Freezing meals for our seniors?

18 years ago

This week a co-worker asked me for some freezer meal suggestions that she could make for her elderly parents so they wouldn't go out to eat so often and maybe eat a little healthier. I know some of you here have frozen meals for seniors and I would like to add your ideas to mine.

If you have a recipe to post, I can c&p them for my friend at the office.

We are trying to think of breakfast items for my dad to put some weight on him. I made these this morning and will take them to my folks later today. Part of the recipe I put in the freezer for myself, wanting to see how they freeze, then thaw and warm in the microwave or toaster oven. I think they will be fine to freeze, but I like to prove it!

Bacon Quiche Cups

makes 10 or more

8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese

2 TB milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup shredded Swiss Cheese

2 TB green onions, chopped

10 oz. can Hungry Jack biscuits

5-6 slices bacon, crisp cooked and crumbled

Heat oven to 375F. Grease 10 muffin tin cups. Pat out biscuits larger and form into cups. Put half the bacon in the biscuit cups.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and eggs until smooth. Stir in Swiss cheese and onions. Spoon 2 TB mixture into each biscuit cup over the bacon. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set and the biscuit edges are golden. Top with the rest of the bacon, pressing into the filling. Remove cups from pan. Cool.

Reheat wrapped in foil at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until warm.

Notes:

I used some diced ham for some of the cups as I needed to use it up.

There was leftover filling which I baked in a greased pottery ramekin. I think the filling would bake just fine as a custard in a pyrex or pottery baking dish. Then you could cut squares and put inside baked biscuits for a breakfast biscuit. To make a bunch of these, I would cut out square biscuits and squares of the baked filling the same size.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (27)

triciae
18 years ago
Teresa, are there any dietary restriction..sodium, fat, carbs? Chewing (teeth) issues?

If none of the above, you can make breakfast sandwiches that freeze/reheat well.

Toast an English Muffin, add a scrambled egg (I add about a tablespoon of milk & a teaspoon of diced onion to the egg before scrambling), then top with a slice of Canadian bacon & a slice of cheese (I use Brie). Wrap tightly in Saran Wrap, or Vac-Pac, & freeze. Reheat either in the oven or micro (oven is better, IMO).

Hash browns freeze well also. Reheat in the oven (they get icky in the mico, IMO). I make them in patties about 3" across, freeze on a cookie sheet, then vac-pac.

This requires a bit of forethought the night before but I freeze ready-made smoothies all the time. I use 1 banana, 1 carton plain yogurt, a few frozen strawberries or peaches, a tablespoon of protein powder, & 1/2 cup 2% milk. Blend as normal then pour into freezer proof plastic container & freeze. Take out of freezer the night before. In the morning, all you have to do is quickly hit it with a boat motor & it's done. It should still be icy enough from the freezing that you won't have to add anything. I LIVE on these & I only have to make the mess once/week.

Pancakes & waffles also freeze well.

Muffins made with WW flour, nuts, oats, seeds, blueberries, etc. are also a good breakfast that freezes great.

/tricia
lindac
18 years ago
I'm sure they were delicious, but I wouldn't call that healthy eating for a "senior".

