Thanksgiving Recipes for Seniors

By Anna Hazard

Introduction

This is the time of year when friends & family tend to gather around the dinner table and when it comes to preparing meals suitable for senior loved ones a few guidelines should be kept in mind.
 
For seniors who have dentures, missing teeth, or other troubles when it comes to chewing or swallowing, food should be on the softer side and kept in small, bite-sized portions. Whips, creams, mousses, smoothies, and other blended ingredients can be used for those with more severe forms of dysphagia.
 
As many seniors tend to lose aspects of their sense of taste, meals can be compensated by using more seasonings and spices (with salt still being held at a minimum for those who may have high blood pressure). Food meant for older adults who have lessened appetites should also have a high nutritional content to make up for the smaller portions.
 
Here is a sampling of senior appropriate recipes using tastes, ingredients, and styles that are traditionally associated with Thanksgiving and other autumn meals.

Recipes

Hot Drinks

• With temperatures rapidly dropping in many regions during this time of year, this makes the Thanksgiving holiday a good time to break out those fancy hot drinks. All of these recipes focus on using fresh & nutritional ingredients subbing in healthier options such as pure dark cacao over common processed cocoa or using honey or maple syrup over refined sugars. Many of these drinks have other health benefits (such as the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric & stomach soothing qualities of ginger) and thus can be used throughout the chiller months of the year for additional benefit.
• Homemade Hot Apple Cider | 5 Minute Turmeric Tea | Ginger Hot Chocolate | Homemade Ginger Tea | Pumpkin Spice Latte
  

Heated Soups

• Heated soups make a warming and easy-to-chew & swallow choice when it comes to Thanksgiving table offerings suitable for seniors. In addition they are simple way to make the best use of leftovers once the holiday has passed. Soup items can be further diced or strained for those elderly loved ones who may have trouble with larger ingredients.
  
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Curry | Turkey Brown Rice Congee | Cream of Turkey & Wild Rice Soup | Easy Pumpkin Soup with Millet in Pumpkin Bowls | Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup
  

Sauces & Mashes

• These sauces and mashes are healthier alternatives for overly sweetened store-bought cranberry mixes or more traditional white potato-based mashes. While these are particularly good choices for those with trouble chewing or swallowing, they still fall in-line with the classic menu items that are normally available during Thanksgiving.
• Naturally Sweetened Cranberry Sauce | Spiced Mashed Sweet Potatoes | Butternut Squash Mash with Smoked Paprika | Maple Cinnamon Applesauce | Mashed Pumpkin
  

Side Dishes

• These side dish recipes focus on healthy & nutritional alternatives that use seasonal and traditional ingredients available during this time of year with a particular emphasis on low sugar, low salt, and low fatty cream options. Fruits & vegetables are presented as diced, with gravies & dressings, & in other other easy-to-swallow forms.
• Squash and Celeriac Quinoa Stuffing | Wild Rice & Cranberry Stuffing with Walnuts | Quinoa Broccoli Slaw with Honey-Mustard Dressing | Mean Green Pesto Pasta | Eggplant and Squash Curry
  

Entrees

• These entrees are mostly turkey based as befitting the traditional style of Thanksgiving dinner (with some recipes presenting their own twists on classic tastes such as with chili) but also include a few other non-avian options such as an autumn themed savory pie and a healthier alternative for traditional glazed ham. Turkey Mousse is a Thanksgiving alternative for those seniors with more severe forms of dysphagia.
• Turkey Mousse | Harvest Shepherd's Pie | The Best Healthy Turkey Chili | Healthier Baked Glazed Ham |  Slow Cooker Paleo Turkey & Vegetable Hash
  

Desserts

• These desserts bring the traditional Thanksgiving taste of pumpkin, pecan pie, cranberries, sweet potatoes, and autumn apples in a healthier & easy-to-swallow package. For the best nutrition, fresh fall ingredients should be used over their canned & otherwise pre-packaged counterparts with healthier options subbed in for more traditional ingredients (such as low fat Greek Yogurt instead of whipped or other heavier creams, dark cacao over processed chocolates etc). Parfaits & smoothies are a particularly good choice for those seniors who may still have trouble chewing or swallowing softened pies & crisps.
• Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Parfait | Best Ever Healthy Apple Crisp | Chocolate Pecan Truffles Recipe | Pecan Pumpkin Pie Bites | Cranberry and Sweet Potato Smoothie Bowl