Easy prep meal options?

Buy some storage plates that can be microwave and dishwasher safe from Amazon. I have someone that comes in 2 times a week and makes food to put in frig. for the week. Just ex. Buy chicken strips, half cook with some BBQ and put in a couple plates with some veg. and rice/potato. Rest of chicken add to a pasta with alfredo sauce or something for few meals. My Dad likes banana sandwiches and chips Or couple cookies or cinnamon apple sauce. I'm buying the cheese squares and grapes little stuff for snack. I buy container of crusaints and fry a number of eggs and make egg cheese sandwiches and put in baggies to pull out in morning. Buy some apple danishes to snack on. I've about giving up about healthy food at this stage, who cares if they like it and eat. Betty Crocker pastas can be eaten cold and we add like sausage or chicken. My husband and I eat it all the time. And really who says they need 3 meals a day. Mine a lot of times eat a late lunch or early dinner. And I buy plates from rest. and let them split it maybe buy one extra side. Whatever makes it easy. Good luck, it is not easy taken care of your family and parents.

First of all, speaking as an 84 year old woman, and also nurturing my husband through his 10 years of Alzheimers before his death, I can tell you, the taste buds just don't want to accept much food, no matter how good it is. I force myself to eat because it's the only way I'm going to stay in this world. My husband barely ate; discussed with doctor, and he said let him be--he will eat what he wants. Even his precious ice cream bars (gourmet) that he loved, he wouldn't eat. That was a shock. Aging isn't for wimps, and family has to accept this.

Start by asking your parents what they like to eat. Create a menu for the week. Cook up as much as possible and freeze in individual portions. Make sure they get some "fun foods" too. People who have high blood pressure/cardiac or renal problems are the only ones who truly NEED a low sodium diet. If your parents are used to higher sodium intakes, plan on reducing that amount slowly so their palates adjust. Otherwise, all foods are going to taste bland and unpleasant to them.

Careschl: My mother could request low sodium MOW. When I moved in with her, I made simple meals that could be frozen. My mother ate very small quantities of food.

Hi. Eye rolls are fine. You'll have less headaches. ( ;

I get eye rolls all the time from my 93 yr. old mother and I say "Did you just roll your eyes at me?!" She always denies it. Role reversal.

I do not worry so much anymore about sodium, sugar, trans fats. She gets low sodium chicken broth at night when I come home from work. I have other snacks prepared or store-bought for her on a small plate that she doesn't have to heat up and luckily, she like to make herself cereal (Raisin Bran). She is a fairly good eater, not picky and does not eat a lot. So if I pick up something to-go from a restaurant, it's big enough to share. I do this when I just don't have the time or energy to cook. It may cost a little more but I cherish the ease of it and no dishes to wash (don't have a dishwasher). Have any friends who like to cook that could be recruited to help prep you meals for them? Parent(s) with dementia will rarely praise you or show appreciation for all that you do for them. At least that is my experience. Pat yourself a lot on the back for what you CAN do for them and try to get with a support group of caretakers in your area whether it's offered virtually or in person. Thank God this forum is here so we can laugh, cry, vent and offer ideas and solutions. Right now I could use a personal assistant but just cannot afford one. Maybe your parents could write down 5 of their favorite meals/ snacks and you could create a simple, fixed menu from there. Good luck, but ultimately, they will eat if they are hungry; even after the complaining.

I'm remembering back to when I was cooking for a family of 7 people--5 of whom were relatively picky kids.

On Saturdays (after grocery shopping on Friday) I would prep as much as possible for the upcoming week.

Considering my crews likes and dislikes--( so ask mom & dad what THEY want, and accomadate as best you can.)

I'd do a LOT of crockpot meals, which can be made, kept in a big Ziploc bag and simply put in the crockpot. That would do for 2 dinners.

I'd make one night a pasta salad night. Again, keep in good quality container, or even use those restuarant take-away containers that Costco sells.

Again--leftovers become lunches.

Breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, waffles, whatever. Pre-cooked bacon to cut down on the mess.

A pre cooked roast chicken and a bag of premixed salad is simple. Any leftover meat can be pulled off the chicken, but that does take time.

Casseroles. Twice a week. Totally pre-made and then either frozen or cook within the early part of the week.

Rolls can be bought and parceled out to go with meals. Using frozen rolls is a little treat, easy to cook and softer to chew.

Keep a supply of yogurts and puddings in cups.

Cut up fresh vegggies and store in clear containers. Have some different dips.

Charcutrie (sp!) plates (come pre cut and prepared) along with a bunch of grapes or an apple cut up.

Buy the small bags of chips for snacks. Yes, they're salty, but often our folks aren't really hungry, they're what we call 'snacky'. A small bag of Fritoes always quells my craving for some salty. A small bag controls the portion.

Just a start. I found that having dinner made early in the day, my day always went better.

SO MANY FOODS now come totally pre-prepped and all that is required is heating up. Certainly the aides can do THAT.

Loop your folks into the planning and only buy what they will eat.

I have gone back to easy prep meals b/c we are on such a weird schedule, I never know if DH will be home for dinner.

If your foks won't eat the meals you've (or the aides) have made, then it's a total waste.