If you are looking for freezable breakfasts, why not breakfast burritos using egg beaters and a slice of cheese...or oatbran muffins with some dried apricots?
Linda C
Related Discussions
Our Chinese New Year meal plans - lots of images
Q
Comments (13)
Thanks everyone! We've just returned from our Chinatown excursion. It was a long but fun day. We ate a lot of Chinese baked buns: cocktail buns, pineapple buns, BBQ pork buns, and hotdog buns! Little man and I joked about our fun buns lunch! LOL We went to the Chinese Cultural Center but things were not quite set up. Seemed like they were not going to be ready until this weekend. So we went to visit a few Chinese grocery stores. OMG, it was like a zoo everywhere. People were shopping like crazy. No surprise though, two more days of shopping before the big day. We bought a pack of Chinese New Year treat called Cows Ears, some deep fried cookies, for the occasion. But we were out for so long that we ended up eating the whole bag before making it home! LOL Image of Cows Ears: Then I bought these gorgeous Chinese kumquat (like mini oranges). They are small but sweet in a strange way. Hard to explain. I did save some for the Tray of Togetherness. Image of kumquats: We are going to the zoo all day tomorrow so I will make the shrimp dumplings tonight. Will start the chicken congee in the slow cooker before we leave tomorrow morning. By the time we get home we will just heat up the shrimp dumplings and eat them with the chicken congee. Should be another fun day for us. By the way, hubby and little man just ate two of the Lo Mai Gai and they LOVED it. So it's worth the time making them. :-) Al
...See More
? about 'raw freezing' slow cooker meals
Q
Comments (10)
slowlane, I make brownie mix from the King Arthur Flour recipe on their website, as well as this whole grain pancake "mix". I just use regular whole wheat flour. They also have recipes for biscuit mix and a quick mix that can be used to make muffins. Homemade Whole-Grain Pancake Mix These pancakes are just shy of 90% whole-grain; and they're absolutely delicious, featuring the sweet-nutty taste of oats and wheat. This recipe comes courtesy of Susan Reid and Susan Miller, two of the authors of King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. Thanks, ladies! 4 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour 1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons baking powder 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon baking soda 1 cup vegetable oil Pancakes 1 cup homemade mix 1 cup buttermilk, or a combination of plain yogurt and milk; or 3/4 cup liquid whey 1 large egg 1) To make the mix: Grind the oats in a food processor until they're chopped fine, but not a powder. 2) Put the flour, oats, and all other dry ingredients into a mixer with a paddle. Mix on slow speed, and drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. 3) Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature, or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer. To make pancakes: Whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup of buttermilk (or a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk; or 3/4 cup liquid whey), and 1 large egg. Don't worry if it seems thin at first: the oats will soak up the milk, and the mix will thicken a bit as it stands. 5) Let the batter stand for at least 20 minutes before cooking. Heat a lightly greased griddle to 350�F (if you've got a griddle with a temperature setting; if not, medium-hot will do). 7) Drop the batter onto it in 1/4-cupfuls (a jumbo cookie scoop works well here) to make a 4" diameter pancake. If you have English muffin rings, use them; they make a perfectly round, evenly thick pancake. 8) When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface without breaking (after about 2 minutes, if your griddle is the correct temperature), turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side, which will take about 2 minutes. 9) Serve pancakes immediately, or stack and hold in a warm oven. Yield: a batch using 1 cup of the mix will make about 5 to 8 pancakes, depending on size. Recipe summary Hands-on time: 20 mins. Baking time: 4 mins. to 8 mins. Total time: 60 mins. Yield: 10 cups dry mix; enough for 50 to 80 pancakes Tips from our bakers ◦If you're not in the habit of having buttermilk around, reconsider: you can freeze leftover buttermilk, in 1-cup portions, for future batches of pancakes. And if you don't have buttermilk, but do have buttermilk powder, add 1/4 cup buttermilk powder to the dry mix along with 1 large egg and 1 cup water or milk. ◦These pancakes hold in a low oven for half an hour without getting tough or rubbery, and they're more than willing to act as a vehicle for any kind of fruit addition. A partial list of combinations that have made successful appearances so far: peach, raspberry, banana-walnut, cheddar-apple, blueberry, and cranberry-apricot. ◦Do you enjoy making your own Greek-style, thick yogurt by draining plain yogurt through a strainer? If so, don't discard the drained-off whey; it's a great stand-in for buttermilk in this recipe. Since it's thinner than buttermilk, you'll want to use 3/4 cup whey in place of the 1 cup buttermilk called for. ◦Variation: Add 1 tablespoon orange juice to the dry mix along with the buttermilk. We've found that the acidity and sweetness of the orange juice helps mellow the tannic taste some people perceive in whole wheat flour; while the pancakes won't have any orange flavor, they may taste slightly milder to you, if you're not a fan of whole wheat flour (but still want to get more whole grains into your diet). I agree about the soup base/bouillion/etc in most of the dry soup "recipes", the sodium level is astonishing. I think some people here found a lower sodium alternative "base" but I don't much like any of them, they taste fake to me. Good luck. Annie
