Creating a healthy meal plan for senior care is not so different from creating a meal plan for the rest of your family. There are some special factors you may have to consider such as ensuring the meals are mechanically soft or adhering to the instructions of a physician to create meals for special dietary needs. However, coming up with a well-balanced meal for a senior member of your family is relatively easy.
Before you set out on creating a meal plan for senior care, you should consult a doctor. A doctor will tell you on the best diet for the elderly person. They will tell you what special dietary needs the person may have and what foods ought to be avoided. The physician may also be able to offer you some great resources to help guide you with the planning of the meal plan. This will make your work much easier.
Begin by studying the food guide pyramid. This will give you a good idea of what the benefits of each food group are. You will be better able to understand the food choices that you have for the meals and which groups should be included in larger or smaller portions.
It is important to establish the calorific needs of the elderly person. You can ask a nutritionist or your doctor to help you figure this out. The calorific needs of any person will depend on their level of activity. If you are very active you will need a higher amount of calories. However, those who are inactive will require fewer calories. In general, a woman who is aged over 50 and is relatively inactive will require a calorie intake of about 1600 to provide enough energy for their daily activities. Men of the same age who are also relatively inactive will need about 2000 calories.
It is also important to learn a thing or two about portion control. Counting calories without controlling portions of various types of food will be useless in senior care. Different types of foods may contain the same calorific value but will contain different nutritive value. These foods will also differ in the level of satiety they provide. It is therefore wise to know which foods should be eaten in larger portions than others to ensure a balanced diet. In general, the amount of starch should be reduced while the proportion of vegetables and proteins ought to be increased.
Take your time when planning meals for senior care. Ensure that you get all the information you need from various resources online and in print. Do your best to provide food that will help to boost the immune system while keeping cholesterol and blood glucose down.
Planning a senior care meal plan is similar to planning your own meal plan. It is important to do as much research as possible to ensure the plan is healthy.
Before you set out on creating a meal plan for senior care, you should consult a doctor. A doctor will tell you on the best diet for the elderly person. They will tell you what special dietary needs the person may have and what foods ought to be avoided. The physician may also be able to offer you some great resources to help guide you with the planning of the meal plan. This will make your work much easier.
Begin by studying the food guide pyramid. This will give you a good idea of what the benefits of each food group are. You will be better able to understand the food choices that you have for the meals and which groups should be included in larger or smaller portions.
It is important to establish the calorific needs of the elderly person. You can ask a nutritionist or your doctor to help you figure this out. The calorific needs of any person will depend on their level of activity. If you are very active you will need a higher amount of calories. However, those who are inactive will require fewer calories. In general, a woman who is aged over 50 and is relatively inactive will require a calorie intake of about 1600 to provide enough energy for their daily activities. Men of the same age who are also relatively inactive will need about 2000 calories.
It is also important to learn a thing or two about portion control. Counting calories without controlling portions of various types of food will be useless in senior care. Different types of foods may contain the same calorific value but will contain different nutritive value. These foods will also differ in the level of satiety they provide. It is therefore wise to know which foods should be eaten in larger portions than others to ensure a balanced diet. In general, the amount of starch should be reduced while the proportion of vegetables and proteins ought to be increased.
Take your time when planning meals for senior care. Ensure that you get all the information you need from various resources online and in print. Do your best to provide food that will help to boost the immune system while keeping cholesterol and blood glucose down.
Planning a senior care meal plan is similar to planning your own meal plan. It is important to do as much research as possible to ensure the plan is healthy.
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