If your mom or dad needs to lose weight but cannot exercise because of limited mobility or health problems, portion control is very important. Changing the portions that they eat and only eating the correct portions of foods will help your senior mom or dad lose weight even if they can’t exercise.
Many people don’t know what the correct portion of food is, and elder care services can help. They just eat what they think is a correct portion. If your senior parent is eating double or triple portions of unhealthy foods, that could be why they can’t lose weight.
Your mom or dad can still eat the foods they like. But, controlling the portion size will make it easier for them to eat what they want without gaining weight.
Here are some easy ways for your senior parent to fix their portions and lose weight:
Get Elder Care
Elder care can be a big help for seniors who are trying to change how they eat. An elder care provider can help seniors with things like shopping for food, cooking meals, and making sure that portion sizes are correct. By sharing meals with a care provider, your senior parent is more likely to eat the right size portion instead of eating too much.
Get A Scale
A food scale can be a huge help for seniors who want to make sure they are eating the right amount of certain foods. It can be shocking to see what a proper portion is compared to what your mom or dad thinks is the right size portion. Purchasing a food scale is a good way for you or elder care professional to educate your mom or dad about food portions and to make sure that you know more about portion sizes.
Meal Prep
One of the best ways to help your senior parent control their portions is to prep meals. An elder care provider can make a meal and share it with your senior parent. Then they can take the leftovers and put them in individual portions in containers. If your senior parent is hungry, they can take one container from the fridge and heat it up to eat, knowing it’s already the right portion size.
An elder care provider can also prep meals ahead of time by cooking large batches of your senior parent’s favorite meals, putting them into individual portion containers, and freezing them.
Prep Snacks Too
Don’t forget about snacks. It’s very easy to eat many portions of chips and other tasty snacks, especially if your senior parent likes to snack while they watch TV at night. An elder care provider can make snack boards for your senior parent that contain small portions of all their favorite snacks. Or, they can take a big bag of chips, pretzels, or other snacks and put individual portions of those snacks in containers or bags.
Pour Beverages in a Small Glass
Liquid calories count, too! If your senior parent likes to drink iced coffee, juice, or other high-calorie drinks, they could be drinking double the amount they’re supposed to be drinking. Often, regular-sized glasses hold 12 or more ounces of beverages when the correct portion size is 6 or 8 ounces. Seniors should use small glasses for high-calorie beverages so they don’t drink too many calories.
If you or someone you know needs Elder Care in Rochester, MN, contact Adara Home Health. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve. Call us at (888) 660-5772 for more information.