During the winter months, it can be a challenge for seniors to stay warm and to get enough to eat. Even though seniors keep the heat on high they can get cold because of drafts that occur in older homes. Seniors burn more calories when they’re trying to stay warm, and a lot of seniors aren’t even getting enough calories to begin with.
Many seniors are malnourished because they just don’t eat enough or don’t eat the right kinds of foods. Eating foods that are particularly warm and nourishing during the winter months can help seniors prevent malnutrition and help them stay warm. The best warming winter foods seniors should be eating all winter are:

Soups And Stews

Soups and stews are great warming meals for seniors that are also healthy. They have a lot of vegetables, healthy broth, and the warmth from drinking a soup or eating a broth heavy stew can keep seniors warm for a long time. Soups are also easy to make and they are a great way to use up leftovers in the home. An elder care provider can prepare healthy and filling soups for your senior parent.

Slow Cooker Meals

One pot meals made in the slow cooker are another easy way for seniors to get the calories they need and stay warm. Seniors or their elder care providers can put chicken, beef, pork, and other meats in the slow cooker with rice or pasta, broth, and vegetables to make delicious hearty meals that are also very warming. After cooking slow for hours these kinds of meals provide great warmth for seniors. Always use bone broth instead of regular broth when cooking in the slow cooker or making soups because bone broth has more nutrients than regular broth.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is delicious and the perfect warm breakfast for a cold winter day. Seniors can add fruit, jam, or maple syrup to their oatmeal to sweeten them but it’s the oats that are the star of this breakfast. Slow cooked in milk or water these oats are packed with nutrients and they are delicious. A home care provider can cook quality oats with spices and brown sugar so your senior parent will have a hot and healthy breakfast.

Bananas

Bananas may not seem like they would be a warming food but they actually are. That’s because bananas are packed with magnesium, a necessary mineral that all people need. Magnesium helps regulate body temperature. When seniors aren’t getting enough magnesium they can have trouble regulating their body temperature which can make them cold. For the perfect breakfast seniors should slice a banana into some slow cooked oats.

If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Rockville, 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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