February is National Hot Breakfast Month, which is a good time for us to remember as caregivers the importance of good nutrition for our loved ones, especially at breakfast.
Nutritionists tell us that breakfast is without a doubt the most important meal of the day. Starting the day with a good meal and a full stomach keeps you feeling good and keeps you healthy. And getting nutritious, complete and balanced meals each day is very important to keep up the strength of your loved one.
For those of us who are not morning people, taking time to make a nutritious, hot meal in the morning may not seem like the thing to do. But there are many healthy breakfasts that we can make with a minimum of preparation.
One of the best is a bowl of hot, delicious oatmeal. Oatmeal these days can be made in the microwave and it is easy to customize it to your loved one's taste. We recommend adding fruit or nuts to the oatmeal and there you have a hot, nutritious breakfast.
If you feel like doing more cooking, you can make waffle or pancake batter the night before so you just need to heat up the skillet in the morning. Remember that you can add various flavors to the batter, such as pumpkin. Or, you can add bananas and blueberries to the batter for an interesting, fruity twist to flapjacks.
Of course, your loved one may have challenges with eating food, if she has had a stroke or suffers from dementia, for example. Try our Weighted Eating Utensils - they have added weight to stabilize her hand and arm movements.
