Meal Plan

              I am working in Los Angeles these days, the land of the beautiful, so it seemed only natural to speak to a nutritionist. The nutritionist advocates eating the same or similar things every day. I was surprised. I thought variety was important to a good, healthy diet. Apparently, the new thinking is that variety is what leads to making bad choices and overeating, whereas sticking to a regime promotes good health. Who knew?

                My Gramps was on a good routine when it came to eating times, but his diet would fail all dietary guideline standards. My diet at that time, when I actually could bring myself to eat, was pretty much centered around whatever my grandfather was eating. I made a schedule and rotation for meals to make it all more manageable.

                A typical day would start with coffee (with fiber added), eggs with waffles or toasted pound cake that he called “toast.” Yep, you read that right, toasted pound cake –for breakfast!

                Lunch consisted of hot Panini croissants with ham and cheese and iced tea. There were always snacks like pretzels or graham crackers, too.

                Dinner was a problem. The regular rotation included salad (always iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, no dressing) and fresh fruit for dessert. The entre varied, sometimes rotisserie chicken from the deli, and I would grill vegetables like zucchini or squash, or make some corn or peas. Pasta was easy and that was fairly regular as well, whether it be pasta e fagioli with beans, ravioli, or linguine with clams (I cheated and used the store-bought clams from the can, but when his daughters visited, they kicked it up with clam juice and other ingredients and he loved it).

Gramps loved hot dogs, so I kept them and hot dog buns in the freezer. I remember once, I bought low-fat turkey dogs, thinking we could be healthier (he was already in his 90s did it matter?!). Gramps took one bite, made a face, and asked what he was eating? I almost laughed but I didn’t want to tell him it was low-fat, so I said I bought the brand that was on-sale. He was told me to never buy him food on-sale again! That was funny!

                Sometimes Gramps would complain about the food, and admittedly, I found it frustrating and even insulting. However, I learned that the taste buds dull over time, and medicines can change the taste of foods too. I realized it wasn’t personal, and as a backup, I always had chicken soup ready. I also treated us to take out from the local Italian joint, and we would have spicy seafood diablo, his favorite!

                Get yourself and your loved one or patient into a good routine when it comes to eating. Know the times you plan to eat and try to have a set menu rotation. It will help make food shopping more bearable and will help you manage the “what are we eating” routine. Keep soup, frozen vegetables, and even breads available. It all helps.