June is National Dairy Month and is a great time to think about how dairy packs a lot of protein. Typically when seniors think about eating protein, they think about meat. However, seniors don’t often make a lot of meat-heavy meals. They may not want to make a lot of food just for themselves. Or they may not want the hassle of cooking meat. Whatever the reason is, their home care provider can help them can get those nutrients by encouraging them to eat more dairy.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is a fantastic source of protein. One cup of full fat cottage cheese contains a whopping 25 grams of protein. Cottage cheese is soft and easy for seniors to eat. Cottage cheese is an excellent source for protein for seniors with bad teeth or dentures who have a hard time eating meat. Plus, there are many ways to make cottage cheese delicious. It can be served sweet with fruit and whipped cream or savory with spices and herbs. It also lasts for a long time if it’s refrigerated.
Cheese
Cheese is another great dairy source of protein. An ounce of cheese, which is a typical serving, has around 7 grams of protein. Cheese is a smart way to get your senior parent to eat more protein. Especially if they don’t like eating regular meals.
There are some seniors who prefer to graze or snack throughout the day rather than eat three set meals a day. If your senior parent is one of those seniors you can serve cheese and crackers with fruit for snacks so that seniors are getting enough protein as well as enough calories throughout the day.
A charcuterie-style board with different cheeses pre-cut, crackers, and fruit like strawberries or grapes and some cut up veggies is a fantastic snack tray that can seniors can pick at all day. And if your senior parent has home care their home care provider can prepare a tray for them in the morning that they can snack on all day.
Eggs
Eggs have been called the perfect food. They’ve got around 6-8 grams of protein per egg depending on the size. And there are so many ways to cook eggs that your senior parent will never get bored eating eggs. It’s a smart idea to have a home care provider hard cook some eggs and leave them in the refrigerator for snacks.
Yogurt
Yogurt is another dairy food that has a surprising amount of protein. A cup of yogurt has 17 grams of protein. Adding fresh fruit and some granola or chia seeds is a very nutritious meal or snack that is packed with protein. Yogurt with fruit is a great bedtime snack for seniors that should help them stay asleep longer and sleep more soundly.
