We all know that being in a hospital, group home or long-term care facility isn’t easy. That’s why, as dietitians, we work so hard to improve our patients’ quality of life. What if I told you I recently discovered a product that would make your job a little easier – and your patients’ lives a little more joyful?
It’s called theEATBar and it’s a delicious melt-in-your-mouth meringue snack bar developed specifically for individuals with eating and swallowing challenges.
Why theEATBar?
How many of your patients won’t eat anything, complain of no appetite, struggle to get something down to take medications, or fail to meet daily caloric needs? Maybe you have individuals with dysphagia who can tolerate transitional foods levels 7-5. What about clients on the Memory Care Floor, undergoing radiation or chemotherapy treatments, or on hospice care? Believe me, I feel you, as dietitians we are trying our best to minimize weight loss in our buildings – yet it happens – and during state surveys we get the brunt of it.
I’ve found theEATBar to be a game-changer for so many of these individuals. Created by a speech language pathologist, theEATBar has a satisfying crunch unlike anything else available to people with dysphagia. It offers easy calories and melts quickly to help with swallowing. Since I’ve been offering theEATBar to my patients, I’ve seen this treat lift spirits and reconnect people to the delight of eating. For real, check out this testimonial “Where can I get more of these, I am not coughing and they taste so good!”.
Learn More
Intrigued? The best way to understand theEATBar is to try it. You won’t be disappointed. Please reach out to support@theeatbar.com today for free samples. We are happy to send you a box!
Want to learn even more? Take our CEU course Dysphagia 101, taught by an RD and SLP to review dysphagia and how transitional foods like theEATBar can benefit your patients. In the meantime, check out @theEATBar for more testimonials from others who have discovered theEATBar.
Thanks so much and please reach out with any questions!
Best wishes,
Moushumi Mukherjee MS, RDN
]]>
Just to bring things into perspective, picture yourself on a dreary winter day sitting inside a nursing home, thinking about what’s next.... I’m sure for most what comes to mind is food. Food is comforting for most of us but means so much more to people residing in homes not their own.
While we must eat to survive, most of us eat for pleasure. However, some people – whatever their reason may be are not able to eat to fuel their bodies, let alone eating for comfort, eating becomes a burdening task for them.
I have seen many elderly residents struggling to get the calories needed to recover from an ailment or simply just provide their body with energy they need to survive. Weight gain is particularly important for the elderly population confined to group homes. Being underweight can increase their risk of health problems including falls. Loss of appetite in the elderly is something that needs to be combated. I often recommend theEATBar as they are not only calorically dense but also taste wonderful. These melt in the mouth bars have worked great for my texture sensitive residents too. The flavor of theEATBar can help bring back their appetite and bring back the joy of food and living.
Most nursing homes use supplements as a mode for weight gain in their residents. Supplements are viewed as nothing but medicine by most residents. theEATBar’s uniqueness lies in the fact that it provides the calories and nutrition while giving the pleasure of a candy bar.
My father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and later dysphagia a couple of years back. Watching someone that I grew up with sharing every meal with be fed through a tube impacted me more than I ever thought it would. During his recovery process, the taste and texture of food was of utmost importance between the speech therapist and me. We would do anything to help him enjoy his food and gain some of the weight that he had lost. theEATBar would be what I would seek for my Dad.
The biggest reason I am a fan of this bar is the joy and smiles it brings to my resident’s when I take samples of this bar for them. This melt-in-your-mouth meringue was designed with the intent of being easily swallowed, and is so delicious– all while being nourishing.
If you haven’t you must give theEATBar a try!
One thing that was confirmed during my years of clinical practice as a speech language pathologist was that for many eating is one of the greatest pleasures in life. This theory holds true, if not more, in nursing homes and memory care facilities. Many residents begin their day with a health care worker hurrying them to the dining room to get ready for breakfast. Once this is completed, within a few hours everyone is preparing for lunch and then an afternoon snack during a group event followed by dinner. In some settings, a late-night snack is also provided.
Dining is a social experience that can provide a sense of community, enjoyment and togetherness. It is an integral part of the resident experience and may have a profound impact on the quality of life for many older adults in nursing homes. The trend of providing innovative approaches to dementia residents dining experience is both realistic and attainable. Many individuals dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease or some form of cognitive dementia will show similar behaviors when it comes to feeding and eating. There may be some things that could be done during meal times to encourage eating and provide a joyful experience for you and your loved one.
GUIDING YOUR LOVED ONE
Using finger foods with people who have dementia can help preserve dignity, cultivate independence, increase self-esteem and stimulate the desire to eat. Finger foods that are easy to pick up and chew, portable, and remind your loved one of positive childhood memories may provide the best outcomes. Slices of bananas, cheese cubes, bite size pieces of French toast, cooked carrot coins, finger jello are just a few options you might try.
A CHILD’S ENGAGEMENT MAY BE THE ANSWER
Consider having a young person join the resident at the table during a visit to a memory care facility. Children benefit from having opportunities to interact with seniors. Children have the opportunity to learn that people grow old but at the same time, regardless of age, almost everyone enjoys sharing a treat. In supporting older adults, even though young, children can be valuable helpers. Too many seniors enjoying conversation and a snack with a child can be enjoyable and may increase their desire to eat.
MAKING EATING JOYFUL
The eating experience may also be enhanced by a thoughtful food presentation. In memory care facilities, it may be beneficial to trial a few approaches to see which ones work best for each individual resident. For example, providing meals and snacks on a beautiful plate with a colorful tablecloth could encourage eating. A clean and simple setting may help decrease distractions for another.
Distributing snacks from a cart or tray may promote interaction. Creating a festive occasion or “happy hour” experience can often make residents feel as if they are receiving a special treat. They may be encouraged to get involved simply because they see others participating.
Some individuals may frequently wander throughout the day. I have been surprised to see how many folks will pick up food items and snacks during their day from locations that are not typically associated with dining. It may work to put snacks in window sills or on clothes dressers in their room.
Providing a visual cue of how or when to eat may also be beneficial to some. Showing someone how to eat or providing a mirror during meals and snacks can sometime promote oral intake.
Finally, if possible it may be effective to reduce noise or provide calm soothing music during meal time or when enjoying a snack. This allows individuals to focus strictly on eating and swallowing.
SAY “YES” TO A LATE-NIGHT SNACK
If your loved one is in need of additional calories it may be helpful to provide a late-night snack. In some cases, people may eat more at night. Often their choice for late night snacking will also be more calorie dense. Because the person will be sleeping after the snack and not up walking around they may be able to actually reduce the number of calories they’re burning.
OUR STORY
There was nothing more rewarding as a speech pathologist than seeing my patients and their families happy. So, when I decided to take the leap and design a snack bar for those with difficulty eating or enjoying food I specifically thought of those that I served in memory care facilities.
The idea of a delicious treat that provides easy calories and was easy to chew seemed perfect for this population. It was created to be hand held like a finger food to promote self-feeding. The flavors were bold to help with those who had decreased taste and sensation. The sweetness would help to remind some of them of their childhood. The directive EAT would provide a visual cue so they would know what they were supposed to do.
This is how theEATBar was created. Read more and find out if it is something that could be enjoyed by your loved one @ try.theeatbar.com
]]>
This nasty disease comes in hundreds of different forms and affects people of all ages, with little regard for prior health levels.
Common cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy often lead to a vast spectrum of adverse side effects, including fatigue, ageusia (loss of taste), nausea, and radical changes to your digestive system.
The key thing to remember is to hold onto hope, trust in your healthcare team, and ask for support from your loved ones during this time.
In the meantime, one of the best things you can do for your body is to hone in on a diet that will best support your body in the long fight ahead. Read on to learn how a cancer diagnosis and treatment plan might affect your dietary needs and which foods you should add to your shopping list to help your body heal, rest, and fight.
Medical Disclaimer: All content on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation and/or medical treatment of a qualified oncologist or dietician. Always seek the medical advice of your physician and healthcare team for your specific dietary needs.
If you’re experiencing appetite loss, try cutting your meals in half. Instead of aiming to eat three bigger meals a day, divide them into five or six smaller meals and snacks. It won’t make each bite one hundred percent easy, but it might reduce the burden you feel at any time of day.
One common side effect of radiation and chemotherapy is nausea. Some foods and spices that are known to reduce this unpleasant feeling are peppermint oil, ginger tea, and citrus.
If you’re experiencing a loss of taste, look towards foods that are a bit more flavorful and zesty than you would normally choose. This might mean an extra squeeze of lemon juice or an extra shake or two of paprika on your favorite foods.
