7 Healthy Light Dinner Ideas for Seniors That Are Easy to Prepare

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Getting balanced and nutritious meals for your parents is one of the biggest concerns when living away from them.

Specifically, acquiring fresh produce every week can be quite a challenge for most seniors with limited mobility, potentially resulting in malnutrition in the long run.

Are you looking for new recipes to spice up your parents’ dinner time? Check out this list of seven easy-to-prepare light dinner ideas for seniors.

MORE TO EXPLORE: 6 Quick & Easy To Prepare Finger Food Ideas For Seniors

 

Homemade Chili With Buns

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Thick and rich in flavor, the classic chili is one of the perfect light dinner ideas for seniors. There is a wide selection of ingredients to toss into the pot. Still, the quickest way to serve chili to your parents is to stick to the tried and true version with three main affordable, easy-to-find ingredients: ground beef, beans, and fresh, ripe tomatoes!

Also, don’t forget to sprinkle loads of condiments and seasonings like garlic, onion, green peppers, oregano, coriander, and salt to give it a burst of flavor!

Here’s a step-by-step recipe to make delicious chili for your parents:

  • Dice all the ingredients into cubes.
  • Sauté ground beef with olive oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
  • Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper and cook them until tender.
  • Load the remaining ingredients and seasonings into the pot.
  • Combine all the ingredients with a wooden spoon or a spatula.
  • Simmer for 30 minutes until it thickens.
  • Stir the chili occasionally.
  • Let the chili sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

 

Depending on your parents’ preference, add extra texture and flavor, such as sour cream, carrot, shredded cheese, tortilla strips, and chips, to make this chili even better. Also, skip the cayenne pepper if your parents can’t eat spicy foods. Once finished, get your buns toasty and ready for the dipping!

 

Chicken Noodle Soup

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Many people believe that soups have healing powers for treating colds and other illnesses. Regardless, this classic comfort food is one of many easy and light dinner recipes you should try cooking for your parents, even if they are not sick.

With chicken stock as a base, the options of add-in ingredients are endless—as long as they are your parents’ favorite foods. Mainly, chicken noodle soup is a healthy source of protein, so your parents can eat it anytime, not just at dinner.

Here’s a step-by-step to cook chicken noodle soup for your parents:

  • Cook diced onions, carrot, and celery with olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  • Pour the chicken broth into the tender mixture of onion and celery.
  • Add bite-sized chicken and reduce the heat.
  • Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
  • Add pasta/noodle into the large pot and cook until tender.
  • Season with salt and pepper.
  • Toss in herbs and lemon juice (depending on your preference).

 

One-pot Pasta

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Are you too exhausted to prepare for dinners? Are you looking for simple recipes to help your parents save time in the kitchen? One-pot pasta is the go-to, light dinner idea for them and yourself!

Unlike the traditional way of cooking pasta, which involves numerous steps, such as draining the pasta, cooking the sauce, and mixing all of the ingredients, one-pan or one-pot pasta is relatively straight to the point! Another perk of this dish is the ease of cleanup with just one pan or pot.

Before getting into it, grab a large pot or pan. The secret to the perfectly-scored one-pot pasta is that you only need to fill the pot with the right amount of water, allowing the pasta to cook entirely without extra fluid.

  • Sauté diced onions and garlic cloves with olive oil until fragrant.
  • Add fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce and simmer for 3-5 minutes until tender.
  • Fill the pot with a half cup of broth or water and pasta.
  • Cook the pasta over medium heat.
  • Pour in more water as the pasta cooks.
  • Turn the heat to low and simmer until it’s slightly caramelized.
  • Season with salt, black pepper, cheese, basil, and parsley.
  • Mix well and serve while warm.

 

MORE TO EXPLORE: 5 Summer Lunch Ideas Your Older Family Members Will Love

 

Stir-fried Vegetables

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Colorful vegetables tossed with sweet and savory sauce over high heat are delicious and easy to make. This one-pan dish with a bowl of rice is the perfect duo to get your parents through busy nights, especially when they crave a taste of Asian foods but don’t feel up  to ordering take-out.

