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Author: Home Helpers Home Care

Staying healthy and happy as an aging adult might mean adjusting dietary intakes, particularly of protein. That’s because protein helps seniors to hold onto muscle tone, keeps their immune systems strong, and gives them plenty of energy to do everything they want to do. In-home care is a huge help to seniors who want to include more protein in their meals. These ideas can help, too.

Oatmeal

Just half a cup of oats offers a little over five grams of protein. Adding milk and other ingredients, like nuts and fruits, can also increase the protein count by quite a lot. Oats are also a whole grain, which means that they’re heart-healthy and offer lots of other nutrients, including plenty of fiber.

Yogurt

Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, is another high-protein choice. A 100-gram serving contains over 10 grams of protein and is incredibly customizable. Greek yogurt is a fantastic snack with seeds, fruit, and nuts. It can also make a great substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream in recipes, salad dressings, and as toppings.

Cheese

High-protein cheese choices abound as well. Parmesan cheese contains 10 grams of protein per one-ounce serving, mozzarella contains 9 grams per ounce, and cheddar contains 7.8 grams per ounce. Adding just a little bit of cheese to a casserole, sandwich, or salad offers quite a lot of flavor and bumps up the protein count.

Chicken Nuggets

The amount of protein in chicken nuggets varies a lot depending on the other ingredients in the nuggets. But chicken itself is very high in protein and is an excellent option for seniors who want to eat more protein. They’re also easy to eat alone, as a finger food, or to include in other recipes.

Hardboiled Eggs

Eggs are an amazing source of protein and are incredibly versatile. One large egg has a little over six grams of protein. Hard-boiling eggs and keeping them accessible in the fridge is an easy way for seniors to have high-protein snacks whenever they want them. They’re also easy to slice into a green salad, make into egg salad, and experiment with in other ways. In-home care providers can help seniors prep for the week by boiling a few eggs and preparing other meals and snacks.

Canned Tuna

A 107-gram serving, or around 3.77 ounces, of canned tuna gives seniors a little over 20 grams of protein. That means an easy tuna salad is a great source of heart-healthy fats as well as protein. Swap the mayo for Greek yogurt, and the protein count goes up a little bit more. There are lots of other ways to incorporate tuna into different recipes, too, so it’s more versatile than many people realize.

Beans

There’s a ton of variety with the protein counts of beans. They’re not only high in protein, but also fiber, B vitamins, and tons of other nutrients. Plus, there is so much that can be done with beans. Stocking up on a wide range of beans gives seniors something new while also getting the flavor and benefits of what beans can offer.

Sometimes seniors can feel as if adding more protein to their diets is a complicated task that takes a lot of time and effort. But in reality, they can start getting a lot more protein at each meal by just making some simple swaps. In-home care can be a huge help with these changes, too.

If you or an aging loved one are considering in-home care in Thousand Oaks, CA, please contact the caring staff at Home Helpers Home Care of Ventura County today at (805) 301-5930.

Home Helpers Home Care of Ventura County provides exceptional home care for seniors in Thousand Oaks, Westlake, Ventura, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Agoura, West Hills, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Topanga and surrounding areas.