National Lasagna Day is on July 29th and there’s nothing better than fresh lasagna hot out of the oven. But instead of going for a frozen, prepackaged version, you might want to help your senior to eat a healthier and more nutritious version. It’s easy to do with some of these tips.
Add More Veggies
Vegetables are a go-to source for nutrients, and there are already some in lasagna. But you can add more. Consider adding spinach, for example, or mushrooms. You can even add shredded carrots. Whatever vegetables you know your senior likes can probably be added to lasagna without creating too much of a stir.
Go with Only Veggies
Another option is to make a vegetable-only lasagna. This gives your senior a chance to get nutrients from a lot of different vegetables and removing the meat keeps the calorie content down. It also reduces the fat content a bit, which might be important for specific health issues she’s battling.
Adjust the Noodles
You might also find a need to adjust the noodles you use in lasagna. Going with whole wheat or vegetable lasagna noodles can seriously bump up the nutritional content in lasagna. But don’t stop there. You can also make lasagna “noodles” from eggplant, zucchini, and even other vegetables. You could put a layer of spinach in place of a layer of noodles, for instance.
Swap Ground Beef for Other Proteins
Traditionally, lasagna is made with ground beef. But you can swap that out for other ground proteins, like ground chicken or ground turkey. This keeps the protein levels high and offers nutrients while also reducing the red meat in your senior’s diet.
Read Labels for Store-bought Sauce
If you’re making your own sauce for lasagna, that gives you a lot of control. But not everyone has the time to make lasagna sauce from scratch. Store-bought sauces can be an excellent substitute, but make sure that you read the label carefully. Some jarred sauces contain a lot more sugar or sodium than you expect and that might not be the best option for your senior.
Making some of your senior’s favorite dishes a little bit healthier and more nutritious can be an important switch to make. It’s not always that easy to do on your own, though. Having help from senior care providers gives your senior someone who can focus on making her healthy, homecooked meals as often as possible.