Heart-healthy meal prep for seniors: a sample week

For an aging parent who lives alone, cooking three meals a day can become difficult, and the easiest meals are often the least healthy. Heart-healthy meal prep puts fresh, balanced food in the refrigerator every day, cooked by a personal chef to the guidance of their doctor. Here is how we plan it, and a sample week.

How we plan heart-healthy meals

• Lower in sodium: we season with herbs, citrus, garlic and spices rather than salt, and avoid processed meats and canned soups.
• Healthy fats: olive oil, avocado, nuts and fish such as salmon and trout.
• More fiber: whole grains, beans, lentils, vegetables and fruit at every meal.
• Easy to eat: tender textures, sensible portions and clear reheating instructions on every container.

A sample week

The chef cooks twice a week, on Sunday and Wednesday or Monday and Thursday, so nothing in the refrigerator is more than a few days old.

• Breakfasts: steel-cut oatmeal with berries and walnuts; vegetable and egg-white frittata; Greek yogurt with fruit and flaxseed; whole-grain toast with avocado and a soft-boiled egg.
• Lunches: lentil and vegetable soup; grilled chicken salad with olive oil vinaigrette; tuna and white bean salad; vegetable barley soup with a small whole-grain roll.
• Dinners: baked salmon with quinoa and roasted vegetables; herb-roasted chicken with sweet potato and green beans; pan-seared grouper with lemon, brown rice and spinach; turkey and vegetable chili; whole-wheat pasta primavera.
• Snacks: unsalted mixed nuts, apple slices with almond butter, vegetables with hummus, fresh berries.

Built around their needs

Softer textures, smaller portions, a diabetic-friendly plan, or a specific sodium limit from their cardiologist are all easy to accommodate. Families who live out of town often book weekly meal prep so they know their parent is eating well, and we are glad to send a short note after each visit.

What it costs

Weekly meal prep is $728 a week for the chef, plus $21 per person per day for food, with a two-person minimum. Read more about weekly meal prep and special diets.

We are chefs, not doctors or dietitians. This menu is general information, not medical advice. Please follow the guidance of your own health care providers, and share it with us so we can cook to it.