Despite taking less than 30 minutes for preparation and cooking, this dish turns out to be so good it leaves you wanting more. Moreover, this dish could be suitable for vegetarians.

For ingredients, you can use mushrooms, red peppers, broccoli, baby corn, green beans, and asparagus. You can use just about any vegetables from your fridge or your parents’ favorite veggies.

  • Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, allowing them to cook evenly.
  • Sauté olive oil with garlic, ginger, and butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.
  • Toss all the vegetables and stir them for 2-3 minutes.
  • Whisk soy sauce with garlic, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil in another small bowl.
  • Pour the mixture over the vegetables and toss it.
  • Sprinkle chopped green onions and sesame seeds on top if you want.

 

Salmon & Veggies

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Salmon & veggies is another one-pan recipe that your parents can cook in just a few simple steps, especially when they are short on time but still want a balanced and nutritious dinner. Like the one-pot pasta above, you can cook in a sheet pan where the flavorful juice from each ingredient compliments each other. Place a piece of parchment paper on the sheet pan to shorten the cleanup afterward.

Prepping doesn’t require much for this easy recipe since all ingredients are ready to cook after washing unless you want to slice vegetables to ensure they are cooked evenly and reduce the cooking time. You can choose bell peppers, sweet potatoes, beans, zucchini, or any vegetables you love!

  • Preheat the oven.
  • Marinate the salmon and leave it in the fridge.
  • Cut vegetables into small pieces.
  • Bake all the vegetables until cooked.
  • Add the salmon to the sheet pan and bake it for 10 to 15 minutes.

 

Roasted Vegetables

Do you want your parents to eat more vegetables? Try roasted veggies! Packed with so much flavor, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, a sheet pan of toasty veggies is another easy-to-prepare dinner idea for your older family members. The most fantastic perk about this light dinner recipe is you can get creative with various vegetables or clear out the fridge and add more veggies based on what you like.

  • Chop vegetables of the same size.
  • Toss them with a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of salt, pepper, and garlic.
  • Once done tossing, spread vegetables across the baking sheet.
  • Put in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes and continue baking for 10 minutes until tender.

 

When roasting vegetables, remember that each type of vegetable has its own approximate cooking time. Don’t forget to plan time for groups of vegetables based on how long it takes to cook them thoroughly.

 

Beef & Veggie Stew

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Nothing beats a warm, comforting bowl of beef and veggie stew! Made of tender chunks of beef, potatoes, peas, carrots, and thick, creamy broth, this stew is the ultimate, all-in-one dish that your parents will enjoy every bite!

  • Prepare beef, potatoes, peas, carrots, and celery.
  • Place all of them into one large pot and season with salt, bouillon granules, garlic, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and browning sauce (if desired).
  • While cooking, mix cornstarch and water until smooth and pour the mixture into the stew.
  • Cook on high heat until the beef is tender.
  • Add in peas and continue cooking.

 

Spice Up Dinner Time at 12 Oaks Communities

At 12 Oaks managed senior living communities, our mission is to satisfy every resident with appetizing and well-curated meals prepared and served by our skillful, dedicated kitchen staff.

Our delicious and nutritious meals allow your seniors and older family members to independently enjoy good foods in the same way everyone else does.

 

If you have questions about light dinner ideas for seniors, connect with us and learn more. 

At 12 Oaks, our team of caring professionals is dedicated to keeping residents safe, engaged, and connected to their families and friends while leading fulfilling lives. 12 Oaks communities are an ideal place to enjoy the encore season of life.

For questions or to book a scheduled personalized tour, don’t hesitate to contact us. 

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Are you searching for senior living help? At 12 Oaks Senior Living, we would love to learn more about your unique needs and the opportunity we may have to help you meet them. Our blog is one of the valuable resources we provide to inform and encourage seniors to lead fulfilling and thriving lives. Contact us today to schedule a virtual tour.

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