Your overall healthy eating plan includes snacks. Just make sure they are healthy snacks that give a lot of nutrition for the amount of calories they contain. For example a sugar-coated donut is very high in calories and has almost no nutrients. So it’s not a very good choice. On the other hand, some fresh blueberries and 5 or 6 cashews has fewer calories but is brimming with nutrients.
The following snack examples will hopefully give you some new ideas for snacks. Busy caregivers like yourself need to have good snacks available! These are also very handy for your elderly loved one to have on hand for snacking. They can even be grabbed in a hurry and taken with you.
- 2 large whole grain crackers with sliced cheese and sliced cucumber on each.
- 1 small container of Greek yogurt and a stick of celery. Use the celery to scoop out and eat the yogurt with and then eat the celery. No dishes to wash and no plastic spoons to waste!
- Homemade trail mix. You can add your own healthy ingredients and you can choose unsalted nuts. Try adding equal amounts of the following items. If there’s something you don’t like or have an allergy, just omit it. Raisins, chocolate chips, nuts of all kinds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried apricots, and dried mangoes chopped, dried pineapple pieces, wholegrain cereal, dried blueberries, dried cherries, etc. There are actually dozens of things to choose from!
- Energy bar or nutrition bar. Make sure to check the ingredients list and find some with very little or no sugar added. You could also look up a recipe online and try making your own.
- A hard-boiled egg. They are rich in protein and only have about 70 calories for a large egg. You could boil some at the beginning of the week and store them in the fridge, covered, to take out any day that week when you need a little snack. They are good for one week in the fridge.
- Single serving cup of cottage cheese with some fruit.
- Fruit pouches that contain 100% fruit. These are more than just applesauce. You can get all sorts of fruit combinations, like mango, banana and orange combined in one pouch. A very quick snack to tide you over to the next meal. Great for elderly loved ones too!
- Asian wasabi-covered dry peas for someone who loves a spicy little snack. You can even combine the peas with some shelled pistachios and some sesame sticks.
- 1 cheese string and a piece of fruit. Little individual sizes of cheese come in other shapes too. You could combine it with a few grapes, an apple or an orange.
- 1 can of low-salt 100% tomato juice or tomato juice cocktail. This is a quick and nutritious snack.
Switching out junk food for healthy snacks is a good idea for people of all ages. If your elderly loved one needs help with fixing healthy meals, home care and personal care then consider using an in-home care provider.
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