Are you looking for Christmas dinner ideas for the elderly? Christmas is a time for family, friends, and food. And what better way to celebrate than with a healthy dinner?
There are many ways to make your Christmas dinner healthy and delicious. Here's how you can do it:
- Use less salt and sugar.
- Choose healthy fats such as olive oil or nuts instead of butter or margarine for baking.
- Use low-fat cheese instead of regular cheese.
- Use flax seed oil instead of vegetable oil when frying fish or vegetables.
- Choose unprocessed meats such as beef tenderloin without preservatives
Here are five tasty ideas to help you get in the holiday spirit while staying on the right track.
1. Tasty and Easy-to-Eat Turkey for Christmas Dinner
Turkey is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals. It also contains iron, zinc and niacin.
Turkeys are often used as a Christmas dinner main course, but you can also eat them in many other ways! They're great roasted or grilled on the BBQ with some fresh garlic and herbs (and maybe some cheese if you want). Try making turkey burgers topped with melted cheese. It is perfect for kids who don't like traditional Christmas meals!
2. Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals. They're also a good source of fibre, which can help lower cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. You can boil potatoes, mashed, baked or roasted to make dishes like shepherd's pie (a casserole made with ground beef), French fries and chips (cut into slices).
Baked potatoes are high in calories, so avoid them if you're watching your weight and calories in general - try making baked potatoes using low-fat sour cream instead!
3. A Colourful Salad, But Hold the Dressing
This is it if you're looking for a salad that won't break the bank. The ingredients are simple: just a few slices of cucumber, some lettuce and tomatoes. But it's the dressing that makes this salad special.
Choose one without added sugar or fat—it can be oil-based (olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic) or vinegar-based (lemon juice). The latter has more flavour than its counterpart but is less lemony in taste. If your preferences run more sour than sweet, choose the former.
4. Stuffing with Chopped Vegetables
Here's one that's easy and healthy but still has the flavour of traditional Christmas fare. Try mixing chopped carrots, celery and green beans into the stuffing mixture. The more veggies you add, the better.
You can also use any vegetable you like. Ensure it's not too acidic or salty since these flavours may clash with your dish. You should chop these veggies in advance so they're ready when you need them, which will help keep them fresh longer if necessary.
If all else fails and time doesn't allow for this step, then feel free to leave out any particular ingredient until the last minute.
5. Cranberry Sauce and Apple Sauce
Cranberry sauce and apple sauce are great alternatives to traditional desserts. They are both excellent sources of vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system and provides protection against infections. Apple sauce is also a good source of fibre, which helps with digestion and keeps your digestive system running smoothly.
Cranberry sauce can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries (the latter will give you more tartness), but if you're using fresh ones, make sure they're rinsed before they go into the pot so that any dirt doesn't taint them unnecessarily.
Also, remember that some brands add sugar while others don't. Check labels carefully to know whether or not yours contains added sweeteners before making this dish.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has helped you plan a healthy Christmas dinner for the elderly. Whether you want to bring them something unique and delicious or ensure they are getting enough of the most nutritious foods possible, there is no better time than when it comes to food preparation.
Keep in mind that each person's needs will vary. If they have certain dietary restrictions or specific sensitivities, ensure they have plenty of variety and what they need.
To ensure that the elderly will be safe during the holidays, consider getting a personal alarm. The CPR Guardian Watch is a simple-to-use personal alarm that contacts family, It has fall detection, GPS tracking, and an emergency SOS watch button that enables the user to notify family and friends in an emergency. Please get in touch with us if you need help.