Lisa Conway – FLORIDA TODAY

Q: My daughter keeps telling me I should meal plan. Why?

A:As we move through different stages of life, routines like grocery shopping, cooking dinner, or deciding what to eat—can start to be more challenging. That’s where meal planning and prepping come in. Planning your eating can help older adults stay nourished, maintain independence, and reduce daily stress around food choices.

Meal planning is exactly what it sounds like: taking a little time each week to map out meals and snacks, gather needed ingredients, and prepare foods in advance. It can play an important role in maintaining steady energy, supporting digestion, and managing conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Balanced meals help regulate blood sugar, maintain muscle mass, and ensure adequate protein intake. They also help us stay hydrated by adding fruits and vegetables into daily life.

For those who no longer want to cook from scratch every day, preparing a few items in advance—like a pot of soup, a tray of roasted vegetables, or pre-portioned snacks—can help tremendously. Of course,  not every meal has to be individually prepared. Many seniors prefer using pre-cut produce, meal-prep services and grocery delivery.

Leslie Bonci is the owner of Active Eating Advice, a nutrition consulting company. When all else fails, simplicity can come to the rescue – as it has for her 90-year-old mother. Bonci recommends:

• Add soups and smoothies –Nutrient dense soups and smoothies are “rich in fiber and easy to eat. And the fluids they provide are important, since our sense of thirst dims with age.” Whether buying or making soup, watch the salt. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 mgs of sodium per day.
• Don’t forget protein –Consider cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, nut butters, eggs, frozen meatballs, chopped chicken and tuna pouches. “These foods are easily mixed with other simple staples like rice, pasta, whole-grain bread and simple fruits and vegetables for easy meals that provide the protein you need throughout the day,” Bonci says.
• Stock up on cereal – for essential micronutrients. “Fortified cereals are great foods to have around. Just open a box. You add milk, so you get fluid, too. And it’s a great snack.”
• Frozen foods – For old fashioned convenience, Bonci recommends nutritious frozen foods. “Frozen meatballs. Frozen fish filets. Frozen peas. Individual meals. Many frozen options are simple, taste good and take no more work than putting in the microwave.”

Meal planning doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. With a little thought, older adults can continue enjoying nourishing meals that fit their tastes and lifestyle.

Lisa Conway is a Registered Nurse, Certified Dementia Practitioner and Certified Care Manager for One Senior Place Care Management, Viera. Ms. Conway hosts a monthly seminar, ‘Senior Health Friday with Nurse Lisa.’ One Senior Place is a marketplace for resources and provider of information, advice, care and on-site services for seniors and their families. Submit your questions to AskOSP@OneSeniorPlace.com. For immediate help, call 321-751-6771 or visit One Senior Place, The Experts in Aging.