Food Gifts for Old People

When in doubt, a fresh fruit basket makes a healthy gift.

Most people take pleasure in receiving gifts of food -- including seniors -- especially if it is an assortment of goodies that they love and would never buy for themselves. Before making food selections for your gift, check on allergies, health conditions and the likes and dislikes of the recipient. Being an old person does not mean being unable to eat and delight in sampling different and delicious foods.

Specialty Foods

Many online gourmet food companies offer a variety of fancy dried fruit, different types of nuts, snacks and smoked vacuum packed seafood. If the senior you are giving the gift to loves steaks and has no dietary restrictions, buy them some frozen steaks they can pop into their freezers and enjoy throughout the year as a real treat. Other choices you might consider are pickled vegetables, relishes, jams and even exotic teas and coffees.

Freezer Meals or Bakery Items

Many times seniors don't bother to cook for themselves and do not get proper nutrition. Make up a few different kinds of soups and pack them for the freezer in portion-size containers. Check ahead to find out what, if any, ingredients the recipient cannot tolerate. Label each soup container with the type of soup.

Freshly baked cookies, breads and muffins are often a treat for older people. You can easily substitute different sweeteners for sugar, and find recipes with low fat content, if necessary. Put the cookies in a fancy cooking tin that the recipient can use later for storing other cookies. Bake a fruit bread in a loaf pan, set it on a wooden cutting board and wrap it in cellophane with a bow.

Week of Meals

What a treat for older people to have a week of deliciously prepared meals delivered to their home. Meal service businesses will design meals to your specifications. Some of these companies deliver daily, while others prepare meals for the freezer in requested size portions.They take into consideration special low fat and low salt diets. For diabetics, they prepare sugar free selections as well as gluten free items. If you know the favorite foods of the recipients of your gift, delivery meal companies will often include those items in the meals. You can also give a homemade version of this gift and deliver a home-cooked meal to your senior friend every day for a week.

Fruit Baskets

When in doubt, a basket of fresh fruit is generally a good choice for old people. You can pick out fresh fruit and arrange it in a large wicker basket. Add cheese, crackers and a bottle of wine for a special touch. Chocolates are a nice addition, and you can include sugar-free chocolates if your recipient is diabetic. Ready-made fruit baskets are also available in most grocery stores.

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References

• Dine Wise: Senior Meals
• Elder Care Cafe: Gift Baskets