Homecare: With the holiday season arriving, it's an excellent time to consider your plans.
Are you flying in to see your parents for your yearly holiday gathering? Are others coming for a day or several days? Have you thought about the menu? As you age, dietary needs often change and you and your homecare provider can keep an eye on things. Maybe your dad has diabetes and needs to watch his carb intake and must avoid added sugar in the foods he eats. Your mom needs to watch her intake of saturated fat, plus she needs extra calcium. Your dad cannot have too much sodium due to his high blood pressure.
You might have a parent with gout who needs to avoid seafood and alcohol. Someone else may need a gluten-free diet due to celiac disease. Cooking a meal to meet these differing diets is challenging. It's not impossible, however. Here are some tips for dishes that suit everyone.
Carefully Choose a Turkey
The sale turkey may be a great price, but it's going to be injected with a brine that may be high in sodium or have added sugar. Buy local when possible and make sure it's not injected with anything. To keep it moist while it bakes, make your own low-sodium brine using a salt alternative.
Make an Alternative Stuffing
Stuffing made from bread may not be an option. Make an alternative like a quinoa pilaf for people who need to avoid gluten. You could also use a gluten-free bread or stuffing mix. If you'd rather serve whole grains to ensure there's plenty of fiber in the meal, make a risotto with barley or do a brown rice pilaf.
Homecare: Focus More on Vegetables
Instead of filling up with starchier potatoes, add plenty of other options. Roast Brussels sprouts that have been tossed in olive oil and chopped rosemary. When they're tender, add chopped pecans and dried cherries or cranberries and roast for a couple more minutes. Drizzle with fresh orange juice to serve.
Steam a head of cauliflower and spray it with avocado oil. Place it in a baking pan and add a cheese sauce made from low-fat milk and cheese. Pour that over the cauliflower and broil until the cheese sauce is bubbly.
It's easier to gather during the holidays, but what happens the rest of the year? If you live on the other side of the country, are your parents alone most of the time? Are other family members able to check-in, make sure your mom and dad are okay, and take them shopping for things they need?
When your parents live alone and don't often get visitors, arrange homecare services. Companion Homecare is especially important as it ensures your parents have help with housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, or many other tasks. Call a homecare agency to learn more about these and other services that help your parents live independently.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Homecare in Marina Del Ray, CA, please call Mom's Home Care and talk to our friendly, knowledgeable staff.
Our number is: 323-244-4789
