5 Easy & Healthy Recipes for Seniors

Your loved ones can enjoy any of these meals and snacks at home.

Healthy eating matters at any age, but it’s especially important for seniors. Eating more fiber, protein, and calcium can help your parents or grandparents reduce their risk of conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and bone loss.

Your loved ones can enjoy nutritious meals and snacks that don’t take too long to prepare at home (or have an in-home care provider make for them). Check out these five easy, healthy recipes for seniors.

1. Breakfast: Blueberry-Cranberry Smoothie

Prep Time & Calorie Info

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Serving Size: 2 Cups
• Total Servings: 1
• Calories Per Serving: 245 calories

Ingredients

• ½ frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• ½ cup frozen cranberries
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. 
2. Puree until smooth, and enjoy!

2. Morning Snack: Baked Apple Chips

Prep Time & Calorie Info

• Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cooking Time: 2 hours | Total Time: 2 ½ hours
• Serving size: about 20 apple chips
• Total Servings: about 2
• Calories Per Serving: 97

Ingredients 

• 2 apples (or however many you’d like)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Position oven racks in the upper and lower third of the oven.
2. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
4. Wash and dry the apples.
5. Core apples (optional).
6. Slice apples as thinly as possible (about ⅛ inch) with a sharp knife or mandolin (leave their skin on).
7. Place apples on the baking sheet in a single layer, not touching each other.
8. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over apple slices.
9. Bake for about 1 hour and turn each slice over. 
10. Continue to bake for at least 1 more hour. The longer they stay, the crispier they get.
11. Serve warm. You can store leftovers in an airtight container for a few days.

3. Lunch: Chicken Parmesan Wraps

Prep Time & Calorie Info

• Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes
• Serving Size: 1 wrap
• Total Servings: 4 wraps
• Calories Per Serving: 480

Ingredients 

• 3 cups roughly shredded, cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (leftover or store-bought rotisserie chicken works well)
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt-free Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• ¼ cup fresh, finely chopped basil
• 4 flatbreads or tortillas
• 1 cup shredded, reduced-fat Italian cheese blend
• Additional marinara sauce, warmed for dipping (if desired)

Instructions

1. Place shredded chicken in a medium bowl. Add Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper, and stir well to combine.
2. Add marinara sauce and basil to chicken mixture, and stir to combine again.
3. If you want your filling piping hot, you can microwave the chicken mixture at this point for 60-90 seconds.
4. Lay 1 flatbread on your work surface, and sprinkle ¼ cup of cheese down the center, leaving a large border all around the cheese. Spread ¼ of the chicken mixture (about ½ cup) on top of the cheese.
5. Fold short ends of the flatbread inward toward the middle. Then, fold in the long sides of your flatbread, closing the wrap.
6. Repeat with the remaining 3 flatbreads, dividing the remaining cheese and chicken mixture evenly among them.
7. Preheat a dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the wraps and cook on the first side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip wraps and cook on the second side until golden, another 1½ minutes.
8. Serve with additional marinara sauce for dipping if you’d like.

4. Afternoon Snack: Peanut Butter No-Bake Snack Bites

Prep Time & Calorie Info

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Serving Size: 2 snack bites
• Total Servings: 18 (3 dozen bites)
• Calories Per Serving: 126

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Add chocolate chips to the mixture and stir again, just until combined.
4. Using your hands, press firmly to form one-inch bites.
5. Place in an air-tight container and refrigerate or freeze as needed.
   1. If you choose to freeze your snack bites, they’ll thaw in just 20 minutes.

5. Dinner: Roasted Salmon & Tomatoes with Garlic & Olives

Prep Time & Calorie Info

• Prep Time: 35 minutes
• Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet with ⅓ cup tomato and olive mixture
• Total Servings: 4
• Calories Per Serving: 276

Ingredients 

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives, quartered
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
• 1 ¼ pounds salmon (or 4 fillets)
• 1 lemon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Stir tomatoes, olives, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl. 
3. Spread the mixture on half of a large rimmed sheet pan. 
4. Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the salmon pieces. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 
5. Place salmon on the other half of the sheet pan. 
6. Bake until the tomatoes have broken down and the salmon is just cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. 
7. Serve the tomato and olive mixture with the salmon. Garnish with lemon if desired.

These easy, healthy recipes for seniors will delight your loved ones!

We know that older adults sometimes lose interest or confidence in preparing food. This could be due to a decreased appetite, no longer feeling comfortable cooking, or struggling to make a meal for one.

Whether your loved one needs a hand with meal prep, grocery shopping, or cooking, a skilled caregiver can help.

Safe-T Home Care is an in-home care agency in Monticello, Indiana. We provide transportation, personal care, and other services so your loved ones can stay safe and independent at home. For more information, visit our website or like us on Facebook.