When designing menus for seniors, it’s important to include as many nutrient-dense as possible. By adding foods rich in flavonoids and phytochemicals, you can help your assisted living or nursing home residents maintain their mobility and protect against a variety of diseases.
A host of recent studies demonstrates how powerful these plant metabolites can be for reducing inflammation, the underlying cause of arthritis and a variety of other ills that commonly plague the elderly.
Fortunately, it’s easy to add flavonoids into menus for seniors, and tasty to boot!
What Are Flavonoids and How Do They Work?
Flavonoids are a type of phytochemical that occurs naturally in brightly colored fruits and vegetables as well as legumes.
These chemical compounds leverage the body’s natural mechanisms of protection against inflammation-causing free radicals. When free radicals attach to the body’s tissues, the resulting inflammation can lead to osteoarthritis, asthma, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
By inhibiting the body’s production of free radicals, flavonoids act as a natural protectant against chronic illness and disease. They have powerful antioxidant properties and are believed to inhibit allergies and viruses as well.
Best of all, they’re appetizing and full of flavor.
Improving the Senior Diet to Reduce Inflammation
Dietitians and nutrition scientists recommend using as many non-pharmacological methods as possible to improve our health. For older patients, who often cannot tolerate prescription medications, this becomes even more important.
When planning menus for seniors, especially those in assisted living scenarios, beneficial enzymes and nutrients can be increased simply by using the right combination of ingredients.
Because flavonoids and other biologically beneficial nutrients are highly sensitive to heat and extended storage, it’s important to incorporate them whole and fresh into your menus for seniors. Otherwise, you run the risk of cooking away all the benefits.
Adding Flavonoid-Rich Foods to Your Food Menu Program
It’s easy to spot the flavonoid-rich foods; they’re the ones with the rich, vibrant colors.
Blueberries, plums, cherries, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, sweet potatoes and turnip greens are all excellent sources. Flavonoids can also be found – albeit in smaller concentrations – in garbanzo beans, tree nuts, soy, quinoa and lettuce.
In the beverage category, black and green tea are also excellent sources, both of which are popular with many seniors. Likewise, grape juice is another beverage rich in phytonutrients.
The Grove Menus program provides a simple and effective way to plan your assisted living or nursing home menus in a way that incorporates dietitian-approved recipes and a balanced, healthy diet.
Our menu planning solutions are designed to take the guesswork out of menu planning, saving you time and money. All of our recipes are developed specifically for the senior palate and tested extensively for flavor and appeal. Contact us today to learn more about how Grove Menus can help you improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of your menus for seniors in assisted living.