Meals On Wheels provides one nutritionally balanced, healthy meal a day.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued yesterday by the US Department of Agriculture, focuses on balancing calories with physical activity, and encourages Americans to consume more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, and to consume less sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains. LIFE ElderCare’s Meals On Wheels program, along with the Fall Prevention program, can help get older Tri-City residents get on track to meet these goals.
Meals delivered through our Meals On Wheels program are specifically designed to meet the nutritional parameters set by the Older Americans Act and the Alameda Area Agency on Aging. Every fresh cooked meal provides one-third of the minimum daily requirements for older adults and includes food that is high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C. The entrees are low fat, contain no added salt, and are delivered with a pint of milk and fresh fruit.
Our Fall Prevention program helps seniors by enrolling them in a 12-week, personalized, in-home exercise program that includes a weekly support visit from students enrolled in Unitek College’s LVN program. Through the use of resistance bands, gentle stretching and strengthening exercises, participants are able to gradually improve their muscle strength, balance and gait. This leads to greater mobility, enhanced functioning and less fear about falling in the future.
Here are some of the tips that will be provided to help consumers translate the Dietary Guidelines into their everyday lives:
- Enjoy your food, but eat less.
- Avoid oversized portions.
- Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
- Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
- Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and
- choose the foods with lower numbers.
- Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
