Eat Well, Age Well: Find Balance And Food Security With Senior Care In El Paso
Food insecurity is often conflated with financial insecurity, but the truth is that many middle and upper-middle class seniors still struggle with proper nutrition, particularly those lacking full mobility or nutritional literacy. But our senior care team is here to help.
Today’s post reviews the National Council on Aging’s simple tips for eating well as we grow older, then explains how our senior care helps encourage and implement these healthy habits.
Read on to learn more about our role in the fight for senior food security, or call (915)-250-0177 to consult directly with a senior care coordinator in El Paso, TX.
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Senior Care Research Shows El Paso Residents Need Help With Healthy Eating
In a new study by the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP), titled “Food Insecurity Among Older Adults,” Texas was identified as 1 of 9 states in which senior food insecurity rates exceed 20%, far exceeding the national prevalence of 14.4%. That means more than 1 in 5 seniors are at risk of going hungry or being malnourished.
According to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services’ Aging Texas Well report, this puts a large percentage of El Paso seniors at risk of:
- Compromised immune system
- Poor recovery from illness or injury
- Chronic diseases
- Loss of mobility
- Increased slip-and-fall injury risk
- Depression and lethargy, and more
To reduce these risks, a number of community programs have been launched, including charitable food assistance networks, home-delivered meal programs, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), all of which our senior care services can connect you with to keep your fridge and stomach full.
But for many seniors, the problem has less to do with low income and more to do with their level of independence, mobility, and nutritional literacy—that is, their knowledge of healthy eating practices, and how these change as we age.
Fortunately, our senior care teams are here to help!
Eat Well, Age Well: Find Balance And Food Security With Senior Care In El Paso, TX
Recognizing the need for senior nutritional literacy, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) released a list of simple tips for eating well as we age, all of which our senior care teams can help you incorporate into your loved one’s daily routine. These include:
- Balancing food group choices throughout the day. Striking the balance between food groups is critical for proper food security and senior nutrition. NCOA researchers recommend making half your plate fruits and vegetables, about a quarter grains, and a quarter protein. But if you’re receiving senior care from us, you won’t have to worry, as we ensure proper portioning and balance with every meal.
- Reading the Nutrition Facts label while you shop. Balanced plates require balanced shopping lists, so make sure you’re reading the labels. That means avoiding foods with high levels of fat, sodium, sugars, and unpronounceable additives, and opting for nutrient-rich whole foods whenever possible. Here again, if you’re receiving senior care from us, you won’t have to worry, as we can take care of grocery duty.
- Starting from scratch whenever possible. Processed foods and takeaway orders may be satiating, but they aren’t as healthy and nutrient-rich as whole foods prepared from scratch. This is easier said than done for some seniors, especially those living with mobility issues or dementia, but with our senior care teams by your side, preparing home-cooked meals is as easy as asking.
- Reducing calorie-dense snack foods. Calorie-dense processed food items not only cause inflammation, energy crashes, and health issues over the long term; they also steal away your loved ones’ appetites without nourishing them with the vital nutrients they need for healthy aging. To prevent temptation, our senior care team will keep these snack foods out of the house, or else ensure they are eaten in moderation, and we’ll keep the fridge and cabinet stocked with healthy snacks to keep them on-track, even between care visits.
Start Your Healthy Lifestyle: Book A Senior Care Consultation In El Paso, TX
To schedule a free senior care consultation and learn more about how we can support your loved ones’ healthy behavioral change, you can:
- Call (915)-250-0177
- Email [email protected]
Fill out our online contact form
