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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