Encouraging Your Loved One To Eat More Fruits And Veggies

Most people know the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables for their health. However, many people still people fail to include healthy foods in their regular diet. Or maybe they don’t eat enough of them. That can be true, especially for older adults. This is due to a number of reasons. If your loved one is not able to drive, they may not be able to get to a grocery store to buy fresh produce. Some may find it troublesome or difficult to prepare vegetables or cook them. Thankfully, there are many ways to include more vegetables in your loved one’s diet so they get the nutrients that they need. Read on to learn more about encouraging your loved one to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Load Up the Plate

Experts recommend you to have a typical dinner with your plate half-filled with vegetables and fruit. That might seem like a lot of fruits and vegetables. But it is achievable. It might not be so easy as it is a lot of vegetables to eat at any one time. But, one way you can eat them is to increase the amount of vegetables used in the recipe. If you are making something that asks for half a cup of peas, you can use a full cup. Additionally, you can serve a green leafy salad that comes with many different kinds of vegetables. A salad tends to be easier to eat than one large serving of green beans. Remember that it is half a plate of vegetables and fruit as well, so you could serve more than a quarter of the plate with vegetables and then fill the other section with fruits, such as some fresh berries or apples.

Add Fruit to Breakfast

Breakfast is the best time of the day to eat some fruit. Many breakfast foods go well with a variety of fruits. For example, you can add different kinds of fruit to a bowl of oatmeal, such as a handful of berries, a chopped apple or a sliced-up banana. You can also serve a fruit and yogurt parfait, using plain yogurt with a little granola and mixed berries.

Use Frozen Veggies

Frozen vegetables are a great substitute for fresh vegetables. They are easier to prepare and still nutritious. This can be helpful for caregivers who don’t have much time. Or for older adults who have issues with their hand strength. Frozen vegetables are quick to prepare as they can be cooked in the microwave and also use less time to cook compared to the fresh ones.

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