Snacks and Beverages

Snacks

My mother has a good appetite but has been losing weight as she ages. She has three prepared meals a day, plus around three snacks. (I.e. she eats like a Hobbit.) Having some standard snacks on hand makes it easy for me or one of our helpers to just grab something quickly between meals. I keep a section in the fridge for Mom’s snacks: yogurt cups, applesauce, diced peaches, Mandarin oranges. And we try to keep bananas in stock in the pantry. She is also a fan of apple pie and apple Danish pantries. Putting a piece of fruit out on the kitchen island, let’s her decide when to eat it and peeling the banana or orange keeps her busy. 

Beverages

Advice about the elderly usually includes keeping them hydrated. We do this by leaving glasses of water in Mom’s usual places: puzzle table, side table by her easy chair, dining table. In the hot weather, I love to give her popsicles. We get real-fruit-juice popsicles from our local grocery store, so can feel glad about giving her a healthy frozen drink: cools her down and rehydrates, plus she is SO happy to get a popsicle. Mom’s breakfast drink is usually a half-half mix of Emergen-C vitamin powder (with water) and orange juice. Since Mom doesn’t want to swallow a vitiman pill, this is one way that I get some vitamin into her.

Protein Shakes

Protein shakes are sort of cross between a snack and a drink. They help give her the nutrition she needs, and they are a beverage. I usually use the readymade kind in the tetra packs. We always get the chocolate flavor and when I offer them to Mom, I say, “Would you like a chocolate milk?” The answer is always Yes. 

One of our helpers gave me a recipe for an easy homemade protein shake, which avoids mysterious additives. It’s really not hard to make, but I’m usually too busy or lazy. 

• Egg White Protein powder, ¼ cup
• Cacao Powder, 1 Tbsp
• Banana, ½
• Coconut milk, 1 cup (or soy, or almond – whatever you like)

Put it in a blender or use a blending stick. When it’s well mixed, pour it out into a tall glass. Straw optional. 

If you have bananas that are about to go bad, you can peel and cut them into one-inch pieces and freeze them. Put the frozen chunks into your next protein shake.

Cookies

Mom is also a big fan of Chips Ahoy cookies, but I have to portion those out. If she gets ahold of the package, she might eat the whole thing. It’s one of the reasons I had to put a latch on the pantry.