We are going back to basics today and talking about ways to make cooking easier and more accessible. There are numerous factors that can make cooking harder for older adults and their families. I hope that this article helps make that a little easier.
Meal Kits
This is a broader category than it seems, really this one is for people who cannot get to the grocery and who have issues while meal planning. Meal kits can be a super easy way for someone who is able to cook to do so without having to go to the store or having to do the mental work of meal planning. Meal kits have very beginner-friendly menus and instructions. I’ve also realized through my family using a meal kit that the recipes are pretty foolproof. You can mess up a step and it will still taste good. This also applies to meal delivery services that deliver pre-made meals and for programs like Meals on Wheels. Those are options for people who cannot cook.
Caregivers
For people who cannot cook, having a caregiver who comes in once, twice, or three times a week to help them prepare meals can be a huge relief. This is also a huge weight off of family caregivers’ shoulders, since they would be the ones meal prepping all of their loved one’s meals. This is also helpful during big event times and holidays (hello, summer). Caregivers can also help you make grocery lists, alleviating the mental work of grocery shopping a little bit.
Easy Batch-Cooking Meals
I’m not talking about making huge amounts of something for lunch every single week, but I am talking about relatively simple, nutrient-dense meals that you can make once and freeze or refrigerate. For example, overnight oats, a large salad, cooking and cutting chicken to add to salads and sandwiches throughout the week, and soups. These are all things that would not be that difficult to make and then keep for later in the week. Of course, this advice hinges on someone being able to do some amount of cooking, but there’s no reason a caregiver can’t help with this as well. The reason I suggest this is that these are simple to make initially, but also easy to reheat later on.
Thank you for reading. Let us know what you would like to see next on the blog!
Written by Brigid Stakelum
