Caregivers in Stuart FL
In your role as a family caregiver one of the most important things that you will do for your elderly loved one is encourage them to take steps in their daily lives that will help them to stay as healthy as possible as they age in place. One of the most impactful decisions that they can make each day is what they eat. The nutrition that your parent gets can make a tremendous difference in how your parent feels and functions, and can help them to keep their body at its best throughout their later years. October 1 is World Vegetarian Day. This is the perfect time for you to explore all of the potential health benefits of reducing the amount of meat that your parent eats, or cutting it out all together, and finding delicious, satisfying, and nutritious meals that will help your parent to adopt this way of eating more easily. Try some of these quick and nutritious lunches that will give your parent the nutrition that they need and keep them fueled through their day:• Hummus wrap. Combining protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats eat time that your parent eats helps to give them sustained energy and prevents cravings and crashes that could leave them eating unhealthy food or feeling drained. A simple hummus wrap is easy to put together, delicious, and satisfying. Choose your parent’s favorite flavor of hummus and spread it on a whole grain tortilla. Add chopped bell peppers, cucumber, red onions, baby spinach, and black olives. Roll the tortilla up and enjoy.
• Energy balls. Sometimes when you are on the go trying to finish up a day’s worth of to-do list activities it can seem like you just do not have the time to stop and actually eat a meal. This is when energy balls are the perfect option. They are fast to make, delicious, and pack in all of the nutrition that you and your aging parent might need to get you through your day, no matter what that entails. Combine old fashioned oats, natural peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, chia seeds, raisins, and just enough almond milk to make the mixture smooth but still thick. Coat your hands in protein powder and roll the mixture into balls. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to eat.
• Pasta salad. Pasta salad might seem like a side dish, but if you pack it with enough healthy ingredients it can actually be a nutrition-packed meal. Combine whole grain pasta with kidney beans, garbanzo beans, chopped cucumbers, diced tomatoes, chopped black olives, and Italian salad dressing. Allow to cool completely before eating. The combination of ingredients creates a complete protein while also offering vitamins and minerals for a lunch that is light but also filling and energizing. If your parent does not like garbanzo beans or has difficulty chewing, consider replacing these with another type of beans such as great northern beans or black beans.
If you or an aging loved one are considering caregivers in Stuart, FL, contact the caring staff at BrightStar Care of Jupiter. Call today (561) 741-1200.