...See More
Is anyone willing to share good make-ahead meals to freeze?
Q
Comments (21)
Chicken Tortilla Soup -- Crockpot 15 minutes preparation, 8 hours cooking 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves 2 (15oz.) cans black beans 2 (15 oz.) cans Rotel tomatoes with chilies . 1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato sauce 1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies . 1 cup salsa, your preference as to strength (I use medium) 1 can Niblets corn Rinse chicken and set aside. Without draining, place beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chilies and salsa in crockpot and stir until mixed. Submerge chicken in the mixture. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken from crockpot and shred with two forks. Return chicken to pot and stir in corn. Heat 10 -15 minutes, or just long enough to get corn and chicken hot. Serve topped with crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. Using the Rotel tomatoes with chilies will produce a slightly spicy soup Â for a less spicy soup, use regular diced tomatoes and mild salsa. This recipe freezes well Â itÂs like money in the bank! Enjoy! :o).
...See More
Easy to Freeze/Thaw meals?
Q
Comments (10)
Some of my favorites are lasagna, meatloaf and making the hamburger/onion mix for all kinds of things, from quesadillas to sloppy joes to pizza or whatever. Another easy thing to do is cook a turkey or two, (or a ham, pork roast or even several chickens at a time, etc) pull all the meat off the bone and freeze in portioned bags. You can add it to pasta, quesadillas, pizza, hot turkey sandwiches or a full turkey dinner. Instant mashed potatoes and canned gravy, stuffing mix, frozen/canned veg and the like make a speedier preparation and a pretty luxurious meal. Oh and frozen meatballs are good for a lot of different things. By themself, as a meat ball sandwich, with spaghetti, in a casserole, etc. Most any casserole should freeze well, especially pasta. I would think a hashbrown casserole (with meat) would freeze well as would rice & meat casseroles. Boneless/skinless chicken breasts are a great convenience food. Use for a lot of different things. And there's always the store deli. Prepared chicken, meatloaf and other items are available for really bad days. Do you have an electric roaster? This would simplify things. Even a slow cooker, though I prefer the roaster for versatility. But pot roast can be put together and cook in the roaster/slow cooker. Soup, stew, chili and more. It doesn't all have to be frozen. Do a double amount and you'll have a second meal for a couple days later. Baking some sausage & potatoes takes little prep work and can cook together. Or steam a head of cauliflower and put some sausages in there with it. Braising ribs is easy to do. Country style ribs are easier (no membrane to remove or bones to bother). Put them in the oven, electric roaster or slow cooker or even do it on the stovetop. Braise them slowly and they're fabulous. An hour before they're done, pop some potatoes in with them and they'll cook together and 15-30 min before you can put in some corn on the cob (frozen saves you some prep work of husking). You can also flatten the country style ribs with a mallet, bread them, fry them and have a pork cutlet with more taste than a pork tenderloin. Is your son able to help with some cooking or at least prep work? Personally I think people do a disservice to their kids by not teaching them at least some basic cooking skills. A pot roast, chili, even a turkey doesn't take a Gordon Ramsay to put on the table. You don't have to be very old to husk some corn or peel potatoes. Perhaps it would be helpful to make out a meal plan. One easy way is to take a two week plan and just continue it. There's the old If it's Monday, it's spaghetti day for a weekly plan but it's really just as easy to do two weeks. Figure out some easy meals. Don't hesitate to make one day a week sandwich and salad day. Or a breakfast for supper day, whether it's bacon and eggs, breakfast casserole or even frozen waffles and brown & serve sausages. Frozen/canned veggies and bagged salads are great. The weekend cooking is a great idea but even when cooking, try to cook for at least two meals. Maybe some of these aren't the healthiest or as healthy as you'd desire, but any of them are far better than burgers and fries from a drive through. And hey, that's not to say that an occasional bucket from the Colonel is all bad either. By combining some freezer action, some simple to prepare meals, especially covering two days, some occasionl take out or delivery, hey, the time will pass quickly and you won't be feeling guilty. And you shouldn't feel guilty anyway. Good luck!
...See More
teresa_nc7
Original Author
18 years ago
Linda, I understand your thoughts behind your post, but you can understand that a frail, elderly man in his 80's needs all the calories you can get him to eat. I know my dad would find a breakfast burrito hard to eat and I know he doesn't like muffins, so we are trying to feed him anything he will eat at this point in time. So, my sister bought him waffles, french toast and bacon this week because that is what he likes for breakfast and it's better than him not eating anything at all.
trixietx
18 years ago
I have made breakfast burritos and froze them for my Mom to warm in the microwave. I made sausage, egg and cheese because I thought that is what she would like. Also, I keep a supply of oatmeal breakfast bars for her.

