\u201cStock your pantry with protein staples ahead of time to reduce stress around preparing balanced meals, or purchase larger amounts of proteins \u2014 fish, chicken, lean beef \u2014 and freeze them for later use,\u201d suggests Lisa Zullig, registered dietitian nutritionist and director of nutrition services at GLWD. \u201cHaving these on hand can save money and time, and ensure that you always have sources of protein to prepare or add to meals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fill a 64-ounce pitcher with water at the start of each day.<\/p>\n
Use it to refill your loved one\u2019s water glass throughout the day. At the end of the day, an empty pitcher is an easy way to know they\u2019ve gotten the minimum recommended amount of water. Why does that matter? \u201cAdequate hydration is essential for supporting bodily functions, especially as we age or manage chronic conditions,\u201d says Cristina\u00a0Spano, a registered dietitian nutritionist at GLWD.<\/p>\n
Taking in the recommended amount isn\u2019t always easy for older adults, who are more vulnerable to dehydration;<\/a> that\u2019s especially true for those living with a chronic condition. Two ways to help make sure your loved drinks up: Add slices of citrus fruits, berries, cucumber or fresh herbs to that pitcher of water, or try flavored sparkling water, suggests Spano. And try to include foods with a high water content \u2014 like watermelon, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, oranges and pineapple \u2014 to the meal plan to help boost overall fluid intake.<\/p>\n Keep it simple.\u200b<\/p>\n Preparing nutritious meals doesn\u2019t have to be complicated. Plenty of good-for-you foods are like chameleons, changing depending on their setting and surroundings. Take, for example, rice, a versatile and key staple of many cuisines.<\/p>\n \u201cWith some simple additions, it can contribute to your overall fiber and protein intake,\u201d says Sabrina Krebs, a registered dietitian nutritionist at GLWD. \u201cTo boost the fiber, consider mixing white rice with whole grains like brown rice, wild rice or quinoa. To add protein, try cooking rice with peas, lentils, red beans or other legumes. Additionally, instead of cooking rice with water, try making it with bone broth for added protein, like collagen, and flavor.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Make meals a time to connect.<\/p>\n Research shows that sitting down to a meal with family or friends \u2014 a key component of the Mediterranean \ufeff\ufeffdiet<\/a>, arguably the healthiest eating plan in the world \u2014 can be just as nourishing as the food itself. According to the\u00a02025 World Happiness Report<\/a>, sharing a meal ranks among the strongest predictors of well-being. A study published in 2024 in Frontiers in Public Health\u00a0found that meal sharing may help improve mental health by reducing feelings of loneliness, sadness and emotional distress. Other research\u00a0shows it stimulates the brain\u2019s endorphin system \u2014 the same pathways closely linked to oxytocin and dopamine, the brain\u2019s feel-good chemicals. So set another place at the table, and enjoy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cStock your pantry with protein staples ahead of time to reduce stress around preparing balanced meals, or purchase…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60423,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[45196,24085,45197,45201,97,45200,45199,45198,1999,269],"class_list":["post-60422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-caregiver","tag-caregiving","tag-family-caregiving","tag-gods-love-we-deliver","tag-health","tag-making-healthy-meals-at-home","tag-making-meals-at-home","tag-meals-at-home","tag-new-york-city","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60422\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}