Father’s Day is Sunday! Your dad wants people to make his favorite dishes and desserts from his childhood, but you worry about his nutritional needs. Instead of refusing to treat him to a childhood favorite meal, including dessert, use these four tips to improve the nutrition in his favorite desserts.
Use Pureed Dates, Bananas, or Unsweetened Applesauce in Place of Sugar
Many recipes work well if you ditch the sugar and use pureed dates, bananas, or unsweetened applesauce instead. Dates are ideal as they don’t add much extra moisture to the batter or dough. If you use bananas or applesauce, you may need to reduce the water or milk used in the recipe.
Suppose your dad wants brownies. Make them using cocoa powder, almond flour, and pureed dates in place of sugar. Add a couple of eggs, walnuts, and plain unsweetened yogurt, and bake that batter.
Switch to Whole Wheat Flour
Move away from processed all-purpose flour and use whole wheat flour instead. If that doesn’t work, white wheat flour contains the fiber from the wheat, but it’s closer to all-purpose flour in texture and color.
You could also try using almond flour or other high-fiber flours that move away from less nutritious white flour. There are many flours on the market including coconut, chickpea, and rye.
Stick to a Healthier Fat
Some desserts have to have oil or butter, and it’s hard to bypass that ingredient. Sometimes, pureed prunes work, but it’s not a guarantee. If you can’t avoid adding butter or oil, try something healthier. Unsweetened Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream may work, especially in cakes.
If vegetable oil is a must, try using olive oil, walnut oil, or sunflower oil instead. Avoid butter or lard unless your dad’s doctor says saturated fat is okay.
Focus on Fruit
Your dad needs two cups of fruit each day. Suppose that apple pie is his favorite dessert. Make it healthier by removing the core, and filling the center with oats, walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon. Bake or grill that apple until it’s tender.
It’s not a pie, but the flavors are there. He can have a small dollop of vanilla yogurt in place of ice cream. Or, make your vanilla frozen yogurt by pureeing frozen bananas, frozen yogurt cubes, and vanilla.
Outside of holiday gatherings and special days like Father’s Day, how often can you visit your dad? Is he alone most months? Make sure he has someone checking on him. Senior home care aides can stop by, take him shopping, clean his home, and keep him company.
With senior home care, he’s less likely to experience loneliness or isolation. He’ll have a clean, organized home and the emotional support he needs to thrive in his desire to stay independent as he ages.
If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Lodi, CA, please contact the caring staff at Provident Care Home Care today at (209) 578-1210.
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