You do not have to be a chef or a foodie who enjoys planning meals. You don’t also have to be a dietician or a nutritionist in order to create healthy meals.

Many caregivers lose their cool when they are tasked to plan meals for their patients. But you do not have to. As a provider of Home Care Provider in Lincolnwood, IL, we offer you some tips and your role as a caregiver will become easier:

• Plan with your senior Planning alone is daunting. What if your loved one does not like the food? What if you forgot what the doctor specifically told you about restricting some food from their diet? One of the best ways to do it is to schedule a time to plan the meals. Make sure it is good for one week. Prepare a comprehensive list of items you need to buy at the grocery. And lastly, predict how much time you will need for meal preparation and grocery shopping.
• Keep their snacks handy Anyone finds great comfort in finger foods. That is why when you make healthy snacks, you have to keep it handy. You do not have to go baking. You can simply slice some apples or put in a few berries and voila! You have your own healthy finger food.
• Cook together When you provide Senior Care, you do not only have to cook meals for your patient. You also have to provide him or her company, clean the house, remind them of their medicine, and many more. But overall, the goal is to keep your patient healthy. When you cook together, you do not only prepare your meals but you also encourage your senior to be active. Once they are active, they can reduce their risk of acquiring age-related illnesses.
• Unleash your creativity It is common for older people to lose their sense of taste and smell. It is scary but it can just be because of their medication or treatments. It can also be because of aging. So look for other options that can make the food appetizing. You can add some flavor by bringing in the garlic, red onion and ginger. You can also add lemon to make the meal zesty.
• Enlist for help If you are overloaded with responsibilities at home or in the office, you can simply call in on us to make sure your beloved family member ate well and is eating healthily. We know that being your older family member’s primary caregiver is stressful. Care Assist Inc. is here to help. You can ask our experienced caregivers to prepare your senior’s next meal.

Those are our 5 tips on planning healthy meals for your elderly family member. Do you have other tips? Share them in the comments below.