As your elderly family member’s caregiver, you’re probably the one making the majority of the unpopular decisions around the house. One of those might involve reducing the overall salt content in your senior’s diet. Most doctors agree that high salt intake isn’t a good idea, so this can be an important change. Salt is essential, but it needs to be moderated.
Start Reading Labels More Often
Reading labels is much more important than you might think. There is a lot of information in a tiny nutritional label, and one of the most important bits of information is the salt content. It’s listed usually in milligrams per serving. If the exact amount of salt per serving isn’t listed, you can also look at the ingredients list. The closer that sodium is to the top of the list, the higher the percentage the salt takes up in the overall recipe.
Use Salt Less Often While Cooking
While you’re checking labels, it’s also important to use salt less often while you’re actually cooking. If you’re using something in a marinade, for instance, that contains soy sauce, then you probably won’t need to add much salt at all to the dish itself. Reducing the amount of salt while you’re cooking may feel or taste weird at first, but your senior’s taste buds will adjust.
Use a Variety of Other Seasonings, Spices, and Herbs
There are so many different spices, herbs, and seasonings out there. Salt is easy to use and it’s something most people are familiar with, but that doesn’t mean it’s always the best seasoning method to use. Try branching out and using as many other types of seasonings as you can. You might just find some new favorites.
Literally Take Salt Off the Table
You don’t want to undo all the good you’ve done up to now. Literally removing the saltshaker from the table may be the best idea for ensuring your senior doesn’t just cover her food in it. Keeping the salt elsewhere could help your senior to get used to eating meals that are lower in salt content overall.
This is something that you and your elderly family member need to get used to over a little bit of time. Your senior’s tastes will adjust as she takes in less salt. You might need to do this in stages, by gradually reducing salt content only a little at a time.
If you or an aging loved one are in need of Caregiver Services in Northport NY or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Star Multi Care Services today at (631)956-8835. We are the Right Choice for Home Health Care Services!
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