American Heart Month falls each year in February to raise awareness of heart disease. Your dad is undergoing heart surgery, and one of the lifestyle changes he faces when he gets home is a completely new diet. He may love his burgers, bacon, onion rings, and fries, but he cannot have them anymore.
How do you handle the dietary changes he faces without frustrating and stressing him? Here are some tips for changing his diet without seeming too restrictive.
Cut the Salt
Salt is one of the most important things for your father to give up. A little is okay, but he can’t have excessive amounts, and some items often have far too much salt.
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 milligrams per day. That’s three-quarters of a teaspoon per day. Now, look at how much salt is in some healthier food items your dad may be eating.
- Canned Minestrone Soup (a one-cup serving of Progresso) – 1,550 mg
- Low Sodium Turkey Deli Meat (Two ounces of Boar’s Head) – 360 mg
- Breakfast/Granola Bar (one Nutrigrain Strawberry Bar) – 140 mg
- Whole Grain Bread (one slice of Pepperidge Farm) – 115mg
- Triscuit Crackers (6 crackers) – 50 mg
- Baked potato (medium size with no butter or toppings) – 13 mg
It’s so important to read labels and pay close attention to sodium levels. Foods often have natural sodium, so you can’t avoid it. However, you can limit the amount by reading labels and making items from scratch.
As you find foods with low sodium that he loves, stock up on those. Clean his cupboards of items he shouldn’t have.
Learn Smart Substitutions
Your dad wants a burger. Try switching him to a turkey burger, or aim for very lean beef or bison. Watch portion sizes so that he’s not eating more of an item than is recommended, usually no more than four ounces. A half-pound burger is not acceptable.
Try marinating a portobello mushroom cap in homemade unsalted vegetable stock, black pepper, garlic, and rosemary. Grill that as a healthier burger substitute.
If he’s craving fries with his burger, bake them instead. Potatoes naturally contain sodium, so skip the added salt. To get the crispy without added fat, coat them in egg white. Herbs are also a good way to add flavor without the added sodium. If he’s craving a dipping sauce, make an aioli with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic cloves, and black pepper.
When he gets home, make sure there is a team of nurses in the home for post hospital care. The goal is to keep him from returning to the hospital. With nurses available to check his vital signs, address incision/wound care, and help with medication administration through IVs and injections, your dad can recover at home.
Talk to his cardiology team about the nursing care he needs at home. Then, call an in-home care agency to arrange the appropriate post hospital care services.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Post Hospital Care in Plano, TX, contact the caring staff at HomeWell Care Services Plano TX today. Call (469) 596-6500
HomeWell Care Services Plano TX is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Plano, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Richardson, Garland, Little Elm, Prosper, and the surrounding areas.
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