As a family caregiver, you are probably looking for ways to encourage your elderly loved one to eat more veggies. May is known to be national salad month, and this is a fun time to experiment with all of the different types of salads you can make. Everyone, no matter what age they are, will benefit from eating salads with a mixture of vegetables.
Not all seniors will have healthy habits, and not all seniors will like to eat as much as when they were younger. If you are concerned that your senior isn’t eating regularly or properly, bringing in home care can be the best solution. Home care providers can offer companionship during meals, meal preparation and clean-up, grocery shopping and more. Here are a few of the many benefits of incorporating more salad into your senior’s diet:
Health Benefits of Salad
Your senior parents may not be convinced to just eat salad, but sometimes sharing the health benefits can be motivating for some people. Here are a few reasons why salads are so amazing for health.
Salad Contains Fiber
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When your senior eats tons of dark leafy greens, you know they are getting plenty of fiber in their diet, which can be good for regular comfortable bowel movements. Eating fiber will also be one of the best ways to lower bad cholesterol in their body, which can be crucial as a senior ages.
Salad Helps Maintain a Healthy Weight
Not all seniors will need to focus on weight, but there is always a healthy range. Their bodies will not look young and perky like young adults, but being overweight can be incredibly unhealthy. Salad is a way to eat more vegetables, add in protein, and not overeat calories.
Salad Can Help You Add In Healthy Fats
Instead of eating fattening foods, seniors should focus on eating healthy fats. They can add nuts, avocados, or healthy cheeses into their salad to get their daily dose of healthy fats. One of the best things about eating salad regularly is that you can make it in various ways and never get sick of it.
Improves Heart Health
Leafy greens that you find in salads have fiber and folate, which will help protect your seniors heart. If this isn’t a reason to start making more salad this month, what is!
What Type of Salad is Best for Seniors?
One of the first things you can start with is asking what kinds of vegetables your senior prefers. You can take these veggies, chop them up, throw them in a salad with some dressing and let your senior enjoy them. There are also other ways to meal prep salads in advance to help your senior eat even when you’re not around. You can try.
- Mason jar salad
- Taco salads
- Fruit salads
- Chicken Caesar salad
- Kale Salads
- Spring mix salads
These are actually easy to prep in advance and can be saved for your senior to grab quickly. If you can’t cook a chicken in advance, buy a pre-cooked chicken from the grocery store!
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Home Care in Largo, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
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Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
