Regardless of one’s age, we should always follow a healthy and balanced diet in order to lead a healthy life. However, when it comes to our loved ones, this rule is more important than ever as their health tends to decline and a number of health problems will arise. Eating at fast-food joints and buying takeouts may be convenient and provide a quick and easy way for them to satisfy their hunger, but those options are never good in the long run, health-wise. As such, we should take a proactive approach in encouraging our loved ones to cook more. Here are some cooking tips for the elderly.
Plan Meals in Advance
In almost all circumstances, it’s much better to plan ahead in order to reduce uncertainty and allow the person to look ahead and expect what’s to come. This is no different for meal preparation as well. We recommend the elderly to consider what they would like to eat in the coming days ahead and write down a list of what ingredients they require to make the meals. Plan out a few menus for a week, and if it’s possible, they can consider making a few extra portions for meal prepping, which not only is a great budgeting method but also allows them to keep track of their diet.
Organize Shopping Lists and Meal Recipes
While most people these days would use their phone to organize any lists and notes, some elderly may still prefer the good old paper and pen when it comes to jotting down information. In this case, such notes can get disorganized quickly if they do not take the time to place them all in one folder. As such, do encourage them to keep all their shopping lists and recipes neatly, so that they can refer back to them whenever it’s time for grocery shopping or when they are looking to whip up a meal. This makes it so much easier for them to think of which meals to prepare for that day.
Plan a Time for Cooking
If your loved ones have an active life filled with many activities and other responsibilities to attend to, these can make it rather challenging for them to find a time to cook. As you should know, cooking can be time-consuming, especially if you’re looking to whip up elaborate meals. As such, to avoid the habit of buying takeouts, your loved ones should schedule and plan a specific time to prepare their meals. We recommend planning a free day like the weekends when they can head out to town for grocery shopping and then prepare the food using fresh ingredients. Afterward, any leftovers can be refrigerated and used for lunch the next day.
Make Mealtimes Enjoyable
Meals shouldn’t be seen as a chore. Instead, mealtimes are self-care for us to relax our minds and take a breather during the day. Food can also bring people together through deep-hearted conversations. As such, if your loved ones lack the motivation to eat or prepare meals, they can consider setting up a kitchen and dining environment that’s more appealing. For example, invite friends over for a meal, decorate the kitchen table with good china, or put on some music while eating. All these can help to make mealtimes more enjoyable.