I have also made the following burritos posted on recipezaar and froze and they are very good.

Here is a link that might be useful: breakfast burritos
jessyf
18 years ago
Teresa, are you talking about 'putting weight' on and quality of life at the end vs. life-lengthening healthful eating? I'm reading you want the former, correct me if I'm wrong. When my mom was going at the end, we made her lots of her favorite bad stuff because she just wasn't eating. Egg salads with yolks, lamb chops. I've heard that medications mess with your sense of taste and appetite.

Other non-food tricks to get him eating might include putting him on appetite inducing stuff like erythromycin. I might dare to suggest prednisone too, but that is a double edged sword. I might REALLY dare and say soemthing green we put in brownies.

Please give us a further list of likes/dislikes if he doesn't want breakfast burritos.
teresa_nc7
Original Author
18 years ago
Jessy,
My dad is not on too many medications to worry about, but he often doesn't have much of an appetite so we are trying to find things he will eat to simply keep him from losing any more weight. And we know he is near his end, so we are more concerned about quality of life right now. It seems that fruit and juice first thing in the morning make him nauseous but he will eat pancakes, french toast, etc. and cereal/oatmeal so we are encouraging Mom to keep those on hand for him.

My friend at work just wants to make her folks some freezer meals so they maybe they won't go out for so much fast food/resturant meals. She will have to decide if she needs to alter any recipes I give her.
triciae
18 years ago
Teresa,

How about custards for your Dad? Custard alone doesn't freeze well; but if you make bread pudding & double the custard it freezes beautifully as I've discovered since I've been having my jaw/teeth issue. Just let it thaw in the frig & you'd never know it had been frozen. Anyway, it might make a good mid-morning mini-meal?

/tricia
teresa_nc7
Original Author
18 years ago
Bread pudding is a great idea, Tricia and I have plenty of eggs on hand. Maybe I can make some egg bread today to make it. I'm glad to know it will freeze well.

Thanks!
shambo
18 years ago
Jessy, I appreciate your distinction between "putting weight on and quality of life at the end vs. life-lengthening healthful eating." I've faced the same thing with my mother. She started losing her appetite about a year ago and was losing weight. Her teeth were OK but she had "issues" with bits of food getting stuck in her teeth, so she didn't like eating fibrous foods. She wasn't able to taste well either. Like Teresa and her dad, I eventually realized that it was more important for her to eat -- something, anything she might enjoy -- than to worry about cholesterol, trans fat, fiber, etc. She's 93, so if she likes ice cream, I figure she has earned the right to eat ice cream without visits from the nutrition police.

Teresa, I've made something similar to your breakfast cups for my mom. I used the garlic flavored refrigerated crescent rolls. I made a turnover type thing with chopped frozen spinach, chopped green onions, a bit of feta cheese, and some cream cheese. Kind of a spanakopita filling. She kept them in her fridge & just reheated in her microwave. I think you could put any kind of tasty filling inside. Pizza flavored, breakfasty stuff, you name it.

By the way, I understand about the fruit & fruit juice first thing in the morning. My mom cannot drink orange juice because it upsets her stomach. She doesn't like coffee or tea. So it's instant hot chocolate. She loves the stuff. If she couldn't drink the hot cocoa, she wouldn't drink anything in the morning. Not a good idea at all...
triciae
18 years ago
Another pudding that freezes well is Indian Pudding. It's good also because it's a way to sneak in some fiber. "Issues" that fiber helps resolve are common in the elderly. Indian Pudding 'may' be a northern thing...if you don't have a recipe & would like mine let me know.

/tricia
robinkateb
18 years ago
Tricia, I love Indian Pudding and would love it if you would share your recipe. Thanks!

As for frozen meals, I find most any meat braise freezes wonderfully. I just freeze them in a pyrex dish and heat them at 350 degrees while still frozen. Pot roast, brisket, chicken cacciatore etc. I don't have recipes with me now thoguh. Sorry

Robin
triciae
18 years ago
INDIAN PUDDING

3 Cups Milk (non-fat, low fat, or whole all work fine)
1/3 Cup Molasses
1/3 Cup Stone-Ground Yellow Cornmeal
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1 Can Pumpkin puree (this is not traditional but we love it & it adds to the nutrition/fiber)
1/2 Cup Raisins (again, not traditional but if you like raisins they are very good in Indian Pudding)

Here's two ways to prepare it...both work equally well.

#1:

In saucepan, combine milk & molasses; stir in cornmeal. Cook and stir until thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat (if you are using the pumpkin, stir it in now). Combine egg, sugar, butter, ginger, cinnamon, & salt. Gradually, stir in hot cornmeal mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 1-quart casserole at 300 degrees about 1-1/2 hours. Makes about six 1/2 cup servings...a little more with the pumpkin.

#2:

Dump all ingredients in a crockpot & mix well. Set crockpot to low heat setting & it will be done in 3-4 hours.

