One of the most significant predictors of how healthy a senior will be as they age is their weight. Being overweight raises the risk of severe illnesses like diabetes and heart disease in seniors. But it can be challenging for seniors to lose weight. Exercising is more challenging for seniors. And metabolism is slower in seniors than it is in younger people. Cutting calories and eating the right foods can help seniors lose weight if they are overweight. But cutting calories is not fun, so seniors often have trouble cutting and sticking to a diet with fewer calories. Here are some tips from in-home care professionals that seniors can cut calories without feeling deprived are:

Cut Portions

A way seniors can cut calories without depriving themselves of any food they like to eat is to cut the portion size. Most of the time, people cut the portion size by half because that’s the most convenient, but portion size can also be cut by ¼, which will still help with calorie reduction. In-home care for seniors that includes meal preparation can make it easy for seniors to cut the portion size of their meals. The extra portions can be packed and saved for additional meals the next day. Or the meals can freeze them for the future.

Use Low-Calorie Swaps For High-Calorie Foods

There are many ways that seniors can use low-calorie foods as substitutes for high-calorie foods when cooking. In-home care that includes meal preparation is an excellent resource for seniors who want to eat healthier. Cooking with an in-home care provider. Seniors can learn to make healthy swaps like plain Greek low-calorie yogurt instead of sour cream when cooking. Or how to use healthy fats like avocado or coconut oil instead of high-calorie items like mayonnaise.

Fill Up On Veggies

Vegetables are satisfying to eat but very low in calories. That makes them the perfect snacks. Instead of eating chips and cookies, seniors should be eating carrot chips or celery sticks. And seniors should be eating vegetables instead of high-starch foods at meals. Replacing pasta with noodles made from vegetables like squash or zucchini can save a lot of calories and help seniors regulate their blood sugar. Using riced cauliflower instead of actual rice or semolina as a side dish is another brilliant way for seniors to fill up on low-calorie vegetables instead of starchy foods.

Use A Calorie Counter

Just keeping track of how many calories they are eating can help seniors eat fewer calories and lose weight. It’s common for seniors not even to realize how many calories are in the foods they’re eating. When seniors know that their breakfast muffin has 750 calories, they are less likely to choose a high-calorie lunch. There are lots of calorie counters designed to help seniors and others who are tracking their calories make better food choices.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring In-Home Care in Mountain View, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care. Call today: (415) 795-2203

Source:

https://www.ncoa.org/older-adults/health/diet-nutrition/healthy-weight

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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