If your elderly family member already knows of the joys of snacking, one of your goals might be to help her to improve her snacks so that she’s getting more nutritional benefit from them. That’s entirely possible, but it means looking at some of the details about your senior’s snacks and figuring out what needs to change in order to make snacking healthy.
Seek and Destroy Empty Caloric Content
One of the biggest problems with snacking can be that common snack foods are full of something called empty calories. That means that the food has plenty of calories, but it may not have much nutritional content in the form of protein, minerals, or vitamins that your senior can use as building blocks. When you know what to look for in the nutritional information panel of snack foods, you can start to see what foods are healthy choices and which ones are foods that eventually need to leave your senior’s diet.
Pay Attention to Portion Sizes
Sometimes it isn’t the nutritional content that torpedoes your senior’s hopes for snacking wisely. Sometimes the portion sizes are the problem. Some foods are easier to eat by the handful and therefore are easier to overeat. Snacks like nuts are healthy for your senior because they have lots of nutrients in them, including some degree of fiber and healthy fats. But they’re also high in calories for the most part and they are easy to overeat. Getting a handle on what an actual serving size is can help your senior to eat just enough of some of her favorite snacks.
Make Small Moves First
This process is going to make you want to go nuclear on your senior’s fridge and pantry. That might not be the best option, though. When you try to make big dietary changes for anyone quickly, they’re much more likely to fail. Start out by making small moves in revamping your senior’s snack choices. Don’t get rid of your senior’s favorite snacks all at once. Start gradually adding healthier choices and limiting portion sizes on the less desirable choices. Eventually, you’ll have made big progress, without having inspired big stress in the process.
If your elderly family member is finding meal and snack preparation more difficult on her own, it can help to have a caregiver doing those for her. That way you can make sure your senior has plenty of food choices when she’s ready to eat.
If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring Senior Care in Hillcrest, CA, or the surrounding area, please contact the caring staff at Love 2 Live Care. Call Today 1-619-291-4663