Lots of people absolutely love eating red meat and that’s something that they might not want to give up. If that describes your senior, you might find it to be tough to convince her to back down on her red meat intake. Lots of small solutions can help, like embracing other proteins and getting help from in-home care providers.
Eating Meat Isn’t Necessarily Terrible
Red meat isn’t necessarily the worst thing your senior can eat. She needs to be careful about quantities and how often she eats meat, especially if she has health conditions that might require her to be more careful about her diet. If she’s really unwilling to give up red meat, talk with her doctor about compromises she can make.
Choose Leaner Versions of Meat
One of those compromises can be choosing the leanest versions of red meat possible. Most grocery store butchers will also trim off excess fat so that it’s less of an issue when preparing meals. Leaner cuts of meat, like sirloin, are also good to look for if you’re doing the shopping for your senior. If you’re not able to take on that task for her, it’s a good idea to enlist the help of in-home care providers to take care of grocery shopping and other tasks.
Look at Other Methods of Cooking Red Meat
Sometimes the method of cooking is what matters. Chicken fried steak is a far less healthy red meat dish than broiled or grilled meat, regardless of the cut, simply because it’s typically fried in oil. Experiment with different cooking methods whenever possible. You might even help your senior to find new combinations that she likes even better. In-home care providers can also help with cooking, especially if embracing new cooking methods is difficult for your senior to do right now.
Experiment to Find Other Lean Proteins
While you’re experimenting, consider finding ways to make other, leaner proteins more appealing to your senior. Remember that chicken, turkey, and fatty fish like salmon and sardines are all great protein choices. But so are beans, legumes, lentils, and other plant-based protein sources. Doing something like dividing a meatloaf recipe so that it’s half red meat and half black beans gives your senior all of the flavor and protein, but slightly less red meat.
Making changes to your senior’s diet is not always easy at all, for her or for you. Finding ways to make meals tasty and healthy can help your senior to stay interested in what she is eating and embrace the benefits that increased nutrition can offer her.
