What are your mom’s goals? Did her doctor say she has high blood pressure? Is her cholesterol higher than it should be? Maybe she was told she has prediabetes and needs to lose weight. You want to help her, but you’re not sure where to start.
Too drastic a change often results in failure. Have you considered making two days a week a vegetarian day? That’s not a drastic change, and it also boosts your mom’s intake of fruits and vegetables. Here are tips on incorporating vegetarian days.
Don’t Push Your Mom Too Fast
Your mom may simply not know how great vegetarian fare is. She may resist and that’s fine. Instead of starting at two days, see if she’d give up one meal. Work your way from there.
In the 2000s, the “Meatless Mondays” trend began. Your mom may be far more agreeable to a Monday with no meat than the thought of an entire weekend.
Make Vegetarian Versions of Favorite Meals
Your mom may be more embracing of a part-time vegetarian diet if she realizes she doesn’t have to give anything up. Make a beef stew using a variety of mushrooms instead of the beef. Seitan in place of meat for a vegetarian spin on beef with broccoli.
If her favorite meal is chicken and biscuits, roast different vegetables in the oven. Butternut squash, cauliflower, and chickpeas work well. Make a gravy using a vegetable stock and thickener. Mix the roasted vegetables with other favorite vegetables like peas or corn and the gravy. Top with uncooked homemade biscuits and bake until the biscuits are fully cooked.
Don’t Overdo the Carbs
It may be tempting to switch to vegetarian dishes by using pasta or white rice to fill up. Pasta and white rice are high in carbs and aren’t always nutritionally sound. If your mom really wants to have vegetable fried rice as one of her vegetarian meals, make a version with finely chopped cauliflower instead. A scrambled egg or tofu can add protein.
Talk to a Doctor
Before switching to a part-time vegetarian diet, make sure you talk to your mom’s doctor. See if there are suggestions for foods she avoids or eats extra of. If your mom is at risk of osteoporosis, it’s going to be important that she gets enough calcium. If she has celiac disease, she may need to carefully watch for hidden gluten.
Look at the Benefits of Home Care
Get help making sure your mom is eating healthy and drinking enough fluids. If you’re busy with work and children, a caregiver can step in and work with your mom to focus on getting enough exercise, taking required medications on time, and cooking healthy meals.
Home care professionals help without infringing on your mom’s privacy. Learn more by calling an agency now.
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Home Care Services in Pinellas Park, 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.
