The Benefits of Meal Preparation
Meal preparation can be a good habit for anyone to practice—it helps you ensure you’re eating a healthy diet while also not over or under eating. But for seniors, it can be a very important habit to practice for several reasons. Malnutrition is a major health issue for many seniors—especially when they live alone. Hospital staff often find that seniors admitted to the hospital for one reason or another are malnourished. Here at TruCare Home Care, we understand the importance of good nutrition, which is why our staff are trained on how to assess their clients and then provide the perfect balance of nutrients for their condition. In this blog post, we will tell you all about the importance of meal preparation and how you can ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need in your diet.
Why is malnutrition so common in seniors?
There are many reasons why seniors can easily become malnourished. As we get older, our bodies become less able to extract all the beneficial vitamins and minerals we need from our food. This can lead to problems with bones, skin, and organ tissue. In addition, seniors that live on their own are often incapable of preparing daily meals like they used to, so they either don’t eat as often or turn to store-bought convenience food—which is often low in the key nutrients that seniors need to attain the correct balance.
What is meal preparation and how can it help?
Meal preparation involves making many meals in advance and then refrigerating or freezing them so they can be quickly and conveniently heated up when needed. Essentially, meal preparation is making home-cooked convince food that’s just as easy to prepare as store-bought convenience food but with a much higher nutrient density. For seniors who want to remain at home, meal preparation is the perfect way to keep healthy eating habits once mobility is reduced.
How TruCare can help you or your loved one?
At Trucare, our caregivers are trained in how to prepare meals that have the exact nutrient density to ensure you are as healthy as possible. By tailoring your meals to your exact dietary requirements, there’s no need to worry about whether you’re getting the right amount of key nutrients such as calcium, protein, iron, and healthy fats—we take care of that for you! Also, our caregivers will provide you with enough meals to keep you going until their next visit, so you can relax in the knowledge that you have an abundant stock of healthy meals that are quick and simple to prepare at home—it’s time to say goodbye to salty, fatty, and nutrient-deficient TV dinners and hello to great home-cooked meals!
If you are reaching your senior years, it’s important to consider the nutrients you’re getting from your meals. As we age, our bodies struggle to extract everything we need, and our physical state can sometimes make it difficult to keep on top of this as well. Preparing healthy, nutritious food in advance that can be heated up at a time that is convenient for you is the best way to stay healthy in your elder years. If you’d like some help with preparing healthy meals in advance, talk to us here at TruCare Home Care. Our expert staff prepare hundreds of meals for seniors every week, and each and every one of them is tailored to ensure they contain the right ratio of nutrients every time.
