Many seniors love a salty snack now and again, but too much sodium in the diet may harm the heart, brain, kidneys, and other organs. This makes it critical to monitor what your senior loved one consumes in order to help avoid these issues from arising. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to salt in your loved one’s diet, and a senior home care provider can help them with meal prep and much more.
Here are some of the best alternatives for salt in dishes.
Use Garlic Instead of Salt
Garlic, whether fresh or powdered, adds a natural taste boost to practically every savory recipe. Garlic has several therapeutic properties in addition to its delicious flavor and scent. Garlic’s antioxidants may help prevent Alzheimer’s and other kinds of dementia, and it can also help control blood pressure and cholesterol.
Cardamom Can Be a Great Alternative
Your loved one may be used to the flavor of cardamom in tea or chai. In Indian cooking, this spice is often used with ginger, cumin, or coriander seeds. Cardamom may be used in a number of sweet and savory dishes, from curries to rice pudding, and has been shown to improve gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health, decrease cholesterol, and boost blood circulation.
Add Basil Into Dishes
This fragrant herb is popular in Italian, Thai, and Indian cooking. Whether fresh or dried, Basil lends a sweet flavor and pungent scent to dishes. It also contains anti-inflammatory qualities that may help with arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease symptoms. Basil is also efficient in neutralizing free radicals, which may harm your loved one’s heart, liver, and brain.
Lemon Juice Can Give Dishes a Zesty Flavor
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice can make practically any meal seem lighter and more pleasant. Lemon juice may be used as a marinade for poultry or fish, or it can be drizzled over fresh fruit for dessert. People who eat a lot of citruses have a decreased risk of stroke and lower levels of free radicals that cause cancer.
Use Cayenne for Some Flavor
Cayenne pepper, which is produced from red chili peppers, is often used in Mexican, Spanish, and Indian recipes. Even a small amount of cayenne pepper may give a fiery kick to dishes ranging from soup to meatloaf. This spice is extensively used to assist digestion and alleviate flatulence. Capsaicin, found in peppers, may help with inflammation and chronic muscular and nerve pain.
How Senior Home Care Can Help
If you are unsure how to cook for your senior, or simply don’t have the time, it is time to bring in senior home care to help. Senior home care providers can support your senior’s effort to reduce sodium in their diet, as well as assist with many other tasks of daily living. Senior home care can be invaluable for your senior parent aging in place. Call us today to get started.
If you or a family member need to hire Senior Home Care Services in Massapequa 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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