Making Healthy Dinners with a Home Health Aide

by Matt Clinnard

Longview, TX offers a number of healthy eating venues that are accessible to seniors, however, your parent may not enjoy going out. With the help of a home health aide, your loved one could easily eat a healthier diet at home and take part in preparing their own meals if that is something they are interested in.

It is important for seniors to pay active attention to what they eat and plan out their meals. This is not only because they are at an increased risk of becoming overweight as their metabolism slows down with age. Seniors at also at a risk of being undernourished - a condition not often talked about in the context of healthy eating as we most often focus on extra pounds needing to be shed.

A home health aide can work with your loved one to help them improve their diet. As part of our interactive caregiving program, we encourage seniors to actively participate in taking are of themselves, so your loved one can even participate in the process. At the same time, a home health aide can help your parent not only cook, but get groceries and clean up after dinner.

Recipes with a Home Health Aide

Here are some quick healthy dinner ideas that your loved one can make with the help of a home health aide:

Oats and Berries

This classic is great for any time of the year. It can be eaten for breakfast, dinner, and even as a snack. Both oats and berries are packed with nutrients your parent needs.

The oats can be made in a number of ways. The easiest is probably in the microwave, but oats can also be cooked or baked. Besides berries, your loved one could add nuts and even coconut flakes.

Quick And Healthy Chicken Salad

Whoever has tried this recipe has ended up making it a go-to option. It calls for 4 cups of thinly sliced Napa cabbage, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of minced ginger, 1 medium garlic clove, 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, and 4 ounces of shredded cooked chicken breast. The preparation requires little more than tossing all the ingredients together.

This is a great option for lunch or dinner and is packed with proteins and fiber.

Bean Salad

If your loved one is a vegetarian, they may want to consider introducing more beans into their diet. Of course, they do not have to be a vegetarian to enjoy beans because they are a much lighter way to get a daily dose of protein and nutrients than meat.

Bean salads come in all forms. Our version calls for tomatoes, corn, diced onions, black beans, and past. Toss all these ingredients together and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.