March is National Nutrition Month and since many seniors struggle to get the right amount of vitamins and minerals they need, it’s a great time to look for ways to help seniors manage their nutrition. Nutritional shakes and bars are a very effective way for seniors who are not eating enough to get the full recommended amount of vitamins and minerals every day. Great tasting shakes that are made at home are a sure-fire way to perk up a senior’s appetite. In-home care providers who have experience with the unique nutritional needs of seniors can make your senior fantastic and nutritionally balanced shakes that will help your senior loved one stay healthy. Some easy ways to boost a senior’s nutrition with healthy shakes include:
Add Green Vegetables
A majority of seniors are not eating enough leafy green vegetables. Leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale are nutritional powerhouses that contain vitamins and minerals that seniors need in concentrated amounts. Use a blend to chop or liquify a cup or two of green vegetables and add that to a shake to seriously boost the nutritional content of the shake. If you are using other ingredients with strong flavors your senior loved one probably won’t even notice the taste of the kale or spinach but they will get all the nutritional benefits of it.
Use Foods With Strong Flavor
Rich foods with strong flavors can make it much easier to hide nutrients in a shake. You can add things like chocolate or even a few drops of vanilla extract to almost any spice to make the shake tastier for seniors. There is nothing wrong with adding flavoring or using foods like citrus fruits which have a strong flavor to make a nutritional drink more appealing to seniors. If you use seasonal fruits those fruits should have a very strong fresh flavor that will really enhance the flavor of the drink.
Use Fruit Juice Or Vegetable Juice Instead Of Water
A smart way to add more nutrients to a drink while also making it more flavorful is to substitute orange juice, cranberry juice, or other fruit juice for water. You can also subsite vegetable juice in a smoothie. Using some type of juice or even milk instead of water will get your senior loved one to want to drink the shake because it will taste much better. And fresh fruit and vegetable juice will help make sure that your senior loved one is getting the right vitamins and nutrients.
Add Protein Powder if Allowed
Seniors rarely get the recommended amount of protein that they should have. If your senior’s doctor says it’s ok, you can add scoops of protein powder to nutritional shakes to make them healthier for your senior loved one. You may need to try out a few different protein powders to find out that your senior loved one likes but just one scoop of protein powder can add a huge amount of protein to a shake.
In-Home Care Helps with Many Aspects of Nutrition
A well-balance diet includes more than just healthy shakes. In-home care providers can also do the grocery shopping for nutritious foods, meal preparation, portioning, cleaning up and visiting with your senior while they eat. A large part of what makes meals enjoyable – and what could encourage your senior to eat regularly – is having someone to enjoy a meal with. This is just one of the many benefits your senior will get out of in-home care.
If you or an aging loved one is considering in-home care in Modesto, CA, please contact the caring staff at Provident Care Home Care today at (209) 578-1210.
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