After receiving a cancer diagnosis, your diet might be the last thing you’re thinking of.
However, what you eat can have a very tangible impact on how you respond to treatment. Just like during every other time in your life, a healthy, balanced diet might:
During cancer treatment, a balanced diet can also help manage your treatment side effects. Of course, veggies and lean proteins aren’t a cure-all, but they might give you a better reaction to your treatment plan.
Of course, eating healthy isn’t always possible when reacting to cancer treatment. Sometimes, the most important aim is simply to get calories into your body and food into your stomach to ease the side effects of medication.
Coordinating a top recovery diet revolves around balance, dipping a toe into every corner of the food pyramid to give your body the energy and nutrients it needs and the flavor your taste buds crave.
Perhaps the most important nutrient to add to your diet during any trying time for your body is protein — it’s the key compound in helping your body heal and repair tissue.
However, your appetite for a juicy, protein-rich burger might have waned since you began treatment. If you’re able, try eating some leaner cuts of complete proteins like chicken breast or white fish. These provide quick infusions of good nutrition without the overwhelming flavor and texture of red meat options.
Of course, plant-based proteins are also a great option, and can often provide even mellower flavor profiles if you’re experiencing chronic nausea. Nuts and seeds along with dry legumes like crispy chickpeas can give you key nutrients that will help your body recover from the ill effects of your treatment plan.
Your body needs healthy fats from sustainable, plant-based sources for long-term energy storage. Seek out a handful of walnuts, a spoonful of creamy avocado, or a simple tablespoon or two of olive oil to help combat inflammation and improve your cardiovascular health.
Complex carbohydrates from wheat bran and oats give us a boost of long-lasting energy along with delicious soluble fiber. Improve your gut health with some complex carbohydrates in the form of split pea soup, buttery mashed potatoes, or a pesto-style whole-wheat penne.
All the healthy diet options in the world won’t make much of a difference if you struggle to finish every bite.
Some of the most common treatment methods, like chemotherapy and radiation, can sap your energy, making it difficult to chew. With especially crunchy or chewy foods, getting each bite down can feel like climbing a mountain.
Your instinct might be to become frustrated with yourself. Don’t.
Remember, your body is going through one of the toughest things it will ever have to endure.
Give yourself the compassion and forgiveness you would give a friend. Practice understanding and patience.
And give yourself some credit for all the hard work you’ve put in up to this point.
That said, there are practical steps we can take to make eating more of a realistic possibility even when we experience a loss of appetite or desire to eat.
That’s where theEATBar comes in.
Designed with care by a speech-language pathologist, theEATBar is tailor-made to bring energy to those with all kinds of eating and swallowing troubles.
Coming in four bold flavors ranging from decadent dark chocolate to sweet strawberry, theEATBar is a simple, effortless snack designed to infuse calories along with mouthwatering flavor. It’s an incredibly convenient, delicious source of energy and may help with some of the side effects that cause taste distortion.
With a satisfying opening crunch leading to a melt-in-your-mouth meringue filling, theEATBar is a great gift option for anyone currently undergoing cancer treatment or dealing with a recent diagnosis.
Of course, consult with your oncologist, dietician, and healthcare team to see if theEATBar is right for you or your loved ones.
A cancer diagnosis is one of the most difficult challenges any of us will ever have to face. It transforms the days ahead into a dark, uncertain struggle that leaves us feeling powerless.
It is uncertain. It will be a struggle. But you are not powerless.
You can seek out activities and exercises that bring in light into your life, beating away the darkness.
For many, that might come in the form of quality time spent with family and friends. For others, it might mean devoting more time to re-reading their favorite books and listening to classic albums. For even more of us, it might be digging into our favorite foods with a new perspective.
If you need a bit of eating encouragement or pair to a calorie-rich meal supplement, seek out delicious, easy-to-eat foods like theEATBar, coming in four bold flavors like rich Vanilla Chocolate and zesty Lemon sure to please no matter what mood you’re in.
For an extra boost, use our code BLOG15 for 15% off your order at checkout!
While you’re waiting for your order to arrive, browse our blog to learn more about what to eat when you don’t feel hungry and top tips on how to make the most of hospital visits.
]]>Not many people know what this word means even though it affects about one in seven people, including some of our closest friends and loved ones.
Dysphagia is a medical term used to describe difficulty swallowing, and in many cases, it can make each snack or meal a challenge to overcome.
One of the best tools for those living with dysphagia is the International Dysphagia Diet (IDDSI). After a thorough evaluation, those living with dysphagia will likely be introduced to this complex categorization system. The IDDSI matches patients with foods that are best suited to their specific needs and swallowing abilities.
Let’s learn all about the International Dysphagia Diet and brainstorm some delicious dishes that can be found at every consistency level of the IDDSI.
Medical Disclaimer: All content on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician. Always seek the medical advice of your healthcare team (physician, speech pathologist, dietician, etc.) for your specific dietary needs. Visit www.iddsi.org for further details.
The International Dysphagia Diet or IDDSI is a standardized method to define food texture and drink thickness. It’s an incredibly useful tool for millions of people living with dysphagia in improving their safety during eating and drinking.
Based on one’s condition or recovery, they may move to different levels of this diet. From a patient’s perspective, the goal is always to move towards the least restrictive and safest diet prescribed by your healthcare team.
All in all, there are 8 levels of consistency in the IDDSI Diet, with four levels of liquids and four levels of solids, along with some key concepts like transitional foods. The International Dysphagia Diet is designed to provide a consistency level for everyone, no matter their chewing or swallowing capabilities.
Levels 0-4 of the IDDSI cover all types of drinks from water-like substances (Level 0) to extremely thick liquids (Level 4). While Levels 0-2 are an integral part of any dysphagia diet, for the purpose of this article, we’re going to be covering the upper levels of the IDDSI (Levels 3-7) as these are where most foods fall on the International Dysphagia Diet scale.
Click here if you have any questions about liquids or check out the full IDDSI framework.
Read on to learn all about the five upper levels of the International Dysphagia Diet covering every texture and consistency you can think of when it comes to your favorite dishes and snacks.
Level 3 of the International Dysphagia Diet comprises foods that are fully liquidized or moderately thick.
Some characteristics of foods that fit into level 3 of the IDDSI Diet are:
If you’re not sure whether your food fits into Level 3 of the IDDSI diet, try scooping up your food with a fork. If it drips through the tongs of the fork in dollops or strands, it’s most likely a Level 3 liquidized food.
Visit the IDDSI testing methods page for photos and videos breaking down the best way to test your foods.
If you’d like to prepare some foods that fit into Level 3 of the IDDSI Diet, we recommend salty broth or fully liquidized apples.
Level 4 of the IDDSI Diet comprises foods that are pureéd in the form of extremely thick liquids.
Here are some characteristics of Level 4 of the IDDSI Diet:
If you’d like to test whether your food fits into Level 4, you can test it by conducting the spoon-tilt test. Take a spoonful of whatever you’re eating and slowly tip the spoon. The food should slide off fairly easily with minimal sticking to the spoon.
If you’re using a fork, the food should sit in a mound and not drip continuously through the fork. If it does, it is too thin and would classify more closely as a liquid lower on the scale.
Don’t forget to check out the IDDSI testing methods page for detailed photos and videos on Level 4 testing.
Some delicious dishes that fit into level 4 of the IDDSI diet are a seedless smoothie, creamy yogurt, or spicy hummus.
This level of the International Dysphagia Diet comprises minced and moist foods.
Here are some characteristics of foods that fit into level 5 of the IDDSI diet:
The food should sit in a small mound on your fork and not easily flow through the prongs of the fork. If you’d like to test whether your dish fits into level 5 of the IDDSI diet, use the fork pressure test.
Press your fork down onto your food. The particles should easily be mashed and separated, and push through the tongs of the fork. If you’re a bit confused, check out the IDDSI testing methods page for detailed photos and videos on Level 5 testing.
Some delicious foods within level 5 of the IDDSI Diet are rich macaroni and cheese, peppered mashed potatoes, or even moist and finely minced brisket.
This stage of the International Dysphagia Diet comprises soft and bite-sized foods.
Here are some characteristics of dishes that fit into level 6 of the IDDSI diet:
If you’re looking to cook up some scrumptious dishes that fit into level 6 of the IDDSI Diet, try some flaky salmon, creamy potato casserole, or savory mushroom (bite-sized) risotto.
This level of the International Dysphagia Diet comprises regular and easy-chew foods.
