Keeping a balanced and healthy diet can be a big issue at every stage of life. However, taking care of proper nutrition seems to be really important, especially in the senior age. Why? Seniors are more prone to various infections and dysfunctions, so every change in their diet can result in an increased risk of illness.

That’s why our senior family members should be aware of the importance of keeping a good diet and which products to avoid (read more here). Informing them about how to have a balanced lifestyle and facilitating it is also a younger generation’s role. We need to share this knowledge with our parents and educate them on how to eat healthily. How can we do it? Below we present a few tips on how to choose the right nutrition for our elderly parents.

Don’t Change a Senior’s Diet Dramatically

Nobody likes to change their habits, and it is true, especially for seniors. They have their own favorite meals or products that they’ve been eating for years – it would be pointless to completely change our parents’ diets. It’s enough to change the eating habits slightly. You may find some suggestions on how to do it online, for example at Nutrition You Can Use.

In this case, a good and balanced solution is to introduce healthier alternatives for the snacks that seniors adore. For example, if your mom or dad has always loved crispy snacks, suggest switching to baked vegetables or fruit chips instead. Of course, it will require some effort and preparation, but it is definitely worth it. 

If you want to find some more alternatives for snacks and other fattening products, visit this website.

Remember About Proper Hydration

With the passage of time, we tend to need less water and don’t feel thirsty that often. It can be misleading, though, because our body still needs water to function. What can you do to encourage your elderly parents to drink more water and stay hydrated?

First, it’s good to diversify water sources, as its taste is blunt and not suitable for everyone. You can offer a senior parent a variety of soups, shakes, or milk-based cocktails, including water but are full of taste.

Another way of making sure that seniors stay hydrated is by providing them with special isotonic drinks. They have highly hydrating properties and include all the vitamins and mineral ingredients necessary for human functioning. 

Simply try to recognize your parents’ favorite tastes and drinks and encourage them to hydrate regularly. Dehydration is a serious problem in the case of seniors, as it may have serious medical consequences later on. 

Think of Diet Supplementation

Although diet supplementation may be associated mostly with young, active people, it is also a great way for the elderly to stay in good health.

An adequately chosen supplementation should be adjusted to the person’s age, gender, and general activity level. Of course, the taken supplements should not interfere with any medication that an elderly person takes or with co-existing diseases. Therefore, a doctor’s consultation is always advisable before starting diet supplementation.

Properly chosen supplements can truly boost the energy level and general condition of the elderly. To read more about its positive effects, click here.

Reduce The Amount of Meat

Modern research points to the benefits of a plant-based diet. There have also been studies done specifically on the effects of meat consumption by seniors. All the data points to that less is better. You don’t have to cut out all meat, but reducing the amount of meat consumed will have lasting benefits on overall health. 

If your parents tend to over do it in the meat department, it’s time to show them how amazing veg recipes can be. If you want to get to know what to replace meat with, read this article – it’s a great list of vegetables that you can substitute for meat, and how to prepare them in a way that anyone wants to indulge. 

Steam, Not Fry!

Eating fried, fatty foods is another bad dietary habit that a lot of elderly people tend to follow. Greasy meals are hard to digest and dangerous for general health, as they lead to the increased cholesterol level.

Therefore, it’s advisable to make your parents change their routine and show them some alternative cooking options. They can, for example, try out steam-cooking or baking instead of frying. The recipes based on that method are endless, and it’s a much more convenient and healthy way of cooking.

Conclusion

Keeping a proper diet is not effortless, and it may be problematic for everyone, especially for the elderly, who often have limited possibilities, or simply lack energy.

That’s why their children’s role is so important – they are responsible for introducing positive habits into their parents’ diets. Sometimes revolutionary changes aren’t needed – it’s just a matter of introducing new products, changing the meals into lighter and healthier ones, or remembering about proper hydration. 

Such an attitude will surely repay in the future, and your elderly parents will stay in good health and general condition for long.