AgeWise: Healthy Holiday Eating for Seniors
By: Laine Baker
Updated: December 15, 2011
Food -it is everywhere during the holiday season. While some may gather round a large table to dine, others, especially seniors, may be cooking for just one or two people. The best way to make the right amount of food and not overdo it, is to get a recipe made specifically for the number of people eating.
Schmieding Center Nurse Educator Barbara Vaughan finds recipes on the web or in cookbooks. She said as important as how much food you cook, is how you cook it.
"I am a strong believer in preventative medicine and taking care of yourself," she said.
To keep those holiday meals healthy, Vaughan recommends substituting items recipes call for, like using applesauce in the place of butter, or an artificial sweetener in the place of sugar - especially if you are diabetic. Seniors who should limit their sodium intake can sprinkle on a salt substitute to add flavor to foods, and even during the holidays seniors should be sure to stick to any medical plans for eating.
"Ignoring dietary recommendations by your doctor is shortening your life, and decreasing the quality," Vaughan said.
She encourages seniors to enjoy holiday food, but in the right portions, and in the right frame of mind.
"I believe in quality of life, and I believe in quantity of life," Vaughan said. "I want to live as long as I can, as well as I can. What we put in our bodies is going to have a great influence on the outcome."
The USDA also has a site for healthy eating tips: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
Schmieding Center Nurse Educator Barbara Vaughan finds recipes on the web or in cookbooks. She said as important as how much food you cook, is how you cook it.
"I am a strong believer in preventative medicine and taking care of yourself," she said.
To keep those holiday meals healthy, Vaughan recommends substituting items recipes call for, like using applesauce in the place of butter, or an artificial sweetener in the place of sugar - especially if you are diabetic. Seniors who should limit their sodium intake can sprinkle on a salt substitute to add flavor to foods, and even during the holidays seniors should be sure to stick to any medical plans for eating.
"Ignoring dietary recommendations by your doctor is shortening your life, and decreasing the quality," Vaughan said.
She encourages seniors to enjoy holiday food, but in the right portions, and in the right frame of mind.
"I believe in quality of life, and I believe in quantity of life," Vaughan said. "I want to live as long as I can, as well as I can. What we put in our bodies is going to have a great influence on the outcome."
The USDA also has a site for healthy eating tips: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
