It’s never too late to start eating smart.

A healthy, well-balanced diet can help your senior loved ones maintain a healthy weight, stay energized and lower the risk of developing chronic conditions, such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Recents studies also suggest it could ward off dementia.

“When you look in your senior loved one’s refrigerator, what do you see – fresh fruits and vegetables or hot dogs and canned peaches,” asked Sierra Goetz, co-founder and operations director at Trail Ridge Home Care’s partner, the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN). “We know that maintaining a healthy diet is critical for healthy aging. But for some older people, cooking just isn’t fun anymore – especially if they live alone. For others, limited mobility, cognitive decline and worsening vision can make it more difficult to put a healthy meal on the table and clean up afterward.”

To help your senior maintain a healthy diet, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests you encourage them to:

• Enjoy a variety of foods from each food group to help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, hypertension and heart disease.
• Choose foods with little to no added sugar, saturated fats and sodium.
• Get enough protein during the day to maintain muscle mass.
• Focus on the nutrients they need – potassium, calcium, vitamin D, dietary fiber and vitamin B12.
• Drink water often. Low- or fat-free milk, including lactose-free options or fortified soy beverage and 100% juice can also keep them hydrated. Limit beverages that have lots of added sugars or salt.
• Maintain a healthy weight or prevent additional weight gain by following a healthy dietary pattern and adopting an active lifestyle.
• Use the MyPlate Plan to learn how much to eat from all five food groups and find out how many calories they need each day to maintain energy.
• Prevent food poisoning by keeping food safe.

“At Trail Ridge Home Care, we understand that it’s not always possible for families to make sure their aging loved ones are eating healthy, nutritious meals. That’s where we come in,” Goetz said. “As part of our customized care plans, our professional caregivers can help seniors shop for healthy foods, prepare balanced meals and clean up afterward. They also add an ingredient not found on any plate – companionship. When meals are shared with others, they’re more enjoyable and often more nutritious.”

If you think your aging loved one might benefit from our meal prep services, call our Trail Ridge Home Care office or visit TrailRidgeHomeCare.com.