While regular foods fall under the wide umbrella of all consistencies and textures we love in food, the easy-chew diet avoids foods that are especially stringy and chewy or contain any particularly tough parts like pits, seeds, or bones and gristle.
If you’re on the easy-chew level of the IDDSI diet, you should be able to use any utensil you like such as spoons, forks, or chopsticks, so there aren’t many pressure tests you need to conduct before eating. Just remember to check whether your food contains any challenging small bits before chowing down.
Even if you love foods that do have seeds or bone parts, you can often find suitable alternatives without any compromise like boneless chicken wings, seedless strawberries, or deliciously salty pitted olives.
Transitional foods, covering levels 4-7 of the IDDSI, are one of the most interesting components of the International Dysphagia Diet.
Transitional foods are those that start as one texture, like a firm solid, but change into softer textures as they’re heated up or moisture is added, as happens with saliva inside the mouth.
Many speech pathologists believe that these foods are helpful in helping those with dysphagia gradually re-learn the process of chewing.
To determine whether a food qualifies as transitional or not, you can conduct a basic fork pressure test. If you apply minimal pressure to the exterior of your snack, the food should retain its shape. Now, apply moisture or raise the temperature of the food substantially. The food should now crumble or soften when minimal fork pressure is applied.
One of our favorite transitional foods is theEATBar, a scrumptious sweet treat designed for those with swallowing troubles. After a satisfying opening crunch, theEATBar softens with saliva and heat from the tongue to deliver delicious, melt-in-your-mouth meringue flavor. Indeed, it may be suitable for those on a level 4-7 diet (general to minced & moist).
With four decadent bars and a design curated by a speech-language pathologist, theEATBar is tailor-made to help those with dysphagia fall in love with eating over and over again.
The International Dysphagia Diet is one of the most important tools in the arsenal of someone living with dysphagia. Even with all the help in the world, we understand that mealtimes can still be a struggle and challenge for those living with dysphagia.
That’s exactly why we created theEATBar.
With flavors ranging from creamy Vanilla Chocolate to delightfully tart Lemon, theEATBar is the perfect transitional food option for those within the IDDSI diet.
Speak with your physician or speech-language pathologist to find out if theEATBar is the right option for your specific needs.
Use our discount code BLOG15 for 15% off your order at checkout!
While you’re waiting for your order to arrive, browse our blog to discover more about the dysphagia diet and learn about the importance of snack time.
]]>Whether you find your purpose teaching in the classroom, digging up dirt in the garden, or getting your hands dirty restoring an old car, our passions are what give us meaning and purpose and provide an overarching story to our lives.
This principle holds especially true amongst those living with Alzheimer’s disease.
While this condition can certainly impact one’s physical and cognitive abilities, this only increases the need to feel a sense of accomplishment each and every day.
Let’s learn all about the best activities for our loved ones living with Alzheimer’s disease to provide them with the sense of meaning and purpose that they deserve.
Humans find some of their most meaningful moments in accomplishing goals. An Alzheimer’s diagnosis doesn’t change that. However, it does mean you likely need to tailor your loved one’s activities to suit their needs.
Of course, every Alzheimer’s patient differs in their cognitive and physical abilities. Your loved one may easily be able to complete fine motor skills while struggling with abstract, cognitive tasks or vice versa. Think about what your loved one most enjoys doing and design their activities to revolve around their interests.
In general, the best activities for mid-stage or late Alzheimer’s patients are those that are fail-free. These are most likely to imbue a sense of purpose and accomplishment in your loved one while reducing potential frustration.
Keep in mind that it’s important to create truly meaningful activities for your older adult, not just ones that fill time. Brainstorm interests they had in the past while keeping in mind that their favorite pastimes may need to be altered for safety.
If your senior loved one struggles with an activity, take a break. Think of new ways the activity can be simplified to reduce frustration, and don’t be afraid to ask your loved one how the activity can be more enjoyable.
And if you’re worried or overwhelmed, remember that you’re not alone. Reach out to an Alzheimer’s support group to give yourself and your loved one the outlet you deserve.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into some fail-free activities that are sure to provide a sense of meaning and purpose to the older adult in your life.
A general rule of thumb — During all activities, be sure to exclude any sharp objects. If your loved one is prone to swallowing small trinkets, find suitable, larger replacements.
Visual expression is the perfect activity for people of all ages and abilities.
Not only do bright, vibrant colors radiate an innate sense of joy but the tactile sensations found in many arts and crafts can help your loved one reconnect with their sense of touch.
Help your older adult create a photo collage by giving them cut-outs from newspapers and magazines and offering them a safe adhesive to paste their photo patterns into a scrapbook. Look for photos that line up with your loved one’s interests, such as cars, books, or vintage fashion.
When they need a break from creating their collage, reminisce over some old photos and ask them what they remember from the photos within. Often, these helpful visual cues can be just the boost that Alzheimer’s patients need to reconnect with their past.
There’s a reason we call songs “catchy.”
Some tracks can stick around in our minds for years or even decades. Often, they pop up at the strangest times to remind us that our brains are a little bigger than we thought.
That’s right. That annoying power-pop song you heard at 8 years old will likely still be with you at 80. Fortunately, that also means that soft folk song that always wets your eyes will be with you until the day you die.
It’s just a matter of finding it.
Fortunately, it’s never been easier to help your senior loved one reconnect with their love of music. Whether you need to blow off the dust on their old record collection or cue up a golden oldie on Spotify, your loved one will appreciate you playing one of their favorite tracks from yesteryear.
Dean Martin might have gently woken them up Sunday mornings. The Mamas and Papas might have kept them company while waiting for rush hour traffic to thin out. Freddie Mercury may have introduced them to the power of rock opera.
Whether your loved one prefers to sing along at full volume or gently nod their head in silence, music is a fantastic way to reconnect with our past.
A decadent rice pudding. The rich, buttery crust of a classic blueberry pie. The savory, salty aroma of chicken noodle soup.
Even more than visuals, smells and tastes work wonders when it comes to accessing past emotions and memories. Why? Because scents are processed by the same parts of the brain that are responsible for memory formation.
A familiar scent or family recipe passed down through the generations can transport your loved one back to their childhood and help them reconnect with the golden moments of their past.
Taking proper safety considerations into account, invite your loved one into the kitchen and allow them to complete the simpler tasks of re-creating a family recipe. Ask them for suggestions on how to implement the finishing touches and nudge the new dish a bit closer to how they remember it.
If your loved one struggles with eating, be sure to serve them up an easy-to-eat treat like theEATBar. Uniquely designed for those with swallowing troubles, each EATBar bursts with sweet meringue flavor and a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth center that makes it a cinch to fall in love with eating over and over again.
Not only is each EATBar packed with mouthwatering flavor, but it’s also a tactile finger food that may be beneficial for those with Alzheimer’s disease. Finger foods promote self-feeding and independence and can help remind your senior family member of their childhood.
Coated in bright, vibrant colors and tasting succulently sweet, theEATBar might be the perfect treat for your loved one living with Alzheimer’s
Of course, the association of smell with memory can be accessed outside of the kitchen. Daffodils might bring your grandmother back to her days outside gardening as a young girl. A fresh bag of roasted peanuts might transport your grandpa back to spring training days at the ballpark rooting for his local baseball team.
Sharing food is a great way for your loved ones to bond over their past and ensure their memories live on.
We all benefit from a sense of purpose, meaning, and fulfillment. Those living with Alzheimer’s disease are no different.
While Alzheimer’s disease research may eventually discover better treatment or even a cure, the most we can do at the moment is to design each day to be as frustration-free as possible.
Help your loved one feel a sense of accomplishment every day by introducing them to fail-free activities tailored to their needs and interests. Create photo collages. Watch classic movies. And imbue new life into a classic recipe for the whole family to share.
If your loved one struggles to reconnect with their lifelong love of food, introduce them to theEATBar. Coming in four delicious flavors like dark chocolate and creamy strawberry, there’s a bar for everyone no matter their abilities or preferences.
Starting with a satisfying crunch and gradually morphing into a melt-in-your-mouth sweet treat, every EATBar transforms eating from a simple activity into a memory to cherish.
Be sure to browse our blog for more tips on caring for your loved ones and the importance of making each meal one to remember.
As an extra boost, use our discount code BLOG15 to receive 15% off your order at checkout!
]]>Whether you’ve had your wisdom teeth removed, finally gotten your braces off, or recently undergone a root canal, here’s a key point to understand when recovering from oral surgery — the hard part is over.
Now, the fun can begin.
