Nutritional Smoothies For The Elderly

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Heres another recipe that has a stunning garnish. However, the flavors of the smoothie are very different. The drink relies on chocolate and peanut butter as key ingredients so its certain to be a hit.

This is also a very easy smoothie to prepare, as there are just five primary ingredients.

One thing that we will mention is that the drink relies on heavy cream. This is partly because it is designed for a low carb or keto diet, where high fat content is considered a good thing. You could substitute this for coconut cream or a different ingredient altogether if you want to decrease the fat content.

So What About The Cons Of Nutrition Drinks

Can be high in sugar. Remember when we mentioned that these drinks are delicious? One of the main reasons for this is because they can contain a lot of sugar. Still, despite what your mom might have tried to make you believe, sugar is an essential part of any diet. As Dr. Jennifer Haythea cardiologist at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital says:

We all need sugarits the basic building block of what runs our bodies.

Some have more sugar than others, so it pays to shop around and compare the ingredient labels. The best nutrition drinks for seniors and adults should try to at least limit sugar content so that theyre safe to drink on a daily basis.

Less filling than proper meals. Like to feel nice and full? These drinks are a great way to supplement calories, but its not quite the same experience as sitting down for a standard meal. If you find youre getting hungry soon after drinking a shake, then you may want to add another snack to make it feel like more of a meal.

The risk of overconsuming. Nutrition drinks are easy to prepare and can be consumed quickly. It may, therefore, be tempting to have a second drink straight after. Particularly for shakes that are meant to serve to replace your meals, you could find yourself loading up on too many calories, leading to unwanted weight gain.

A Final Word On Low Sugar Smoothies For Seniors

You might notice that many of these smoothies are promoted as being low carb or keto. The terms refer to a dietary approach that involves decreasing carb intake and increasing fat.

Such recipes can end up being fairly high in calories. As such, its always important to check the nutritional profile of any recipe that you plan to make. In many cases, the higher calorie content could be a good thing, especially for seniors who are struggling to eat.

While we dont recommend a low carb or keto diet as a whole for seniors, the nature of the diet means that recipes will be low in sugar. This can make them a great starting point for finding low sugar smoothies for seniors, along with other low sugar recipes.

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What Should I Look For In A Nutrition Drink

In truth, what you should look for in will depend on your health needs and goals.

There are several key questions to consider.

Do you:

Once youre clear on what you need, it becomes simpler to shop for whats best for you. To give an idea of what you can get, heres a Harvard Health comparison of popular nutrition drinks for seniors and adults.

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Reflect On Your Life Then Take Action

My two sets of grandparents were very different.

One set had poor lifestyle habits, suffered from chronic disease, and died in their early seventies in a nursing home.

The other set stayed active, kept a vegetable garden that fed them many meals, and lived in a close community where they were able to help and be helped by neighbors and friends. This set lived well and independently on their farm into their mid-nineties.

When I think about my two sets of grandparents, I see the range of possibilities my genetics offer. Mostly, I see how powerfully lifestyle habits can affect quality of life.

There are lots of things we dont have control over. But we do have control over many habits that have tremendous impact on our health and how we age.

I dont aim for perfection, and dont advocate anyone else does. But I do advocate for being proactive.

If youre aging and, ahem, thats all of us reflect on your family history, and your current habits. Consult the above list and focus on one thing to promote your healthspan. Practice that habit, and add more when and if you feel ready. All positive actions count, and no healthy step forward is too small.

If youre a health professional, help your elderly clients or patients take action on these habits. Acknowledge the real-life constraints they have, but more importantly, highlight their strengths. The elderly have superpowers too they made it here this far, after all!

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What Foods Are Good For Elderly Parents

According to the World Health Organization , the majority of diseases that senior citizens suffer from are a result of poor diet. For example, the consumption of high-fat foods has been correlated with cancer of the prostate, colon, and pancreas.

Diet has also been implicated in a number of deficiency diseases including diabetes and osteoporosis. A deficiency of micronutrients is a common problem among the elderly often because they lack diversity in their diets.

As a caregiver, if you start your meal planning with diversity in mind and a goal to serve primarily fresh fruits and vegetables, this is a good start. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain more bio-available nutrients than canned foods which means that elderly patients will be able to absorb more vitamins and minerals from these foods than what they would get if they eat canned or frozen foods.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, meat and eggs are an important part of an older adultâs diet because this is one of the primary sources of vitamin B12 that seniors get and these days, it can be difficult to get vitamin B12 injections on a regular basis at the doctorâs office.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to a variety of symptoms that mimic other diseases in the elderly including dementia and chronic digestive disorders such as constipation or diarrhea and as a general rule, many elderly patients have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from food.

