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Tips To Make Meals Easier For Seniors To Eat

A home care provider can take the time to make meals that your senior mom or dad can eat and enjoy every day. Here are some tips.
Home Care Ridgefield CT - Tips To Make Meals Easier For Seniors To Eat

If you have noticed that your senior parent isn’t eating as much as they should you may need to change the meals that you make for them. As seniors get older changes in taste, the side effects of medications, and dental problems or dentures can make it difficult for them to eat. If you have tried making the foods that your mom or dad used to love but now they turn them down, it’s time to try some tricks to make food easier for them to eat. If your senior parent has home care services, talk to their home care provider about changing their meals to make them easier to eat.

That doesn’t mean that you must puree or liquify all their food. There are lots of things that you can do to make regular food easier for seniors to eat. If your senior mom or dad doesn’t have home care, now is the time to get home care. A home care provider can take the time to make meals that your senior mom or dad can eat and enjoy every day.

A senior’s care provider can use tricks like these to make food easier for your mom or dad to eat:

Cook Vegetables Until Soft

Vegetables can be very difficult for seniors to eat. Even when they’re cut up raw vegetables can be extremely hard to chew. Steam, roast, or boil vegetables until they’re tender enough to be easily mashed with a fork. This makes them easier to chew and digest.

Choose Ground or Minced Meats

Your senior mom or dad may have trouble eating large hunks of meat. Cutting their meat into tiny pieces may be difficult too, if they have poor dexterity or grip strength. Instead of serving whole cuts of meat, use ground or minced versions. They’re easier to chew and can be used in a variety of dishes like meatloaf, meatballs, or casseroles. You can also serve pulled meats like pulled chicken or pulled pork. Cooking meat in the crockpot can also make it easy to pull off the bone and shred.

Cut Food into Smaller Pieces

Cutting food into bite-sized pieces makes it easier to chew and reduces the effort required to break it down. But this can be embarrassing for your senior mom or dad. So, if you’re going to cut their food into tiny pieces for them, do it to your food too. Then you’re both eating the same way and it will be less awkward.

Use Different Cooking Methods

Cook the meats and vegetables that your mom or dad likes but using moist methods like braising, stewing, or slow cooking will allow them to eat the foods they like. These cooking methods help retain moisture and make the food more tender.

Home Care Ridgefield CT - Tips To Make Meals Easier For Seniors To Eat
Home Care Ridgefield CT – Tips To Make Meals Easier For Seniors To Eat

Add Sauces and Gravies

Adding sauces, gravies, or broth to dishes can help moisten food, making it easier to chew and swallow. It also adds flavor and variety. Just make sure the sauces and gravies aren’t packed with sugar and fat. Making your sauces and gravies is better than using pre-made versions.

Serve Soft Grains

Choose grains like oatmeal, quinoa, or couscous that are naturally soft or can be cooked to a softer texture. Avoid harder grains like whole-grain bread or rice unless they’re thoroughly cooked. If you’re serving pasta, make sure it’s cooked all the way through and is very tender. Don’t serve it al dente.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Home Care Services near Ridgefield CT, please call and talk to our friendly and dedicated staff. (203) 744-8380

Home Care Advantage provides quality Non-Medical Home Care for seniors and families in Danbury, Bethel, Easton, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Southbury, Weston, Westport, Wilton, and surrounding areas.

Dr. Beverly Ruekberg, DPH, MPH, MA. Ed.
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