Your elderly family member’s biggest concern about changing her diet even a little bit might be how that’s going to affect her budget. Talk to her doctor about what foods your senior should be eating and then try some of these tips.
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It Really Does Help to Have a List
Having a menu and a list is the basic advice everyone gets when they start to get concerned about their food budget, but that is the first piece of advice for a reason. Taking the time to put together a menu and a list really does work. It’s also helpful to grab the sales fliers for the stores your senior is most likely to visit when she shops. Taking a look at the sale items is going to help while both planning meals and making a list.
Try Out Some Generic Foods
Some people hear “generic foods” and have an immediate negative reaction. There may be generics you or your senior tried in the past that weren’t so tasty. But they’ve come a long way and if it’s been a while since either of you tried generics, it’s worth giving them another shot. In addition to generic products on regular store shelves, there are entire generic grocery brands devoted to selling their own store brands in free-standing stores. They can be incredibly budget-friendly and healthy.
Bulk Shopping Can Be a Lot Cheaper
Bulk shopping is something that people often avoid because when they think about it, they think about it in large terms. But there are other ways to buy in bulk. Some grocery stores or health food stores offer things like nuts, seeds, rice, and grains in bulk bins. That allows your senior to buy as much as she would most likely use instead of a larger package that might not all get utilized.
Get Creative about Meal Preparation
Meal preparation doesn’t have to look like one particular solution for your aging family member. It’s possible that meals for her involve cooking bigger dishes that get individually packaged and then frozen, so she always has something healthy to choose from. Or you and other family members might make meals for her and bring them by on a rotating schedule. Another solution might be that elderly care providers handle the cooking for her on a daily basis. Any combination of the above can also be helpful for your senior.
There’s a lot involved in making sure your elderly family member is eating right for her health needs and one of the important factors is the budget. But your elderly family member doesn’t have to sacrifice health or convenience at all in order to keep her grocery budget in line.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring a Caregiver in Novi, MI, or the surrounding area, please contact the caring staff at CareOne Senior Care today. Call us at (248) 308-2777.
