A healthy diet is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle at any age. Believe it or not, eating well doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are a few simple tips that can help seniors prepare nutritious meals for one.
- Buy Frozen
- Shop The Salad Bar
- Buy Once For Many Meals
- Freeze For Later
- Menu Plan
- Use Leftovers
- Invite Friends
- Take A Break
Buy Frozen
Single serving frozen entrées require very little preparation and time. However, you’ll likely need to add fresh fruit, whole grain bread, or a tossed salad to make it well-balanced. Knowing what a healthy plate looks like and reading nutrition labels will benefit you over time.
Shop The Salad Bar
Many stores now have salad bars in the deli department. Shopping at the store’s salad bar is a great way to reduce the portions you’d typically see pre-packaged in the produce department. Boxing up only what you need for the week reduces food waste and saves space.
Buy Once For Many Meals
Rotisserie chickens are a healthy, convenient food that can enhance many recipes, ranging from salads to entrées. A chicken breast, accompanied by a salad and a whole grain, can serve as an entrée. Shredded rotisserie chicken is excellent in a vegetable or noodle soup. For a quick stir-fry, cube some rotisserie chicken thigh and pair it with rice and steamed vegetables.
There are a million ways to use a rotisserie chicken – get creative!
Freeze Food For Later
Purchasing items that freeze well can not only save money, but complete a balanced meal and reduce food waste. Fish, meat, and select fresh fruit and vegetables can all be prepared and split into single portions and frozen for later use. You can use most frozen foods for up to three months after the preparation date.
Make A Menu Plan
Making a weekly menu or developing a monthly rotating meal plan can relieve meal preparation and shopping stress. Knowing what you need when you get to the store is key to saving money and time.
Use Up Leftovers
Cooking in large amounts often means leftovers. Sometimes this means storing in the fridge for the next day, but many dishes can be portioned into single servings and frozen for a quick, balanced meal later.
Invite Friends
Do you know other single seniors cooking too much for one? Work together! Swap dishes, share leftovers, or dine together. You could take it one step further, create a menu plan together, decide what each person is cooking, and then swap dishes.
Senior Apartments With Private Kitchens
At PeachTree Place Assisted Living Community, we let residents choose between preparing dinner in their private kitchens or leaving the cooking up to us, so you can relax and socialize. Give us a call today to tour our senior apartments and community grounds.