Best wishes. Hopefully you can make something that will work out for everyone involved.

Call the local schools (all grades) and ask for their lunch schedules.

Perhaps you should ask your parents what they prefer to eat or what they like to eat instead of going through the hassle of guessing what they want to eat.

Thanks for all the ideas, folks. I've gotten to the point where I'm ready to switch to easier, prepared options for my mom. I've been getting Martha Stewart (Marley Spoon) meal kits for our meals. I find them delicious and they have a great variety of selections. It saves me a lot of planning and shopping, but they are still work to prepare and cook every evening. Mom has reached a point where she eats very very slowly and looks miserable the whole time. She says they taste good, but it's very demoralizing when you spent time preparing something special. I think I need to cut way back on the effort so as not to feel so disheartened. Maybe I'll start by cutting back to 3 meal kits a week .

Whatever food you decide, if you cook/buy in large quantities, I recommend this size and style of storage container;

https://www.amazon.com/Tupperware-FreezerMates-Small-Low-Set/dp/B07DTFKTRT/ref=sr_1_25?crid=3H8XRLPFPEFIP&keywords=Tupperware+freezer+mates&qid=1696603130&sprefix=tupperware+freezer+mates%2Caps%2C345&sr=8-25

Oops! Sorry about the long link. But this size is good for individual meals per container, and stacks and stores easily. Great for, say, a big stew that can be served and the rest portioned out and frozen for later.

Good luck!

As we get older our taster changes. yes they will not eat what you think they will eat. When my daddy was so ill he would not eat his ultimate favorite which was spaghetti and meatballs. He turned up his nose at it. So I would ask him what he wanted... he would take for ex: two chicken nuggets, two broccoli trees, two cauliflower rounds, and be full from that. My suggestion is make your family dinner take out two servings and place them in a microwavable container. Label it and have the helpers heat them up. If your parents don't eat them. Then not a lot of wasted money. You are already cooking for your family so its no more work. Also, see if they will drink the protein shakes. My daddy would not touch them... however a friend of mine loves them. Blessings to you

What do they want to eat?

I took care of one woman and all she wanted was Rice Crispies with bananas. At 93, that's what she got.

Another woman only wanted mushroom omelets.

I think it has to do with comfort foods. And variety they just don't care about at this stage of the game.

Maybe ask what they would like to eat, and go from there throwing in a "milk shake" Ensure for good measure along with ice cream. Every one eats ice cream or ice cream alternatives from my experiences.

Maybe try different brands such as Weight Watchers (WW), Trader Joes or other frozen meal brands. Look for low sodium. If you can find some meals they like, stick with them. If they like spicy foods, a bit of spice might make things taste better. I found a plant-based product that I like to use as a salt substitute: Red Sumac ground up. Good luck.

Most Healthy Choice simply steamer meals have less than 600mg of sodium; several are less than 500mg.

My parents like homemade soups for one meal a day. I made a big pot of vegetable beef, chicken noodle, chili, or potato soup each week along with a skillet of corn bread. Froze about half, served about half, and used previously frozen to add some varity.

Breakfast was usually some scrambled eggs and toast with different things added to the egg scramble - cheese, ham and cheese, bell peppers, peppers and onions. Made egg muffins by placing the "other" ingredients into muffin tins, pouring eggs, milk and bkack pepper mixture over it and baking @350 for 12-15 minutes.

Beef and cheddar wraps were popular: cut roast beef into smaller pieces and place on a tortilla wrap, cover with cheddar cheese, wrap it up and heat in the microwave just long enough to warm up. Meatloaf was a hit as my Dad had some chewing/swallowing issues. Chicken and dumpings and a chicken & dressing casserole were well liked too. Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, brocolli, green beans, salad made with either lettuce or cabbage (cabbage lasts longer in fridge) and other side dishes that heat well in the microwave and/or freeze well. Fruit for snacks: apples, bananas, grapes, watermelon and cantaloupe cut and stored in single servings so they can just take one out of the fridge.

Once I got started I found I could do most of the cooking/prepping once a week and just use the microwave to heat stuff up though the week. I also purchased a meal from fast food once a week; Mom loved a cheeseburger with onion rings and a strawberry milkshake while Dad loved fried fish and a baked potato. A little time planning around the food choices they have liked and you can make it work.

A couple of suggestions:

Make a lasagna or two over the weekend and freeze portions in zip top bags or deli take out containers. These can be thawed and microwaved quickly.

Order a large pizza or two with toppings they like. Allow to cool and freeze individual slices in zip top bags. (I used to do this for my kids' school lunches).

Set up a crock pot on in the AM. Put in chicken thighs, a vegetable and potatoes.

A side of salmon can be baked with lemon, butter and dill, portioned and frozen. Frozen green beans go with this nicely.

Give them oatmeal or cold cereal in the AM, a hot meal at lunch and something light like yogurt or soup in the evening.