To help the surgery’s positive effects work their magic, it’s important to give your body fuel. After all, your cells need all the help and energy they can get to repair themselves and become good as new.
So how should you fuel up during this time? That’s easy. Surround yourself with delicious food. Look for foods that are easy on the mouth and require limited chewing for a speedy, effortless healing period.
We’ve compiled eight of our favorite soft foods to eat after oral surgery perfectly tailored to give you the smoothest recovery experience possible.
Medical Disclaimer: All content on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician. Always seek the medical advice of your physician and/or oral surgeon for your specific dietary needs.
Mashed potatoes aren’t simply a Thanksgiving staple, they’re a key component of a soft food diet after oral surgery.
These creamy potatoes’ signature mouthwatering flavors are only matched by the ease with which they’re made. Whether you buy a frozen bag from the grocery store or whip up a homemade recipe in the kitchen, mashed potatoes are delightfully simple.
Best when enriched with creamy butter, chopped chives, and handfuls of mellow garlic, mashed potatoes deliver decadent flavor in a soft consistency tailor-made for those recovering from oral surgery.
Blended soups are often the go-to choice when it comes to recovering from oral surgery and for good reason.
Without chunky bits to irritate the wound area, these soups are perfect when served around room temperature to deliver all the energy you need without any worry.
Not only can these soups deliver delicious starches and vegetables in an easy-to-eat experience, but they can also keep you hydrated. Continuously taking in fluids is just as crucial as keeping your body fed when it comes to making your recovery experience as comfortable as possible.
All your favorite fruits concentrated in a cup. Need we say more?
Smoothies are an exquisite, effortless way to squeeze all of your vitamins, nutrients, and sweet flavors into a single sip.
Chopped bananas? Perfect. Sliced papaya? Pop ‘em in. A splash of OJ? Of course!
While you’re at it, scoop a dollop of creamy Greek yogurt or rich peanut butter into your smoothie for an easy boost of extra protein.
Just remember to avoid fruits that are heavily seeded like strawberries or blackberries. Those seeds can potentially irritate the areas of your mouth recovering from surgery and ruin a perfect sipping experience.
Fluffy and radiant when scrambled. Soft and crumbly when hard-boiled. Eggs come in dozens of different forms and each one is better than the last.
No matter your favorite style, eggs are always delicious while delivering gobs of protein and healthy vitamins.
Egg salad tastes amazing when spread over a toasted everything bagel, but it tastes just as good eaten by the spoonful or shared among creamy avocado.
We’ll be the first to admit that cottage cheese can be controversial. Some love the stuff and devour tub after tub while others sour just at the sight of it.
Maybe you tried a spoonful when you were young and have sworn off the substance ever since. Well, this is your chance to give this protein-packed snack another shot.
Packed with healthy fats and a heaping pile of protein, cottage cheese is a scrumptious snack and one of the best soft foods to eat after dental surgery.
Coming in skim, low-fat, and full-fat varieties, cottage cheese can certainly be an acquired taste. But don’t let that stop you from trying this scrumptious snack. Once you discover what makes cottage cheese so irresistible, the only problem you’ll have is knowing when to stop.
It was probably your favorite snack when you were in diapers, but maybe you’ve drifted from apple sauce in recent years. Well, now is a great opportunity to become re-acquainted with this soft-consistency snack.
Sweet and simple, apple sauce is easily one of the best soft foods for after oral surgery.
Specifically designed for those with eating troubles, theEATBar is the perfect snack to keep your love for eating alive even while recovering from oral surgery.
This scrumptious bar comes in four mouthwatering flavors from creamy dark chocolate to succulent strawberry. If you can’t decide which one’s your favorite, don’t sweat it. Look for our assorted variety pack so you can sample each one.
Still can’t decide? Neither can we!
When recovering from oral surgery, theEATBar works great alongside a nutritional supplement like Ensure. This helps you capture all the calories and nutrients you need while still delivering the signature sweetness that comes with every EATBar.
How to deliver all the chocolatey goodness of a crispy cookie without the crunch? Soak it in milk.
Whether you’re privy to a traditional chocolate chip or a dunkable Oreo, soaking in milk is a great way to make this sweet snack sumptuously soft and perfect for recovering from oral surgery.
Preparing for oral surgery can be stressful. Not many of us look forward to the next dentist visit. That fear often elevates when it comes to oral surgery.
Fortunately, once your procedure is over, the healing process can begin. This period will only become easier if you surround yourself with delicious soft foods that you love.
Whether you have a penchant for salty soups, creamy mashed potatoes, or sweet treats, there’s always a soft food on offer to make your next meal a truly memorable one.
If you’re looking to transform an ordinary snacking session into a sweet treat, try anEATBar. With a delicious center designed to melt and become soft in your mouth, this meringue bar is the perfect option for those with eating troubles of any kind, including those recovering from oral surgery.
Coming in four flavors ranging from rich dark chocolate to delightfully tart lemon, theEATBar has a flavor for everybody. Even when your energy is low and nothing looks appetizing, theEATBar is there to remind you that eating can always be an enjoyable experience no matter what point you’re at in the healing process.
To make recovering from surgery a tiny bit sweeter, use our discount code BLOG15 for 15% off your order at checkout!
]]>In all likelihood, you fall somewhere in the middle.
Unfortunately, meaningful gift-giving becomes even harder when your loved one has to spend some time in the hospital. These life-saving facilities have many different rules and restrictions regulating which gifts are allowed and which aren’t, adding extra stress to an already challenging period.
Lucky for you, we’ve compiled nine nifty gift suggestions to keep your loved one calm and comfy during their hospital stay.
While these colorful gifts can certainly infuse vibrance into any hospital room, unfortunately, they can bring some unintended consequences.
Many hospitals have strict diets planned for their patients so the fruit might end up in the trash rather than your friend’s stomach. Flowers are an aromatic delight and can light up a room but also bring pollen and other allergen issues that can prove especially harmful for those with existing respiratory issues.
For now, keep these gifts on the shelf ready to greet your friend when they’re discharged from the hospital.
There’s nothing like the written word to get us through challenging times.
Stuffed with all the wisdom, thrills, and laughs of humanity’s greatest minds, books present endless entertainment no matter your age or interests, and also make a great gift for hospital staff.
If your loved one has a penchant for extended, late-night reading sessions, consider surprising them with an e-reader.
Rather than propping up 600 pages of text with shaking arms, an e-reader provides constant, distributed weight as light as a mass-market paperback and can store thousands of books at a time.
Our phones, tablets, and computers can now replicate much of the joy we find in sudoku, crosswords, and other word games.
However, one area that hasn’t quite translated to our digital devices is the joy of infusing color into the black-and-white page.
By giving your loved one an adult coloring book, we can capture the calm and creativity we all experienced in childhood. Sketch inside the lines, stray outside the lines; it doesn’t matter.
There’s something inherently soothing in slowly whittling down your crayons or colored pencils on the page and seeing their lives transformed.
Beeping EKGs. Nurses chatting at three in the morning. The pitter-patter of an IV drip.
Hospitals might not be as loud as a heavy metal concert though they can certainly provide a constant stream of noise. It can be difficult to find a moment for yourself in these facilities that are inherently (and thankfully) always concerned about the next crisis.
One of the best gifts to block out the world is a pair of noise-canceling headphones. This handy technology pumps a low-frequency hum into your ears to drown out many of the intrusive sounds of the outside world.
Whether your loved one is catching up on a new season of TV, listening to their favorite album, or simply wants a bit of quiet time, noise-canceling headphones will ensure they’re able to enter their own tiny world while the hospital outside rages on.
With thin fabric and floral patterns, hospital gowns aren’t likely to become the most flattering item in your loved one’s wardrobe. Many people don’t appreciate the drafts and excess skin on display.
If they’re able to wear something over their hospital gown, your loved one will definitely appreciate a cozy new bathrobe. Velvety to the touch and soft on the skin, a bathrobe can be the difference between feeling like a stranger in a cold facility and comfortably at home.
Have you ever tried walking barefoot in the snow? Not too pleasant. Walking on cold tile in thin socks? Not much better.
Thick, comfy socks are a necessity in any hospital stay and key to growing comfortable in a new environment.
Gone are the days when socks made lackluster gifts. With modern designs and high thread counts, a pair of colorful socks can be a game-changing gift to improve your loved one’s hospital stay.
Not only will their feet be warm and cozy, but they’ll become the star of their wing with vibrant graphics and playful pictures printed on their toes.
