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One Simple Salad on Hand Ensures Your Mom Eats Plenty of Vegetables

May 30, 2018
Lenora Alabi
Your mom needs to eat better. She doesn't cook, so she only eats things she can reheat in the microwave or open and eat. She eats a lot of packaged crackers, deli meats and cheeses, and canned soups. They're not nutritious.

If you want to get all of your mom's nutritional needs in one dish. Make this salad for your mom. She has a nutritionally sound snack that's ready for her to eat.

Interchange Ingredients as Needed

The salad is easy to mix and match to meet personal needs. Start by cutting two sweet potatoes into cubes. Cube a sweet onion and red, orange, and yellow bell peppers. Spray them all with avocado or oil oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.

Cook two cups of barley or quinoa according to package directions. Add that to the bowl with the roasted vegetables. Chop two sweet-tart apples, such as Granny Smith, and add that to the bowl. 

Finally, broil a chicken breast that you sprinkle with salt and pepper. You want to cook it to 165 degrees. Chop the cooked chicken up and add it to the bowl. Also, add ½ cup golden raisins, 1 cup dried cherries, and ½ cup walnuts or pecans.

Toss all of the ingredients together with the juice of one orange, the zest from that orange, ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1/8 cup of walnut, avocado, or extra virgin olive oil, a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of whole grain mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.

That one recipe provides fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. You can mix up vegetables, too. If your parent wants to have almonds instead of walnuts or pecans, that's fine. You can also switch butternut squash for the sweet potatoes. Swap chopped pear for the apple. Just make sure the salad contains the grain, the lean protein, the fruit, and the veggies.

Let Caregivers Help With Diet

Your mom may prefer foods that don't need cooking when she's on her own, but what if she had help? Caregivers can come to your mom's house and prepare nutritious meals throughout the week. Your mom has someone to eat meals with her, which is also beneficial.

Are you ready to discuss all of the benefits of having home care? Talk to a home care agency about your mom's needs. From laundry to meal preparation and transportation to companionship, caregivers can make a big difference in your mom's life.

IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING HIRING IN-HOMECARE IN LAKE SHORE EAST, IL, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT BRIGHTSTAR CARE CHICAGO. CALL TODAY: 312.382.8888.