Five Tips for Setting Your Mom Up With Easy-to-Cook Meals
Your mom has a hard time cooking for one person, so she gave up. She relies on quick, processed meals now. She microwaves everything and rarely touches her stove. You worry about her diet. Lots of microwavable meals full of sodium, fat, and preservatives can’t be good for her. Here are five tips for getting your mom set up with easy-to-cook meals that are good for her.
Invest in Freezer Bags.
Companies like PackItGourmet.com sell freezer bags with resealable zipper closures. These are ideal for setting your mom up with easy-to-cook meals. The bags can be microwaved or boiled in a pan of water. In addition, they do not have BPA or dioxin, so you don’t have to worry about dangerous chemicals making their way into your mom’s food.
Fill Her Freezer.
Many foods are easy to freeze and reheat. Put together a batch of homemade pasta sauce using vegetables picked from your mom’s garden. Cook and freeze pasta. Rice and mashed potatoes are also good options for freezing. Measure single-serve portions into freezer bags and write the contents and date on each bag. Instructions on how to reheat are also helpful. When your mom needs a meal, she can pick and choose based on her cravings that day.
Put Together Crockpot Meals.
Prep ingredients for Crockpot meals and then pop them in the freezer. There are small slow cookers that make it easy to cook smaller portions. Any leftovers can go into the fridge for the week’s lunches and dinners. Stews, soups, and pot roasts are all good choices for a Crockpot. Make sure you label the meal and put the directions (low or high heat) and the number of hours it needs to cook.
Quick and Easy Breakfasts.
A slice of bread pressed into a muffin tin is the good start to an individual quiche. Fill the bread cup with a mixture of egg, fresh vegetables, and cheese. Bake these for 30 minutes or until the egg is fully set. You have instant quiches that can be frozen for quick, microwavable breakfasts. Mix up ingredients for variety.
Save All Garden Produce.
If your mom’s gardens produce too many fruits and vegetables, blanch them and freeze them to last the winter. The University of Minnesota Extension has a handy guide on how long to blanch vegetables for freezing. With a timer and a pot of boiling water, processing vegetables for the freezer is very easy.
An alternative to cooking your mom’s meals each week is to hire elderly care services. Caregivers work with your mom to create appealing menus, shop for the groceries, and then cook meals. Take a closer look into all of the benefits of elderly care. Call now.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Newport, WA, please contact the friendly staff at Love at Home Senior Care, today. Call (509) 204-4088
Sources:
https://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/vegetables-herbs/blanching-vegetables/
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