For an extra layer of warmth and comfort, your loved one will really appreciate a new pair of slippers. With padded insoles and fuzzy interiors, the only problem that slippers pose is making all other footwear pale in comparison.
If you’re interested in in a new pair of socks or slippers, talk with your physical therapist to see which option they feel is right for you.
Medical problems don’t sleep. Neither do hospitals.
With staff bustling around the clock and constant bright lights and humming monitors, it can be difficult to catch a wink of sleep while in the hospital.
Fortunately, a simple sleep mask works wonders in blocking out light and allowing your loved one’s mind to drift off into slumber.
While you can find a sleep mask in the gift shop, hospital models might not have the quality you’re looking for.
Instead, see if you can find a softer sleep mask made of silk or memory foam. These materials effortlessly mold to the face without applying undue eye pressure, allowing your loved one to sleep soundly and fully enabling their body to recover.
While noise-canceling headphones can certainly work wonders during the daytime, the plastic frames and bulky earpads don’t make for comfortable sleepwear.
That’s where a simple pair of foam earplugs come in. To attain easy peace and quiet, simply squish the earplugs into tiny balls and pop them in the ear. Once you release your grip, the foam stretches out to cover the space blocking out sound and enabling a quiet night’s sleep.
While many hospitals have certainly improved their bedding in recent years, nothing quite matches up to the comfort and security afforded by a weighted blanket.
If you’ve never tried a weighted blanket, it might seem paradoxical that feeling squished and compressed would somehow make you calmer. However, these blankets mimic the sensation of being hugged and squeezed, which encourages our bodies to release oxytocin, a key hormone in the onset of sleep.
This gift won’t just help during your loved one’s hospital stay. Many swear by weighted blankets in helping them achieve truly restful sleep night after night.
They come especially handy in colder environments where the added weight keeps body heat tight and compressed, keeping them warm and cozy all through the night.
Hospital food isn’t quite known for its mouthwatering quality.
If your loved one is able to eat outside food, bring in a delicious EATBar. Offering a satisfying crunch before melting in your mouth with rich meringue flavor, theEATBar is the perfect gift for those with eating troubles.
With a crisp outside and an inside that melts to a paste, each bite offers an opportunity for you and your loved one to reconnect over a shared love of food.
If your loved one is on a specific hospital diet, no problem. Just stock up on our four scrumptious flavors and prepare to surprise them with a feast on their return.
Choosing the perfect present for your loved one was already difficult. Finding great gifts for someone in the hospital only makes the task harder.
Any of the nine gifts above would make a great gift and is sure to get a lot of use during their hospital stay rather than sitting on their dresser.
Of course, the best hospital gift you can bring is yourself. Remember to keep your loved one company during this time. Remind them how much you care and that you’re rooting for them.
A friendly visit can mean the world, and a delicious snack can transform any visit into a long-lasting memory. Surprise your loved one with an EATBar in any one of our four mouthwatering flavors for a burst of flavor and an infusion of joy.
To make your next gift-giving even easier, use our discount code BLOG15 for an extra 15% off at checkout!
]]>Most of the time, we don’t have to think twice about our love of food. It tastes delicious, it gives us energy — what’s not to love?
That’s exactly why it can be so confusing and frustrating when your appetite disappears. All of a sudden, your eyes and stomach don’t look at food in the way they used to.
While there are many factors that could lead to a lack of appetite, we still need to feed our bodies with the energy they crave.
If you’re wondering how to increase your appetite, read on to learn four top tricks and techniques to help you fall back in love with eating.
Our taste buds aren’t the only ones helping us to fall further in love with food. Our nose and eyes have a big part to play, too!
Much of our perception of food is determined not only by smell and taste but also by sight.
Picture this:
You’re sitting in a bustling restaurant waiting for your food when the waiter sets down your order of tacos. The tortillas are perfectly charred, the meat sizzles under gooey, melted cheese, and the veggies are crunchy and fresh. Mmm.
Now take that same taco and flip it upside down so the contents spill out in a crumbly mess. It’s all the same ingredients. It’s the same taco.
But which one would you want to eat?
Paying special attention to how you plate your food can be incredibly important in increasing your appetite. In general, the tastier it looks, the tastier it will be.
Tackling a tall, heaping plate of spaghetti can feel like climbing a mountain. Eating a small bowl of butter noodles? That’s a bit more manageable.
We find it much easier to tackle small, bite-size goals rather than scaling a mountain every day. Breaking up your eating throughout the day is the perfect way to get back on track and help your poor appetite gradually return to past levels.
This tip can be especially useful if you’re wondering how to increase appetite in your child, as children can feel especially threatened by a big plate when their stomachs aren’t exactly eager.
Instead of going for the traditional three-meal structure, opt for five or six smaller meals evenly spaced throughout the day.
Whip up a light yogurt parfait just after waking and have a small brunch of sunny-side-up eggs and buttered toast. For lunch, opt for a leafy tuna salad sandwich followed up with a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup a few hours later.
Lemon-roasted salmon and asparagus make a hearty, nutritious dinner. As a reward for eating so well throughout the day, serve yourself a rich slice of creamy chocolate cake and start planning the delicious eats you’re going to treat yourself to tomorrow.
To help your body gain the calories and nutrients it needs, look toward energy-dense foods that are packed with delicious, bold flavors. Not only do these taste absolutely mouthwatering, but they replenish your body with energy to tackle whatever life throws at you.
Cheddar cheese is chock-full of energy, offering over 100 calories per ounce, and makes a great, standalone snack. Greek yogurt is packed with protein and rich, creamy flavor. It tastes even better when combined with crushed walnuts, toasted granola, and sweet honey.
Another great energy-dense option is theEATBar, a delicious bar layered with creamy, melt-in-your-mouth meringue and designed for those with eating troubles. This convenient bar requires minimal chewing and each bite bursts with scrumptious, creamy flavor.
Coming in four unique flavors like bittersweet lemon and decadent dark chocolate, anEATBar a day is a surefire recipe to reignite your long-standing love of food.
There’s no better way to reconnect than by breaking bread.
Sharing food amongst new friends and long-term loved ones is a fantastic way to bring a bit more appetite into your life. Not only does it give us an opportunity to catch up, but it surrounds us with others filled with a strong desire to eat.
After all, humans are social animals. We take cues and model our behavior from those around us. In fact, one study demonstrated that eating with friends could increase your eating by up to 18%!
Surround yourself with friends and family who cherish food and look forward to each new bite. It might be just the push your body (and brain) needs on the journey to falling back in love with eating.
Host a wine and cheese night, bonding over the familiar rinds and bolder blues that might be just outside of your taste buds’ comfort zone. Even if you require a special diet or diet modifications, you can easily find a snack that helps you fit — the EATBar is a convenient, portable snack you can take with you wherever you go.
Curl up on the couch with a sweet bowl of cereal and hot chocolate and watch a Christmas classic with the family. Invite an old friend over to test out a new casserole recipe, catch up as you cook, and enjoy the fruits of your labor as you dig in.
Transforming an ordinary meal into an event and an opportunity to catch up with the ones your treasure is a great reminder of what food is all about — infusing each new day with a bit more joy than the last.
Eating is more than energy. It’s an experience we can relive over and over again.
Our favorite foods can fill us with nostalgia while new ones can bring us a sense of adventure.
Unfortunately, when our appetite wanes (whether it be for social-emotional or medical reasons), it can feel like we’re missing out. It’s important to remember that everybody goes through periods where their hunger sneaks off. The key is simply to adjust, adapt, and experiment with your eating habits until you find a pattern that works for your specific needs.
That’s exactly why we created theEATBar. We felt that those with eating troubles needed a consistent, delicious snack to truly look forward to every day. With our four unique, mouthwatering flavors, there’s always an EATBar for every mood.
To get a jumpstart on reigniting your appetite, use our code BLOG15 to receive 15% off your order!
]]>These foods might have developed a bit of a bad rap but each is filled with something we can’t live without — calories.
Our stomachs and intestines break down the calories within food to power our brains and bodies. Don’t start eating Boston cream pies for every meal, though. A calorie-dense diet is at its best when it’s also a nutrient-dense diet.
Proteins, fats, and complex carbohydrates — these vital nutrients help our muscles move and our bodies replenish themselves.
Grab your grocery list and a pen because we’ve compiled a list of eight delicious, calorie-dense foods to infuse your stomach with flavor and your body with long-lasting energy.
Fluffy, runny, scrambled, sunny — there are at least a dozen ways to cook a batch of eggs. However you like your huevos, try to fit a couple of eggs into every day as they’re one of the most complete calorie-dense foods out there.
