4 Cooking Tips for Busy Seniors

As you get older, chances are you probably have less interest in cooking than you once did before. After all, when you no longer have a family to cook for every night, cooking becomes more of a once in a while thing as it’s no longer a daily necessity. 

However, cooking at home won’t just save you money— it’s also often more nutritious than eating out. The great news is that there are cooking tips out there for seniors looking for nutritious yet headache-free meals. Here are some of the best tips for seniors looking to put meals together on the fly.

Keep Veggies On Hand

One of the biggest reasons why seniors don’t eat very healthfully is because they reach for the easiest thing in their fridge or cabinet. However, if you can keep veggies on hand, then you’ll be less tempted to reach for less nutritious choices. 

If raw vegetables aren’t your thing, consider batch cooking large quantities of vegetables one day a week.   That way, you’ll have something ready to go that is fiber rich, low in calories, and of course, delicious.

Consider Safety

As much as you might not like to admit it, the truth is you’re not as young as you once were. Moving around in the kitchen can be more difficult, and as such, there are thousands of senior injuries in the kitchen every year.

If you have to stand up on chairs, or go to great lengths to reach something, then you could find yourself in a serious accident.  To avoid kitchen accidents, make sure that you keep everything you need within arms reach.

You should also make sure that you label all of your food with proper dates. Eating expired food could result in serious illness, and in some cases even be fatal. So always keep an eye on dates.

Get a Slow Cooker

Slow cookers are a great way to take the time and hassle out of cooking. You can put something in your slow cooker in the morning, and after a few hours you have a delicious meal ready to go. Best of all, there are many apps available that allow you to enter the ingredients you have, and you will be offered a variety of recipes based on what you have in your fridge.  This can be incredibly convenient for people who aren’t sure what to cook. It’s as easy as plugging in your ingredients and throwing it in the pot!

Know What Nutrients You Require

Although vitamins are incredibly useful, the best source of your nutrients is from real food. Identify which nutrients your body needs more of, and make sure that you’re getting that in your diet. You might want to talk to your doctor about certain foods you should be eating more or less of to get the best idea.