October is National Pasta Month and it’s a great way to explore new ways to make pasta healthier for your senior mom or dad. Pasta is a great food for seniors to eat because it’s soft and easy to make. But, pasta can be too high in carbs and starch for seniors who have diabetes or other health conditions. If your parent loves pasta but doesn’t get to eat it often, they may be able to enjoy it more with some healthy changes and substitutions. In-home care can help seniors eat healthy meals by helping them shop for healthy ingredients and cook healthy meals. An in-home care provider can also share meals with your mom or dad so that they don’t have to eat alone.

Your senior parent and an in-home care provider can use these ideas to make healthier pasta dishes this fall:

Choose Whole-Grain Pasta

Whole-grain pasta contains more fiber, vitamins, and minerals compared to refined pasta. The added fiber helps with digestion, promotes a feeling of fullness, and can aid in maintaining stable blood sugar levels. If your senior parent has diabetes whole wheat pasta will have less of an impact on their blood sugar.

Use Vegetable Noodles

One of the hottest trends in healthy eating is making pasta out of vegetables. Zucchini noodles, squash noodles, and other veggie noodles give seniors an extra service of veggies and taste like pasta. Adding a variety of vegetables not only increases the nutritional content of your pasta dish but also adds vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Vegetables also contribute fiber, which helps with satiety and digestive health.

Use Lean Proteins

Serving pasta with lean protein instead of high-fat meats like veal or beef meatballs can reduce the calories in that meal without reducing the healthy protein in each service. Try making pasta dishes with lean protein sources such as chicken breast, turkey, tofu, or vegetarian protein patties. Lean proteins provide essential amino acids and are lower in saturated fat, which can contribute to heart health.

Reduce or Substitute High-Calorie Sauces

Traditional pasta sauces can be high in calories, sodium, and unhealthy fats. Using lighter sauces, such as those made with tomatoes, herbs, and spices, or substituting cream-based sauces with pureed vegetables or Greek yogurt, can reduce calorie intake while still providing flavor.

An in-home care provider can also top pasta dishes with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and vegetables instead of a traditional sauce as long as the veggies are cooked enough to be soft and easy to eat.

Control Portion Sizes and Add Healthy Fats

Eating pasta in moderation is fine for most seniors. Moderating portion sizes helps manage calorie intake and prevents overeating. Additionally, incorporating healthy fats, such as those from olive oil, avocados, or nuts, provides essential fatty acids and can enhance the dish’s flavor without the negative health effects of saturated or trans fats.

A good way to make sure that your senior parent isn’t eating too much pasta is to have an in-home care provider put pasta dishes in individual meal containers in the fridge. That way your senior parent will know exactly how much a portion should be.

If you or an aging loved one is considering in-home care in Laurel, MD, please contact the caring staff at Care At Home today. 301-970-9706

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Ann Smith RN

Owner at Care at Home

Ann Smith, RN, Realtor® Your local Home care and Home transition expert Ann is a Registered Nurse and a Realtor with a passion and dedication to serving her community. She has over twenty years of nursing experience in pediatric, geriatric, home health care, and care management. She founded Care at Home, a home care company, to provide seniors with services that promote independence and safe aging in place. Ann is dedicated to helping seniors achieve stress-free retirement living by providing comprehensive services from health to home. Ann's mother instilled in her the value of hard work, dedication, and service to others at a young age, which is now a driving force in her home care agency. Her caring and compassionate work with seniors began when she was just 17 years old. She was offered a job as a caregiver. Just as quickly, she instinctively knew that this would be her life's work. She soon became a nurse and has since helped many older adults transition seamlessly into a new phase of life. While helping seniors and individuals with their home care needs, it became apparent that part of the transition process often involved selling their current home for more suitable living arrangements. That's when Ann decided to add real estate services to alleviate stress and enhance her client's experience. It's also how she became known as the Home Transition Agent. Today, Ann helps her mature clients achieve stress-free retirement living by providing in-home care and comprehensive services from health to home. Ann's love for children and dedication to helping families caring for children with chronic health conditions inspired Pediatric Care at Home, a division of Care at Home that provides pediatric nursing care. Ann and her team are dedicated to providing compassionate care to all, from infants to older adults. When Ann isn't busy helping her patients and clients, she volunteers her time at women's shelters and fostering dogs. She and her veteran husband enjoy a simple life in the countryside, where farm animals and country life surround them. Ann also enjoys reading, photography, gardening, and nature walk with their dogs.

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