I made my mom's meals and put them in the refrigerator for the caregivers to serve when I wasn't there. I knew exactly what she liked, what she had cooked for herself and my dad all their lives, and I wanted to keep the sugar, salt, and processed food to a minimum. Whenever the caregivers cooked, she turned it down. She just didn't recognize it as food if she hadn't had it before. Once she went to assisted living and memory care, I had no say about the sugar and let it go, but she actually had gotten used to not having so much of it by then and didn't ask for it. Both places were small and they learned what she liked quickly.

As you can, have someone (?) make smoothies - or as I call it 'bullet' drinks as I use a bullet.

Very nutritious - and it can taste like a milkshake depending on what you add to it.
I use - a lot - this is a little of the basics:

yogurt
prunes (1-3)
frozen cut up bananas (can freeze although cut up first)
frozen strawberries (I but organic from Costco
Liquid: coconut water, juice - milk if you want
(I add)
cinnamon, collogen, perhaps protein powder or whey
a SMALL piece of ginger root and a SMALL piece of garlic
Greens as you wish (just a little - spinach, zucchini) if available.

A bullet blends everything very well. Its the yogurt and banana that makes it taste creamy / good.

If you want something sweeter, add cocoa, fruit jam, and/or almond butter, or any nut butter.

You might need to hire a person to actually prepare meals to heat up.
Lots of meals / dinners can be cooked in advance and frozen.
OR
Get healthy frozen dinners from the health food store i.e., Amy's.
They are available - and some/many at Costco, too.

It is shocking that caregivers do not actually prepare any food ... any more.

Gena / Touch Matters

My parents enjoyed "Mom's Meals". Frozen meals of good quality delivered to their door. Their primary care doctor dictates what the diet restrictions are. They were more flavorful than the grocery store options. My parents also were pills and hated "Meals on Wheels".

If they are that damn persnickety (they sound like little annoying children!) then you are driving yourself bonkers for nothing.

What is the big deal about WARMING stuff? They can easily live on sandwiches, chips, and…well, sandwiches and chips. Cold salads. If they don’t like it, well, they get a little hungry, then I would bet they lower their fussy standards!

And, oh, for Pete’s sake, forget the “too much salt” nonsense. At their age/stage, imposing some “Live Forever!” diet is downright silly.

I would make a large pot of soup, stew or pasta and portion it and freeze in pint or quart jars.
When I needed a quick meal for my Husband I would thaw out a frozen jar of whatever. (Zip top bags work great for this as well.)
If I was out for the day and needed a caregiver to heat up lunch for him I would take a jar out the day before and it would be ready for the microwave the next day for lunch.
I also would make him a pretty hearty breakfast so that if he slept through the day I did not worry if he did not eat a lunch. Because he slept a lot as he declined his main meal was a breakfast. I honestly did not worry if he did not eat much at lunch or dinner.
So if you are making meals for your family make a double batch, portion and freeze for you folks. And when you freeze a portion make it a bit less than what you think they "should" eat. Chances are they don't need the larger portion that you think they should eat.
And don't worry if they pick at their meal. If their doctor is not concerned about a potential weight loss it probably means you don't have to worry either.

Unless there’s a medical reason for salt restrictions, why not let them eat what they want? One idea would be a baked potato, with a variety of toppings. Go to the local BBQ place and get a pint of chopped beef. They also have pre made at the grocery store.

Thanks, all! I probably should not have rolled the eye's in my original post. It's more eye crying than anything. Sigh
They must have lost their tastebuds. They used to love everything. And their thinking is not working due to their dementia. They are struggling for sure. I am trying to find a better way to feed them on a terrible schedule. I never have the time to prepare options that make it easy for the aides. There is just so much waste too. My mom has gained a lot of weight just eating snacks and/or forgetting that they just ate so she keeps eating. On the opposite end, Dad is so thin. It's just difficult. But, I don't need to tell you that. You have gone/going through it. I appreciate all the advice and good wishes.
Thanks again!

The health effects of our lifestyle choices take years the cause harm or show benefits so once we reach a certain age our dietary choices are less meaningful. Just buy them the things they like to eat and that the aides are willing to make.

Is this program getting services similar to being in a nursing home, but being at home instead?

I think it's the law for elders to complain about all food being served to them everywhere. If your parents are carrying on about homemade food you went to the trouble of preparing for them and calling it "poison", I'd ask them what THEY want to eat, healthy or not, and go from there. Like boxed cereals for breakfast, sandwiches and fruit for lunch, and Progresso soups with microwaved scrambled eggs for dinner.

You jumping thru fiery hoops to devise a meal plan they'll likely give two thumbs down to defeats the purpose. Nobody knows their tastes but them.

Good luck to you

Marie Callender. Frozen lasagna. Frozen spaghetti. You can order from Factor X online and they deliver 6 or more meals per week, all fresh. It's a bit pricey.

Also you could tell your overentitled parents that this is what is being served, and if they don't eat it, they starve. That might be what they told you when you were a kid. Right back atcha, mom and dad.

I like pasta bakes a lot. They freeze well and reheat easily, especially if you remember to thaw them in the fridge the night before. Smitten Kitchen is my go to. I love her old school baked ziti, baked pasta with broccoli rabe (I sub regular broccoli). I’m not sure if this will fit your schedule but look in NYT for slow cooker chicken ragu. So easy to put together and really really delicious! Good luck!