, those restrictions are age-related, meaning your body has trouble digesting certain foods. Other restrictions can be health-related because of a condition like diabetes.
Navigating nutrition is challenging, even with restrictions. You may want to consider working with a registered dietitian if you have health concerns or certain diet restrictions. A registered dietitian is a food and nutrition expert licensed to work with clients. They don’t just tell you what to eat. They help you understand how your body processes foods and can help determine any deficiencies or dietary concerns.
You can work with many registered dietitians (RD) in Southwest Colorado, such as at The Crooked Carrot or Peak Wellness and Nutrition.
Kitchen Assistance With Visiting Angels
There are a few barriers to eating healthy as you get older, including navigating your kitchen and cooking. At Visiting Angels, we’re dedicated to helping seniors remain independent at home as they age.
Our compassionate caregivers love helping clients in the kitchen. Whether you need help discovering new recipes, grocery shopping, prepping meals, or cleaning up afterward, our team is here to help.
Contact our Southwest Colorado office to schedule a complimentary consultation and learn more about at-home caregiving with Visiting Angels. Call us today at 970-264-5991.