High Calorie Smoothies Pro Tip: Frozen Juice

Before I wrap up the post, I wanted to share a high calorie pro tip. Some people like their smoothies cold. Using frozen fruit is a great way to make a cold frozen smoothie. Some people use ice too. But ice is water. Water has no calories. Dont use ice.

Instead, you can freeze juice in an ice-cube tray and use this for your smoothies. It will provide an ice-cold frozen smoothie and you wont be wasting any volume. It will be jam packed with calories!

P.S. You can freeze milk or half and half too.

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Smoothies When Made Right Can Make For A Fabulous Breakfast Option

Recently I have been enjoying a smoothie every day as a satisfying breakfast! Smoothies are quick and easy to make, and they are an easy way to get in an array of nutrients all at once. Banana Berry Smoothie has made its way into my rotation of smoothies, along with our Go-to Green Smoothie and Super Sunrise Smoothie. These smoothies made with just a few wholesome ingredients are low in sugar, high in protein, and take all of a few minutes to make. With being a new mom, Im all for fast and easy meals that taste good and are satisfying. Banana Berry Smoothie fits the bill on all accounts!

Meals For Older Adults With No Teeth: Planning And Prep Ideas For Caregivers

After my aging grandmother lost all of her teeth, she seemed to lose some of her spark. Food was her one true love and she used to eat with the enthusiasm of a hungry child. It was heartbreaking to see that one of her greatest sources of enjoyment became a chore when she lost the ability to chew.

When food loses its pleasure, appetite dwindlesoften for food and for life. Older adults are not only at a greater risk of depression, but their likelihood of malnutrition also increases. All too often, older adults with no teeth have diets that are reduced to the same bland, nutrient-poor foods, resulting in a decline in health, energy levels, and overall vitality.

The first thing we often think to do when a loved one loses their teeth is to simply blend their regular food. The trouble is, texture is a huge part of what we enjoy about our favorite meals. Steak just isnt the same in liquid form as it is when we cut it with a knife and feel its meaty, firm texture between our teeth. Often, blending familiar foods creates a longing for an experience of a dish that cant truly be enjoyed anymore.

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Making Smoothies At Home

Whether you choose to follow one of the recipes listed above or be adventurous and throw any of the above ingredients into the blender, making smoothies can be both fun and nutritious. There are foods youll want to avoid putting in smoothies, like excess cocoa, chocolate, peanut butter, extra sugar, and other sweets.

Some sweets in healthy amounts like cocoa and peanut butter are harmless. But when used in large amounts, they can cause unnecessary weight gain and contribute to loss of energy. Just be sure to stick to the ingredients listed above and keep the sweeter ingredients to a minimum.

Eat Healthy At The Atriums

At The Atriums Senior Living, our team of experts know exactly what it takes to design a diet that offers great nutrition without compromising taste. Restaurant-style dining in our community means more delicious options and many meals enjoyed with great new friends.

When you add that to the rest of our offerings like varied independent and assisted living lifestyles supported by higher levels of care its no wonder that so many in the Kansas City area choose to live here. Find out what we can do for you when you contact us today.

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Delicious Soft Food Recipes For The Elderly

Discover 40 easy and delicious soft food recipes for seniors. Seniorly can help keep mealtime interesting while exploring several soft food options.

As people age, eating a balanced diet becomes even more critical. This is due in part to the fact that seniors often experience decreased appetite and have less interest in food as they get older. In addition to this reduced enjoyment of meals, it can also become difficult for many older people who suffer from dental problems or medical conditions such as dysphagia. Dysphagia is a condition associated with Alzheimers and dementia that leaves older adults struggling to chew and swallow their food. The dysphagia diet and the soft food diet both make it possible for seniors to eat a well-balanced diet from a variety of easy-to-eat soft foods.

Soft meals dont need to taste bad. These recipes are delicious and perfect meals for seniors or their caregivers. Eating softer foods is a great option for getting essential nutrients into a seniors diet when they are having trouble chewing and swallowing. Delicious soft foods are not hard to find or even to make. Since seniors have trouble eating when they have chewing problems, snacks are also an important addition to their daily food intake and calories for the day.

As our taste buds begin to shrink as we age, it is important to keep foods seasoned with flavor for the seniors so that not only are the foods easy to eat but also taste good in the process.

Reduce Or Quit Smoking

To some it may be hard to believe, but many seniors grew up during a time when smoking was promoted as a healthy habit!

However, we now know smoking is undeniably linked to negative health outcomes primarily lung diseases like asthma, emphysema, and lung cancer and cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke.

Smoking dramatically increases our exposure to free radicals, which increase inflammation, damage the arteries, and advance physiological age.

The good news is:

Its never too late to quit and the body begins to regenerate immediately.

Common challenges seniors face with stopping smoking

Cigarettes are addictive and smoking is hard to quit: If this habit has been maintained for decades, a person may find it hard to imagine their life without smoking.