Egg whites are rich in proteins while yolks are stuffed with rich fats, essential nutrients, and dense calories.
So go ahead and experiment! Fire up a pot of hot water and make a dozen hard-boiled eggs for the week. Get together with friends and have an omelet cookout, stuffing your creation with creamy swiss and crunchy veggies. If you’re looking to flex your culinary muscle, whip up a frittata peppered with smoked meats and mushrooms.
However you like your eggs, your body is sure to get a boost of delicious, long-lasting energy.
Delicious when paired with crackers, sprinkled on a salad, or munched on its own, cheese is packed with protein, fat, and calcium to strengthen your bones.
If you’re browsing at the grocery store, look for a brand of cheese that’s made from grass-fed cows or goats, as these are the highest in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids (and will probably prove even more irresistible to the taste buds!)
While all are relatively high in calories, cheese nutrition varies widely from wheel to wheel. An ounce of feta contains 60 calories while a similar ounce of cheddar contains nearly double that with about 113 calories.
If you love milky cheese, keep reading! This isn’t the only dairy product that features on this list.
We all loved a toasted PB and J when we were kids. Now that we’re exploring calorie-dense foods for weight gain, maybe it’s time to get back in touch with our inner youth.
Just two tablespoons of peanut butter are stuffed with almost 200 calories! Each bite bursts with healthy fats, a pile of protein, and even 10% of your daily fiber.
If you’re allergic to peanuts, no sweat! In 2022, there are dozens of types of nut butter to choose from.
Walnut butter works great as a smoothie base, delivering the most healthy fats out of all the nut butter options.
Smear a healthy serving of almond butter into a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream. Sunflower seed butter dazzles when drizzled on a short stack of pancakes or as a delightful addition to a morning bowl of oatmeal.
Delivering twice the protein of regular yogurt, Greek yogurt is a creamy, healthy option for those seeking a high-calorie, dense food.
A light six-ounce serving of Greek yogurt delivers 165 calories and a heap of protein to go along with it.
While some love the natural tart flavors of plain Greek yogurt, it’s also a great snack when balanced with naturally sweet toppings like oats, granola, honey, or dried fruit.
We love dropping a dollop of delicious Greek yogurt in a fruity smoothie to pack in extra protein and healthy fats.
Tastier than the name lets on, oily fish like salmon, tuna, and trout are filled with healthy fats. They deliver all the protein of red meat with less bad cholesterol, providing a softer, flakier texture for those with eating challenges.
To add in an extra serving of healthy fats, crank up your oven and bake a lemon-pepper salmon drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and wrapped in tin foil. Not only does the foil insulate the fish, but it keeps the juices packed in and marinating while the fish cooks, promising a juicy filet and bundles of flavor.
Top off your favorite calorie-dense food with an easy calorie treat! Designed specifically for those with eating challenges, theEATBar is layered with rich meringue and comes in four unique, irresistible flavors like decadent dark chocolate and delightfully tart lemon.
Delivering 60 calories in a single half-ounce serving, munching on an EATBar is the perfect option for anyone looking to fall further in love with food with each new bite.
Many people have the wrong idea about dried fruit. They think it’s totally artificial or doesn’t pack as many nutrients as real fruit.
That’s not the case. Dried fruit is simply natural fruit that has been dehydrated, packing even more natural sugar into every bite.
Whether you’re hankering for apples, bananas, peaches, or apricots, there’s no better way to enjoy calorie-dense fruit flavor.
Dried fruit is a delicious accompaniment to a piping hot bowl of oatmeal, creamy Greek yogurt parfait, or as a standalone snacker.
In contrast to its milky siblings, dark chocolate is made up of less sugar and more cocoa and natural fats. This means dark chocolate gives you more calories pound-for-pound while also offering a healthy serving of essential nutrients like iron and magnesium.
If you like your sweets cold, put a bar of dark chocolate in the refrigerator. If you prefer them hot, melt it in the microwave and pour a thick, chocolate drizzle atop your favorite snack for a sugary treat.
We need calories. They power our minds and our bodies, and they can taste amazing. But eating isn’t just about energy.
A delightful new dish or savory snack is meant to be appreciated and shared among loved ones.
A spoonful of peanut butter becomes more than healthy fats when you’re splitting a PB and J with a friend. Dark chocolate drizzle becomes more than delicious sugar and antioxidants when you’re cooking up waffles with your family.
Eating is an experience. And each bite is a moment to remember.
That’s why we designed theEATBar, a calorie-dense bar layered with rich meringue goodness. Whatever sweet flavor you prefer, theEATBar is packed with calories to power you through the day and help you look forward to each new meal.
For an extra energy boost, use our discount code BLOG15 to earn 15% off at checkout!
]]>No matter how much we seem to eat, the number on the scale won’t budge. It can be an incredibly frustrating experience, especially when we know that we should be putting on weight. What am I doing wrong?
Cut yourself some slack. Putting on weight can be difficult, especially if you’re struggling with a medical condition. This process takes time and patience. Remember to give yourself credit for all the hard work you’ve put in up to this point.
Go ahead, we’ll wait.
Done? Good.
Now, what foods should we seek out to make packing on the pounds a bit easier?
That’s our bread and butter.
Grab your grocery lists because we’ve compiled a delicious list of calorie-dense foods to gain weight and help your body be at its best.
Medical Disclaimer: All content and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician. Always seek the medical advice of your physician and/or dietician for your specific dietary needs.
Whether you like them in soups or in salads, minced or mashed, potatoes are one of the simplest, most digestible foods out there.
Not only do they come in about a hundred different forms, but they’re packed with healthy carbohydrates and creamy, delicious calories.
Americans have been in love with potatoes for hundreds of years and our fascination with them is likely only to grow. In fact, potatoes were the first vegetable to be grown in space!
In 1995, NASA wanted to test whether potatoes could serve as a self-sustaining food source for long-term space voyages — it worked! So, if you’re hoping to one day take a long journey across the solar system, you should probably get well acquainted with this sturdy starch.
While you’re down here on Earth, throw on a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese to transform an ordinary baked potato into a rich, energy-filled extravaganza. Of course, you can always try and improve upon your favorite fast-food recipe by cutting up potato slices and frying them in vegetable oil for a crunchy, crispy afternoon snack.
However you like your potatoes, remember to save a serving for us.
During the early stages of the pandemic, you might have baked a bit more sourdough than you knew what to do with.
Bread is one of the best leftovers you can have. The simple carbohydrates break down easily in your body, infusing you with a burst of energy. That’s why runners love having a healthy plate of pasta the night before a big run.
If you’re looking to add a bit more fluffy bread into your diet but aren’t looking to tackle a marathon any time soon, look towards whole grains and seeded loaves. These deliver more nutrients into your system with soluble fiber and complex carbohydrates that keep your body full and satisfied for longer.
With their vibrant trees teeming along the Pacific, avocados are often viewed as a west-coast exclusive. This perception couldn’t be further from the truth.
These fatty fruits (yes, they’re fruits!) are chock-full of healthy, long-lasting energy, delivering around 250 calories and 24 grams of fat per avocado. Packed with necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, there’s always room on your plate for an avocado.
Pepper in a few slices into your next burrito bowl. Serve with salsa stacked high on fluffy toast with scrambled eggs. Of course, you can always mash a handful up into delicious guacamole with crunchy tortilla chips.
Just like potatoes, avocados don’t really care how you eat ‘em as long as they’re being enjoyed and shared.
Animal products have often been a go-to choice for quickly packing on pounds and for good reason. Not only are they a great source of complete protein, but they’re natural concentrators of dense energy.
Cows, pigs, and chickens ingest most of their nutrients from grass and grains, concentrating the calories into a smaller space in the form of lean muscle and fat.
A mere six ounces of steak delivers 450 calories and almost 50 grams of protein, meeting most people’s daily protein requirements in a single meal.
If you’re choosing between different cuts of meat, look for those that are a bit fattier like melt-in-your-mouth brisket. While protein provides necessary nutrients, it only clocks in at about 4 calories per gram. Fats more than double that number at 9 calories per gram.
That’s why a single tablespoon of concentrated olive oil contains nearly 100 calories!
If you’re vegetarian, there’s never been a better time to look for plant-based alternatives to meat. In recent years, manufacturers have introduced viable meat alternatives made of soy and vital wheat gluten.
These manufacturers are slowly expanding their product lines to include chicken, fish, and other delicious meat-like options that deliver a great deal of protein, healthy fats, and calories to help you fulfill your calorie needs while adhering to a plant-based diet.
