Elder Care Gastonia NC
October is Corn Month, the perfect time for you to enjoy this delicious grain that shows up in the summer and carries on through Thanksgiving. Packed with antioxidants and fiber, and with one-quarter the sugar of an apple and just as few calories, corn is a tasty and familiar way to keep your elderly parent’s diet healthy and varied. Getting your parent into the kitchen with you during this month to help you prepare some corn-based delicacies is a fantastic way to stimulate their mind, keep their memory skills and cognitive processing sharp and responsive, and make memories that you can cherish well into the future.
Try some of these delicious ways that you and your elderly parent can enjoy corn during Corn Month:
• Mashed potato bowl. Take a cue from a popular fast food restaurant and create your own healthy spin on their indulgent mashed potato bowl. Layer homemade mashed potatoes and sweet corn with chicken, cheese, and a drizzle of gravy. You can also replace the chicken with turkey or a meat alternative to meet your parent’s tastes. Try changing up the flavor of this bowl by roasting the corn with onion for a sweeter, earthier flavor.
• Corn fritters. Bump up the flavor in traditional hush puppies by adding in some fresh or frozen sweet corn. This will extend the recipe and add pops of sweetness and texture. These are perfect for an appetizer, party snack, or side for a fish dinner. Try adding jalapenos for even more flavor if your parent does not mind a little bit of spice.
• Corn pudding. This rich and creamy side is most often associated with the holidays, but there is no reason that you cannot enjoy it a little early. Combine sweet corn with cream style corn, eggs, and cream and then bake until browned on top. You can customize this side with any ingredients that you parent particularly enjoys, such as cheese, spicy chili peppers, or additional spices.
Starting elder care for your aging parent is a fantastic way to encourage them to eat a healthier diet throughout their later years. You know that what your parent eats makes a tremendous difference in how they function and feel, and their ability to resist health complications, concerns, and illnesses. Having an elderly home care services provider with them can help your parent to make better decisions about their eating and enjoy a richer, more varied diet that will support a higher quality of life as they age in place. This can include encouraging greater independence by bringing them to the grocery store so that they can shop when they want to rather than having to rely on you, helping them to pick out the right foods for their dietary needs, and even assisting with meal and snack preparation for improved control over their food and connection with what they are eating so they are more motivated to eat better and nourish their body.
Source:http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/health_blog/is_corn_healthy_or_not_5_myths_about_sweet_corn_busted