Deciding on healthy choices is already a tough thing to do, and even more challenging when a food-lover dines out. Contrary to popular belief, eating healthy at new, trendy restaurants is highly possible. Here’s a guide to healthy eating in restaurants for the elderly, so they can enjoy their food without compromising their dietary preferences!
Plan in Advance
When it comes to making healthy choices, planning in advance is critical. Today, numerous restaurants display menus online, inclusive of nutritional information! It is useful to check out your restaurant options online first, so you can then select diet-friendly spots that suit your preferences. Choosing healthy dishes in advance would also ensure you resist the temptation to order dishes that are not good for your diet.
Order Deliberately
It is advisable to balance any meal by choosing the healthier option from each food group – such as low-fat dairy, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and lean protein foods. Freshly made entrée salads with grilled or baked chicken, seafood or beans provide your body with fiber and protein, alongside other nutrients.
While no elderly wishes to be a cumbersome diner, every customer has the right to request for what he or she needs or prefers. For instance, feel free to inquire about alternative food options, or ask for your dressing to be served on the side. Furthermore, if you have specific dietary needs, restaurants will typically cater to such requests.
Begin with Salad
Eating vegetables will actually help you feel full faster! Based on findings by Consumer Reports, having a low-calorie salad before a main course halts hunger. The same applies to soups if you’re not a salad lover.
Practice Portion Control
While food portions in restaurants are large nowadays, many elderly do not have humongous appetites that match up. Dividing dishes into half and relying on leftovers for meals the next day is one way to refrain from overeating. What you can also do is skip the main dish and order a side salad as an appetizer instead.
Enjoy the Meal
Eating deliberately is as important as ordering deliberately. Chewing slowly helps you to truly savor your food, and it allows sufficient time for your brain to tell your stomach that you are full. Remember: those who eat quickly are frequently overeaters, while slow eaters would typically eat lesser yet are still satisfied.
Drink Smarter
Juices and soft drinks juices are low in nutrition and high in sugar. Stick with unsweetened tea and water, or low-fat or fat-free milk. Additionally, experts advise placing a limit on alcohol consumption because of age-related factors. It is recommended by The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol that elderly older than the age of 65 who are not on any medication should have no more than three drinks on one day and more than seven drinks per week. Drinking too much while dining out also means gaining more calories, but you could also risk accidents such as falling and the ability to think less clearly.
Please contact our independent living community today if you require further assistance in choosing healthier food options!