You might have thought chocolate was your greatest weakness. It’s not. It’s actually your greatest strength.
Decadent and creamy, dark chocolate provides more healthy calories and antioxidants than its milky siblings. A simple 100 grams of dark chocolate might pack in as many as 600 calories, making it a great high-calorie snack.
If you don’t like chocolate in bar form, break your delicious cocoa into slices and sprinkle it in your bowl of morning cereal or oatmeal. Melt a small bar in a mug and sip on a dark chocolate slurpy just as Parisians do. Of course, you can always bake up some homemade, gooey chocolate chip cookies and share a batch with your closest loved ones.
If you’re wondering what foods to eat to gain weight, cheese should be near the top of your list.
Whether you like your cheese soft and creamy or sharp and hard, cheese comes from all different cultures in all types of tastes and textures.
Not only does cheese deliver a great deal of protein and healthy fats, but cheese is absolutely chock-full of energy. A single ounce of cheddar can deliver over 100 hundred calories!
Bake yourself up a homemade mac and cheese casserole for a delicious meal of carbohydrates and healthy fats. Smack some gouda or full-fat muenster between two slices of cracked sourdough and sear in a covered pan until you’ve created a gooey, melted treat.
Mmm. We’re getting hungry just thinking about it.
Eggs have been used to build muscle for decades. Bodybuilders often crack a half-dozen in a glass and drink it raw. Yeah, we’re not recommending you go that extreme.
That said, an extra egg or two a day will definitely help you infuse a couple hundred more calories into your diet and maybe even increase your lean muscle mass.
Each egg delivers around 70 calories and even more when prepared with butter or cooking oil. Of course, eggs are often at their best when served alongside friends.
Give your toasted everything bagel the companion they’ve always wanted with a healthy topping of peppery egg salad with chives. Create your dream omelet stuffed with mushrooms, veggies, bacon bits, and melted pepper jack cheese. Or go for a classic, crumbly hard-boiled egg tossed in a crunchy Greek salad with balsamic vinaigrette.
Food gives us life. Every bite infuses us with the boost we need to tackle each day with enthusiasm and vigor. Of course, food is much more than just energy.
Eating is an experience that ties us together and reminds us of the joy hidden within each day. That’s why we created the theEATBar.
Uniquely designed for those with eating troubles, theEATBar delivers sixty calories in an easy-to-eat half-ounce bar. Richly layered with succulent meringue, our all-inclusive EATBar starts off with a satisfying crunch then quickly melts in your mouth for maximum enjoyment.
Along with this list of high-calorie foods to gain weight, remember that the only real way to pack on pounds is to eat more energy than you burn. It’s as simple as that.
So when you’re looking for foods to help you gain weight, be sure to aim for an energy surplus. Only then can your body build the lean muscle and healthy fat that it needs to keep your immune system strong and your brain at its best.
Look towards healthy, calorie-dense foods like creamy avocado, toasty whole grains, and sweet snacks like theEATBar. Whether your taste buds gravitate towards bittersweet lemon, succulent strawberry, or divine dark chocolate, there’s an EATBar for everyone.
For an extra burst of energy, use our code BLOG15 for an extra 15% off your order!
While you’re stocking up on eggs, cheese, and avocados, browse our blog for more eating tips and delicious recipes designed to make each meal a celebration.
]]>Despite this, many of us have negative associations with these facilities. After all, most people only go there when something is wrong, and it can be especially stressful to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time.
Fortunately, there are many ways to make your experience a little more relaxing.
Sit back and read on because we’ve compiled four top tips to help you have a less stressful, more comfortable extended hospital stay.
If luck is ninety percent preparation, then you’re bound to feel pretty lucky with a well-packed travel bag.
Before anything else, make sure you’ve remembered your most comfortable clothes. Here are some of our favorites for keeping cozy in a new environment:
While your facility might supply some top-notch hospital games, it doesn’t hurt to pack one of your favorites as well. Whether you like long-form strategy like Risk or the relaxing word gymnastics of a game like Scrabble, playing board games is a great way to pass the time and keep your mind in tip-top shape.
If you’re a movie buff, be sure to bring a laptop along with you to catch up on the classics that you haven’t quite got around to seeing yet. If your computer has a webcam, you can use Skype to chat face-to-face with a friend or relative thousands of miles away.
Finally, to make your stay really feel like home, be sure to bring some framed pictures. Surround yourself with images of your family, friends, and favorite memories.
A delicious bite of a crisp apple. A refreshing glass of cold water. The first rays of the morning sun.
The best things in life are often the simplest. Take walking, for example.
Research shows that light physical activity is one of the best ways you can help your body recover during a hospital stay.
If you’re able, go for a short walk around the hospital premises. Get to know the nurses and physicians in different areas of the hospital, approaching each with a friendly nod and kind words. You can always create a sense of community no matter what environment you find yourself in.
Of course, there are countless ways to keep in shape from the comfort of your hospital room. Opt for some light yoga to maintain flexibility and become more in tune with your body. For light strength exercises, use resistance bands to work out your arms, legs, and chest.
Not only will these exercises help you recover faster, but they’ll ensure that you’re primed and ready for the outside world once you’re restored to full health.
In the twenty-first century, we’re starting to realize that mindfulness isn’t just for monks.
Countless studies demonstrate the ability of mindfulness practices to keep people grounded and relaxed during stressful situations.
One of the best ways to practice mindfulness is through a simple meditation routine. All that’s required is a bit of focus, introspection, and a few minutes of your time.
Take a moment each day to look inwardly. Breathe deeply. Pay attention to your thoughts. Take note of what’s in your control and what’s not.
After a few days or weeks of concentrated meditation, you might find that you’re able to approach each new situation with slightly more patience and understanding than before.
Of course, mindfulness can come in many forms. Opening up a journal and jotting down your thoughts each day can be a great way to get more acquainted with your inner monologue.
Just put pen to paper and reflect on how you’re feeling. There’s nothing quite so simple or rewarding in the world.
Even in challenging times, there are always three things to look forward to each day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If your medical team allows you to eat outside of the scheduled hospital food, see if one of your loved ones can bring in a delicious home-cooked meal. Whether it’s a hearty egg breakfast, a piping-hot soup, or crunchy fresh vegetables, food has a unique knack for bringing us joy. The perfect bite can transport us back in time to a treasured memory with our favorite people.
If you need something to snack on between meals, you can’t go wrong with the always-convenient, always delicious EATBar. Layered with rich, melt-in-your-mouth meringue, this bar comes in four unique flavors such as decadent dark chocolate and delightfully tart lemon.
TheEATBar provides a boost of energy with calories you’ll actually look forward to eating, especially when the hospital food isn’t hitting the mark. Easy to chew and designed specifically for those with eating challenges, theEATBar is the perfect snack for eaters of all shapes, sizes, and abilities.
Extended hospital stays aren’t exactly on anyone’s wish list.
Fortunately, hospitals are filled with highly trained medical professionals who care deeply about our well-being, nursing us back to full health as soon as possible.
The most we can ask of ourselves in these situations is to handle each new challenge the world throws at us with grace, patience, and perseverance. After all, there’s nothing we can’t overcome with our loved ones around to help us.
Remember to take a few moments each day to check in with yourself. What helps you feel most at home in a new environment? Maybe it’s a cozy quilt, a simple exercise routine, or a reliable, delicious snack like the EATBar.
To make each bite taste even sweeter, use our discount code BLOG15 to get 15% off at checkout!
While you’re waiting for your order to arrive, browse through our blog for more tips on eating habits, hospital stays, and how we fall in love with food a little more each day.
]]>However, problems are bound to show up, which will make this job harder. One of these issues is a disheartening terminal illness.
If your family member is suffering from a terminal illness, we wholeheartedly believe you are capable of taking care of them. Just know that assuming the role of caregiver can be a physically and mentally draining task.
Instead of constantly pushing yourself to the edge every day, we recommend seeking help by trying hospice care at home.
At theEATBar, we made it our mission to bring more joy, connection, and love to families. With terminal illness being an inevitable challenge for some, there are many resources for patients and their families. One service, which has caught our eye, is hospice care.
Hospice care has developed a bad stigma, but this gossip is not based in truth whatsoever! In this article, we will cover the six most prominent myths concerning hospice and what this service has in store for you!
Hospice seeks to improve the quality of life for terminally ill patients and their caregivers. Instead of hastening or postponing death, hospice care simply accepts death as the final stage of life. This idea has influenced people’s macabre view of the program. It also led to the myth: hospice care is about abandoning life and surrendering to the patient’s illness.
