At his last doctor’s appointment, your dad’s blood tests show that his blood sugar levels are higher than they should be. He’s been diagnosed with prediabetes, and he needs to watch his diet and lose weight.
You’re eager to help him, but he struggles to overcome his craving for sugary baked goods. How do you help him beat those sugar cravings?
Help Him Quit
Going cold turkey is hard, but it’s one way for your dad to give up sugary foods. When he’s craving a sugary snack, he should resist the temptation and get something else instead. Keep carrot and celery sticks on hand for quick snacks.
When he’s feeling hungry, he needs to look at when he last snacked. If it was in the past hour, he needs to do something else. Distract him with a hobby, an exercise program, or time outside walking around or working in his garden.
Mix the Healthy and the Unhealthy
Instead of giving up everything sweet, he could appease his cravings while choosing healthier options. He’s craving ice cream, but he could grate frozen strawberries and bananas instead and mix it into a sorbet. He wants a cookie, so make him no-cook protein bars using chopped dates, old-fashioned oats, natural almond butter, and cocoa powder.
There are dark chocolate bars and chocolate chips that are sweetened with stevia instead of sugar. Your dad could use those to make a chocolate bark packed with nuts, dried fruits, and seeds. He could melt some chocolate and serve it with apple slices.
What if he’s used to dessert after dinner? If he’s not ready to give that up, there are better desserts. Your dad can blend melted stevia-sweetened chocolate smooth with avocados or silken tofu to make a healthier mousse. Chia seeds, cocoa powder, oat milk, and pureed banana is a pleasing take on pudding.
Hire Someone to Help Him With Meals
If your dad’s hungry and doesn’t want to wait, he’s going to grab whatever is quick and easy. If he has assistance making healthier snacks and meals, he’s more likely to eat whatever is made for him. It keeps him away from sugary packaged foods.
Enlist the help of home care aides to help your dad with meal and snack preparation. If he has a more challenging time reading nutrition labels in stores, his caregiver can also join him on shopping trips. Call a home care agency to learn more.
