Home Care Tips For Healthy Winter Nutrition

Home care senior services providers support elderly clients by providing elderly care assistance with basic daily tasks including dressing and eating. During the winter months, it is important for seniors to remember to not only stay warm by layering up for the cold weather, but to continue to eat right as well. Maintaining good nutrition will help seniors stay more active and feel better.

Whether you provide home care services for your loved ones as a family, or are assisted by a professional elderly care senior services provider, there is an easy way to ensure seniors are able to benefit from a balanced, healthy diet during the winter. Simply taking a few minutes each week to plan meals or having a conversation with your home care services provider can help you ensure each meal is prepared to provide your loved ones with the vitamins, proteins, and other nutrients that will help them maintain better health in the winter.

The following list of essential nutrients can guide you as you plan for warm, hearty, and healthy winter meals:

Healthy Carbohydrates and Whole Grains
During the winter months, it is easy to want to nestle up to a warm plate of cookies, hot rolls, or various leftover holiday treats. Unfortunately, all of these foods provide little nutrition or sustainable energy. Rather than relying on sweets and processed foods filled with empty carbs, try inserting whole grains into your loved ones diet. These will provide energy to keep them going all day long. Oatmeal is a great option for breakfast or you can consider preparing whole wheat pasta dishes, or baking whole grain bread. You can also experiment with adding grains like barley or millet to soups for a comforting meal on a cold night.

Immunity Boosting Fruits and Vegetables
During winter months, many seniors are especially susceptible to colds, flus, and other viruses. There are many fruits and vegetables that provide nutrients to help boost the immune system and combat disease. Red, purple, and blue fruits are filled with healthy anti-oxidants. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage pack a whole lot of Vitamin C and beta-carotene that naturally enhance the body's immune system to keep colds at bay and help shorten recovery time. Foods rich in probiotics like yogurt and sauerkraut provide the body with healthy bacteria that help fight off infections.

Protein for Muscle Strength
To stay warm, support muscle health, and provide energy, protein is another essential nutrient for the winter. Fish, lean meats, and some red meats are all healthy sources of protein. Nuts, beans, and flax seed are other sources that are also packed with healthy protein. Fish and flax seed are superb choices because they also provide the body with omega-3 fatty acids.

Healthy Skin Nutrients
During the winter, many seniors experience dry skin. To help combat this, include foods rich in Vitamin D, Vitamin B, and Zinc. These include cheese, eggs, liver, and milk. It is also important to drink plenty of water to help rejuvenate skin and keep it softer and healthier.

By taking the time to consciously include healthy fruits and vegetables into meals, family home care providers can help keep their loved ones healthier during the winter. If you have an elderly care service that provides senior services like meals or nutrition assistance, consider scheduling a brief meeting with them to get more tips and learn about their health and nutrition programs.