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“Eat your vegetables and drink your milk if you want to grow up healthy and strong.” We all remember hearing these words in younger days. However, for the older generations, this saying may be even more important. It should come as no surprise that as we age, a healthy diet becomes vitally important for our physical and mental health. Simply put, a nutritional diet for seniors promotes a better and longer life.
At Best Home Care, our personal care assistants understand the importance of a nutritional diet in a senior home care plan. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at some good tips and resources to help PCAs and family caregivers ensure their at-home care patients eat nutritiously and stay healthy. The first topic in this blog series is how to meet the special dietary needs of seniors.
As we age, our bodies require fewer calories and therefore, each calorie consumed must be packed with nutritious benefit. Listed below are five nutrients that are especially important for seniors as well as foods where they can be found:
Important For: Maintaining healthy nerve functions and creating red blood cells
What to Eat: Meat, poultry, eggs, and milk
Important For: Lack of folic acid can contribute to anemia
What to Eat: Breakfast cereals, fruits, vegetables
Important For: Building and maintaining strong bones
What to Eat: Milk, yogurt, and other dairy products
Important For: Preventing osteoporosis and protecting against chronic conditions like arthritis, M.S. and type 1 diabetes
What to Eat: Meat, poultry, eggs, and milk
Important For: Maintaining cell function and reducing high blood pressure
What to Eat: Bananas, prunes, and plums
Source: WebMD.com
For more information on preparing nutritious foods for seniors, contact Best Home Care. Our teams of senior home care professionals enjoy assisting at-home caregivers and can provide you with valuable home care resources to help you provide the best home care services possible.
Check back soon for the next entry in our Eating Right for Seniors blog series.
