In our society, food is often more than something we eat to stay alive. Aside from nourishing us, eating can be a social or solo activity, it can be celebratory or restorative. Dining out with others can make memories, and tasting certain foods or smelling their aroma can bring back memories of times long past.
But imagine you’ve just been served a steaming platter of the chef’s specialty at the new Italian restaurant everyone’s been raving about. With great anticipation, you lift that first forkful to your mouth, only to discover it tastes like sawdust. Unfortunately, this is all too real for some people. For most seniors, their sense of taste can decrease substantially throughout the aging process, possibly because of a diminished sense of smell, less production of saliva, or a reduction in the number of taste cells over time. This can result in a loss of enjoyment that comes with a good meal or a favorite dish.
If this sounds familiar, there are steps you can take that may help make food taste better again. Here are three tips:
- Keep it hot – or cold. Taste may be enhanced by ensuring that foods are served at their intended temperatures.
- Season well, but rather than increasing salt to try to boost flavor, try a healthier option: herbs and spices, citrus zest or juice, or vinegars.
- Expand options. Avoid falling into the rut of eating the same foods by experimenting with new recipes and adding more variety to your diet.
Independence-4-Seniors Home Care caregivers are trained and experienced in creating healthy and appealing meals for seniors, and also in providing friendly companionship to enhance the overall meal experience. Our in-home care staff can help you draw up tasty menus, keeping in mind personal preferences and medical requirements. If you need help with shopping, our caregivers can provide transportation or do the shopping for you. If you need more help than just meal preparation, we offer a host of other Chicago home care services as well. Contact us today at (630) 323-4665 to see how we can help.