Chill the pudding down before freezing to avoid condensation forming on the top & making the pudding watery upon thawing.

/tricia
robinkateb
18 years ago
Tricia, Thank you so much!! As a child we used ot go to Nantucket and Indian pudding was a real treat for dessert. I found a recipe when I was about 10 and I made it using what I thought was the bag of cornmeal from the windmill on the island. After my family ate it and loved it my mom asked how I made it when we were out of cornmeal. Turns out I used whole wheat flour which was also kept in an unmarked brown bag in the fridge. Guess the molasses masked my error.

I can't wait to try your recipe. I will add butternut squash puree as I have bags and bags of it in my freezer and that sounds like a nice addition.

-Robin
riverrat1
18 years ago
I've never frozen these but they may do OK. My family loves this.
Bacon 'n' Egg Breakfast Empanadas Makes 4 servings (serving size: 2 empanadas) 6 ounces cream cheese, softened 1Â½ tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 1Â½ teaspoons dried parsley flakes Â¾ teaspoon seasoned salt Â¼ teaspoon black pepper â cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons butter 5 large eggs, beaten 1 (17.3\-ounce) can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuits 8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled PAM cooking spray 1 egg white, lightly beaten 1 to 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional) Assorted fresh fruit (optional) Preheat oven to 375Â°. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until blended; stir in cheese. Melt butter in a 9\-inch skillet over medium heat; add eggs, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds. Continue cooking until eggs are slightly thickened but still moist. (Do not stir constantly.) Remove from heat, and let cool. Flatten each biscuit into about a 5\-inch circle. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over tops of dough circles, leaving 1/2\-inch border around edge. Top evenly with scrambled eggs and bacon. Fold dough circles in half over mixture, pinching edges to seal; place, 2 inches apart, in a 15\- x 10\-inch jellyroll pan coated with cooking spray. Brush tops evenly with egg white; press sealed edges with tines of a fork. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Bake at 375Â° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove empanadas to wire rack, using a spatula. Serve warm and, if desired, with fresh fruit. Note: Store leftover empanadas, completely cooled, in zip\-top plastic bags or wrapped in plastic wrap in refrigerator. To reheat, wrap empanadas in paper towels and microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) for 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Â Southern Living, January 2003
teresa_nc7
Original Author
18 years ago
I think those would freeze just fine, Karen - thanks!
triciae
18 years ago
Oops...

Robin, I forgot that the cooking time I gave for the crockpot might be off. I always double the recipe & it cooks in 3-4 hours on low. For a single recipe size...it'll probably take less time. The butternut squash will be good.

/t
grainlady_ks
18 years ago
When my parents were alive I purchased frozen meals from the Senior Center where Meals-On-Wheels are prepared. The Center packaged and froze the meals and they were very cheap. My parents had several favorites and I would get those for them to have on hand. They are also prepared with seniors in mind as far as nutrition, sodium, etc....

-Grainlady
craftyrn
18 years ago
You can freeze combos of scrambles eggs, bulk type breakfast sause & shredded or chopped potatoes.

Another thing that freezes easily is meatballs-- a bag of homemade frozen meatballs is easy to use in many things.

Watch the serving size-- many seniors balk at a normal sized meal put in front of them.
Soups in serving size (small )containers
Any pasta dish freezes fairly well & frozen in small single servings.

Those single serve "lunchbox" containers that they sell now-- fruit,applesauce, puddings, jellos-- get the unrefrigerated kind-- the dollar stores have them very cheap.
trudy_gw
18 years ago
Our family has been making meals and taking them over to our mom. I made spaghetti pie, and she like it and has asked for it again.

Layer into greased Pie Dish

6 ounces of cooked spaghetti
Mix together
1 egg, beat plus 3 T. water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
put on top of spaghetti and layer the rest

1/2 pound l ground beef cooked
1 small jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup cubbed Velvetta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Bake until bubbly and golden brown.
Cut into pie slices and freeze individual slices. Heat in micorwave.
trixietx
18 years ago
Karen, your empanadas are so good. I made them last year when DGS#2 was born and he and parents came home from the hospital. Mom and Dad and big brother really enjoyed them.

