If you provide care for an elderly family member or friend, your days are likely very full. Live-in caregivers often work outside the home in addition to caring for their own families.  When you’re pressed for time, maintaining a healthy diet becomes much more difficult. A quick solution can be found at grocery stores and restaurants that serve ready-made meals, but these options are usually unhealthy.

Elderly family members are often cared for by those who are also responsible for developing and preparing meal plans. Preparing nutritious healthy fitness meals ahead of time and keeping them in the freezer until they are needed will make mealtime less hectic. 

Nutritious Meal Ideas

1. Hand pies filled with chicken and vegetables make for a scrumptious main dish. It consists of chicken, vegetables, and whole grains. It is simple to prepare in large quantities that can be stored in the freezer for up to half a year.
2. Casserole can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer for two months. It could be served for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.  This dish has excellent sources of fibre and protein, including baked French toast with apples and cinnamon, almond milk, organic eggs, apples, flaxseed, and pumpkin puree.
3. Quinoa burgers with a Mediterranean twist is another dish that can be made in advance and frozen for up to two months. These burgers are high in protein and fibre.
4. Egg muffins topped with kale, feta cheese, and roasted red peppers are a delicious choice. These simple egg cups are a tasty source of protein that can be easily turned into a meal at any time of day. Because muffins are easily portable, they’re ideal for caregivers who are always on the go.
5. A crockpot meal is quick and easy to make, and it freezes well. This dish is known for its unique blend of hot, sweet, and smoky chillies. Ground turkey can be substituted for beef in this recipe.
6. Cups of miniature vegetable lasagna. This recipe walks you through the process of making individual lasagna cups, making it a healthier alternative to traditional lasagna. A sizable batch can be produced in a relatively short amount of time. After that, you can save some for dinner with your family or give some to an elderly family member you care about, and place the remaining portions in the freezer.
7. Oatmeal freezer cups are a simple way to eat a healthy breakfast while on the go. Oatmeal cups can be made in a variety of flavours by incorporating different ingredients, such as fruit or chocolate chips.  Large quantities can be made quickly and frozen for later use.
8. Slow-cooked chicken fajitas. A slow cooker is used to make this gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free meal. These chicken fajitas can be made in just a few minutes on a weekend afternoon and frozen for later use during the week’s hectic schedule.
9. Turkey tetrazzini. By using pasta made from whole grains or quinoa, and milk that does not contain fat, you can make this dish. It can be frozen for upwards of two months and then served later.
10. Soupe de légumes réconfortante. A savoury bowl of vegetable soup is a great choice for a meal at any time of year. You can let the soup simmer as you attend to other tasks.  Before placing the food in the freezer, put it in individual serving dishes. Your loved ones will appreciate how much simpler it will be for them to defrost the meal themselves. 

Want to learn more?

Reach us at wecare@considracare.com, or call us at 1-855-410-7971, and we will be happy to assist. Discover more caregiving tips in our information booklets or on our resources page.