Older people may wonder, whats the point of quitting now?: This is why its important to understand that, no matter what age smoking is ceased, health benefits can occur almost immediately.

Action steps that can help

• Take it slow. Smoking is often used as a way to cope with stress. Therefore, rather than simply yanking out this behavior, you may have better luck gradually replacing it with more productive coping mechanisms. Incorporate supportive stress management practices like massage, spending time with friends, or engaging in a creative hobby, and use them to slowly phase cigarettes out.

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Nutrition Drinks For Adults And Seniors For : Top Picks

Vanilla or strawberry? Clear or normal? High in protein or high in calories? See our recommended Nutrition Drinks for Adults and Seniors for 2021.

Scratching your head and wondering about the many flavors, consistencies, and ingredients in the wide range of nutrition drinks on the market today? Wonder no more! Weve put together some frequently asked questions from our members, along with a list of our best-selling shakes and drinks for adults.

Best Protein Shake And Smoothie Recipes

Get lean and strong with the ultimate list of protein shakes and protein smoothie recipes. These protein shake recipes take your protein powder to the next level with the addition of healthy, delicious ingredients to help you reach your fitness goals!

High-Protein Foods | Low-Calorie Foods | Low-Carb Foods | Healthy Snacks | Protein Shake Recipes | Protein Pancake Recipes

Dive into these homemade protein shake recipes that taste like dessert but fuel your muscles and your recovery. With flavors covering everything from luxurious chocolate to tangy orange cream to tropical coconut, these protein drinks help you feel good, work hard, and hit your fitness goals.

Learn how to make a protein shake the most decadent part of your day! With nutritious boosters that add antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, these healthy shakes are great for breakfast, snacks, and pre- or post-workout.

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Healthy Smoothie Recipes For People With Dementia

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 slightly thawed, frozen banana
• 1 scoop of protein powder
• 2 tablespoons of unsweetened coconut

Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Serves one.

• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 2 teaspoons of flaxseed oil

Add all ingredients minus the honey and flaxseed oil into a blender and puree until smooth. Then add the remaining two ingredients and puree briefly to incorporate them. Serves one to two.

• 3 tablespoons of water
• 2 teaspoons of raw honey
• 1 and ½ cups of frozen blueberries
• ½ medium banana
• ¾ cup of calcium-fortified light vanilla soy milk

Heat the water until it steams. Then add the teabag and steam for an additional 3 minutes. Remove the teabag and stir in the honey. Then blend the tea with the remaining ingredients on the blenders highest setting until completely smooth. Serves two.

Features Of The Best Protein Drink For Elderly

• Contains BCAAs Amino Acids, which help build lean muscle and help with muscle recovery, are added to protein drinks many times.
• Vitamins and Minerals In some cases, Vitamins and minerals are added to Protein drinks for other health and immune support functionalities.
• Protein Sources The best protein sources are 100% Whey, which can also be Grass-fed in a purer form. Other forms are Milk proteins, Egg protein, soy, pea, oat, or even Rice proteins.
• Flavors Protein Shakes come n a large variety of flavors you can select. I usually recommend a flavor such as chocolate or vanilla for seniors, which has a more tolerable taste for the long term and daily use.

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Lets Discuss The Pros First:

Ease of use. These arent just easy to consumetheyre also easy to open. This can be a significant pro for seniors who may have limited strength or hand mobility.

Quicker than cooking. Yes, wed all love to live in a world where we have the time and energy to cook every meal from scratch. But is that realistic for most people? Probably not. Busy schedules, fatigue, and other factors get in the way. Nutrition drinks act as a handy backup when youre lacking time or energy to bake, boil, or grill.

Delicious Taste! It tastes just like a milkshake! is the common response when somebody sips on a nutrition drink for the first time. Well talk about the typical reason why the drinks taste so good in a minute. Warning: Its in the con section. Still, a tasty drink can reduce potential resistance to eating, particularly for those who dont have a big appetite.

Bulk buy opportunities. Another useful thing about nutrition drinks is that theyre often available to buy in bulk, whether online or at stores like Costco. Its hard to complain when youre getting a cheaper price, right?

Accessibility for seniors. Dysphagia becomes a lot more common with age. Around 15% of seniors and almost 70% of nursing home residents experience this challenging health issue. Nutrition drinks and shakes are a useful workaround for seniors who can no longer safely eat solid foods.

In Older Age Good Nutrition Is More Important Than Ever

Older age brings with it special nutrition concerns and requirements.

In older age, energy needs decrease but nutrition needs increase.

In general, because of the physical and lifestyle changes that tend to go along with aging, the need for overall calories is decreased.

However, the need for nutrition, in the form of nutrient-dense, well-absorbed foods and targeted supplementation, is more important than ever.

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