Teresa, how about donuts? When we were taking my FIL to chemo we would stop and get a donut, french fries, hot dog, whatever he wanted or sounded good to him. At that point it didn't matter if it was the most healthy meal, just that it tasted good to him and he would eat it. I took him candy too!
lindac
18 years ago
When my MIL was in her last years, what appealed most to her was soup. And the dietitician at the returement facility said that very often the elderly have a lack of saliva and lots of foods seem dry to them.
Lots of creamed soups...potato soup was a particular favorite...made with real cream!..Cream of chicken soup, cream of spinach, home made cream of mushroom....and things like creamed eggs on toast.
A very creamy rice pudding would be good as well as bread pudding with dried fruits.
Breakfast doesn't always have to be eggs, toast and pancakes... and meals out don't always have to be non healthy. I had dinner out last night and I had a piece of fish...I could have had broiled salmon, but i chose fried flounder and a roll and a side of a huge portion of what they call "Normandy" which is steamed veggies, broccoli, cauliflower carrots and squash.
There are lots of good things to eat at a restraunt...grilled meat, baked potato, salad with dressing on the side, a burger with slaw, soups...pasta.
Just tell them to stay away from things like fries and the fish I had!...but it was good!
Linda C
wizardnm
18 years ago
There are some things I make for my DM who won't cook anymore.

First of all though, she has been getting Meals on Wheels for over a year and really has gotten to where she looks forward to them. She complains about a few, but overall they are not bad. She's really a picky eater, has been all her life, but seems pretty happy now with what they serve.

When I go to visit her I make quiche and put individual serving in her freezer, I also make her mini meat loaves. I make sure she has a variety of canned soups to heat up. She doesn't want me to make soup because she wants variety, so canned from the grocery is fine.

I also make Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter cookies for her. Her very favorite thing in the whole world these days. I sent her some for Valentines Day. She called when she got them and said that was the best thing she's ever received for V-Day....ever. Guess I'd better get another care package ready...they were gone quickly and she let me know. I wish she lived closer, she's about 5 hrs away.

Nancy
teresa_nc7
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for your suggestions! While Mom still cooks homemade meals for them everyday, her ideas of "what's for dinner?" and my dad's actual appetite don't always jive. My sister and I have found it best not to ask him what he wants but to put something nutritious in front of him and sit down to eat with him. I have a feeling there may be a power struggle going on between Mom and Dad over meals.

He does love soup though, so that is what I most often take to them. My sister said he made short work of the turkey chili I took by the other day.

I know a few of you are dealing with parents getting older and that is why I came here to ask for suggestions for myself and my friend at work.

Teresa
compumom
18 years ago
Teresa have you been lurking at my parent's house? That power struggle is definitely going on there too! LOL --The difference being Dad eats anything he can get his hands on!
colleenoz
18 years ago
I used to make freezer meals for my Mom and stepdad, as towards the end Mom wasn't up to cooking and stepdad could cook but was under-motivated.
They liked things like stews, curries, goulash, lasagne, chicken Divan, beef olives (kind of like rouladen without the pickle :-) ), shepherd's pie. I got those disposable Glad foil baking pans with lids and froze the meals in the pans so they could reheat them in the oven. Mom didn't have a microwave and didn't want one either.
dgkritch
18 years ago
Also think about keeping things like Ensure on hand.
It can be mixed with ice cream for a nutrient (and calorie) packed shake.

Deanna
Terri_PacNW
18 years ago
I've not been in this position..but my GGM when still on her own, would receive a few MoWheels a week and then she'd cook the rest. But her favorite thing that she received was fresh fruit. Especially during berry season. I believe the fresh fruit "baskets" came from MoW..and gave her enough for a few days of noshing.

I have a friend that raises berries..strawberries and raspberries just for the elderly. He says he and his family can NEVER supply enough for the demand.
~just something to think about~

Freezing meals for our seniors?

Comments (27)

triciae

lindac

Related Discussions

teresa_nc7
Original Author

trixietx

jessyf

teresa_nc7
Original Author

triciae

teresa_nc7
Original Author

shambo

triciae

robinkateb

triciae

robinkateb

riverrat1

teresa_nc7
Original Author

triciae

grainlady_ks

craftyrn

trudy_gw

trixietx

lindac

wizardnm

teresa_nc7
Original Author

compumom

colleenoz

dgkritch

Terri_PacNW

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Freezing meals for our seniors?

Comments (27)

Related Discussions

teresa_nc7Original Author

teresa_nc7Original Author

teresa_nc7Original Author

teresa_nc7Original Author

teresa_nc7Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

teresa_nc7
Original Author

teresa_nc7
Original Author

teresa_nc7
Original Author

teresa_nc7
Original Author

teresa_nc7
Original Author