We're happy to say this idea is false! Rather than treating the disease itself, life is affirmed through care and treatment of the person and their symptoms. A team of professional social workers comes together to offer several comfort care services to the patient. Since hospice care is centered on family, the team gives the patient and their family a chance to make decisions in this program.
Oftentimes, the fear of no return can kick in when beginning anything. This idea has long been applied to hospice care. It’s understandable if someone is afraid of being stuck in a program.
Please put all these worries away because hospice patients and their families are free to stop their care at any time –– without penalty. Your only task is to sign a form, which includes the date that your care period will end. Most hospice patients do not continue the program after their health improves or their illness goes into remission. Whatever your case may be, remember: this is a decision that you control!
People tend to associate hospice care with the elderly. This idea was, potentially, derived from the hospice programs in nursing homes and care facilities. These facilities mostly contain seniors because some elderly citizens require twenty-four hour assistance.
However, this service is available for any patient whose illness does not respond to treatment anymore. A child, teenager, adult, and senior can all qualify for hospice care. Children and teenagers are more likely to stay in the privacy of their family’s house for hospice care. In the end, a child, teenage, and adult patient can receive the same benefits that a senior can get –– like spiritual, palliative, and respite care.
One myth speculates that you must leave your home, in order to receive hospice care. Care programs tend to be strictly associated with nursing homes, care facilities, and hospitals. Even though these establishments are reliable places to find hospice services, they are not the only areas where you can get help.
There is a reason why people say: “There’s no place like home.” As stated previously, hospice care is meant to improve a patient and family’s quality of life. This includes their overall comfort. A person’s home can act as a central place of serenity.
To help them feel more comfortable, a hospice team is willing to provide care at a patient’s house. At home, nurses can perform checkups, social workers can form family meetings, and hospice volunteers can help with small chores around the house.
High-quality health care programs are said to be expensive. Note that there are going to be people, who are uninsured or do not have a sufficient coverage plan. With these factors in mind, families decide not to try a care program. Since they desperately need the money for their patient, is a care program worth a try?
Based on our research on hospice care, we believe hospice is worth it because the program is flexible in terms of coverage. The most apparent ways to get covered for hospice care are through Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans' Administration (VA) benefits.
If you’re with a private insurance company, then contact them. Many work-based and private insurance plans provide at least some coverage for hospice. If you have no insurance plan, hospice organizations can offer care at no cost or a reduced rate, as well.
If there is no difference between each hospice service, then how can this care program fully help the patient and their family? Hospice care would only be able to assist them to a limited degree. In the end, the patient, caregiver, and family would be left with a sense of unfulfillment and sadness.
Hospice services are far more diverse than what this myth infers. Hospice care can be divided into four levels: at-home, continuous, inpatient, and respite care.
Myths have the powerful ability to shape our view. By educating yourself, you can break the stigmas created by myths and learn about a subject’s true nature.
Just take a look at what we learned about hospice care today. Hospice services allow the patient, caregiver, and family to gain a sense of hope and peace.
Time in hospice care can be overwhelming for both the patient and the caregiver. To help lighten the worry of finding a delightful snack, we created the EATBar.
The EATBar is a simple-to-eat snack and a great source of calories. Using a meringue texture, our bars can easily melt in your mouth. To make things even better, we have four delicious flavors in store for you: dark chocolate, strawberry, vanilla chocolate, and lemon.
Taste theEATBar for yourself using our discount code BLOG15 to get 15% off your order!
To learn more about the EATBar, feel free to contact us. Don’t forget to also visit our blog for more family and food tips!
]]>The act of swallowing is a complex process that relies on the cooperation of 25 muscles and six nerves working together seamlessly to transport food and drink into our stomachs for digestion. Pretty incredible, right?
There are three distinct steps to swallowing — the mouth, throat, and esophagus. A problem can occur at any of these junctures to make it more difficult to get food down. If problems are persistent, this condition is classified as dysphagia, a medical term for swallowing difficulties.
(Psst! If you’re wondering about dysphagia’s pronunciation, try saying “dih-sfay-juh.”)
Medical Disclaimer: All content and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician. Always seek the medical advice of your speech-language pathologist and/or the official IDDSI website for your prescriptive plan.
There are many different types of dysphagia — for example, those suffering from oropharyngeal dysphagia predominantly struggle with swallowing in the mouth and throat.
Many people experience some type of dysphagia at some point in their lives due to neurological, mechanical, or other issues. The experience can be frustrating, especially if one is new to swallowing troubles.
It’s important to remember that you’re not alone, as over 5% of the population experiences a long-term reduction in their ability to swallow at some point in their lives. This percentage is higher in those with Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, head and neck cancer, and among children with developmental disorders.
Those with swallowing troubles should work with a speech-language pathologist to create a proper eating plan following the International Dysphagia Diet. This eating plan provides food recommendations to help people chew, swallow, and digest food at a consistency tailored to their needs.
After all, the appreciation of food can be one of the most unifying aspects of the human experience. Let’s explore how the guidelines proposed by the dysphagia diet can help us rediscover and deepen our love of eating.
The International Dysphagia Diet is split into many levels with some overlap between foods and liquids. These items are ranked on their texture and consistency to provide the best diet for those living with dysphagia.
Per the IDDSI, food and liquids are broken down into varying levels based on firmness and other features. Here’s a quick breakdown of the scale:
The final category is transitional foods. Through the process of chewing, these foods transition from a solid (level 7) to minced moist (level 5). Some foods that fit into this category are puffs, wafers, and the easy to chew, easy to love EATbar.
Before attempting any exercise at the gym, you should make sure that you know the proper form and technique. Well, the same rule applies to eating.
For those living with dysphagia, posture and positioning are incredibly important. Not only does the right body stance reduce the risk of aspiration, but it can make swallowing much safer.
If you work with a speech-language pathologist, they might be able to help you find the perfect position for your specific needs using exams like a video swallow study. They also might have tips for creating a calming, positive eating environment.
Make sure that you have plenty of time not to feel rushed or stressed. Meals are an excellent opportunity to appreciate flavors and check in with yourself. Take your time, relax, and savor the moment.
If possible, put on your favorite music. This might be slow jazz or chest-thumping Metallica, whatever helps you feel most at home. Talk with a friend, read, write, or simply sit back and crack open a book you’ve been meaning to read.
We should strive to make each meal an enjoyable one. Brainstorm different environments and pinpoint what makes you the most comfortable. If you’re able, do your best at mealtime to recreate the world you want to eat in, even if it’s something as small as listening to your favorite music.
Your food deserves to look nice. After all, you’re putting it in your body. Why not dress it up?
In meal making, pay attention to plating and appearance. If eating solids, serve meat and vegetables separately. It’s important to savor each dish on its own, rather than letting discordant flavors clash and congeal.
If you’re making puréed food, opt for vibrant vegetables like broccoli, sweet potatoes, or carrots. Fruits and veggies come in every color of the rainbow, and a plate’s always more appetizing if it looks like it could be hung on an art gallery wall.
Of course, serve foods at the proper temperature. Mashed potatoes are positively scrumptious when piping hot from the oven but can taste a bit icky when plucked out of the refrigerator and spooned into a bowl. Refer to the
If you’re not sure what level of the IDDSI diet a specific food falls under, no problem. Every food can be tested to determine its consistency level and whether that food is appropriate for you or your loved ones.
Beyond level four of the dysphagia diet, some speech pathologists may recommend transitional foods in therapy or as a safer alternative when individuals decline other diets.
Transitional foods typically enter the mouth as a firm solid but change into a softer, more chewable texture when saliva seeps in. These foods are beneficial for re-introducing the mouth to more durable food textures without requiring excessive chewing or challenging swallowing mechanisms.
One great transitional food option for those with dysphagia may be theEATBar. TheEATBar is a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth bar that comes in four unique flavors. Because of its coated meringue exterior, it starts with a solid crunchy texture and transitions to a minced, moist texture with saliva.
The bars may be suitable for someone that consumes a level 7 to level 5 diet. Because each bar requires minimal chewing, it may help those with difficulty reconnect with solid foods and their love of eating.
Delicious food comes in all shapes and sizes. At its best, food doesn’t just bring us energy, but joy and memories too. That’s why we made theEATBar, infusing an irresistible melt-in-your-mouth meringue flavor to help rekindle a love of food in those with eating troubles.
Living with dysphagia certainly has its challenges, but it’s still possible to look forward to every meal and the bottom of every bowl. Listen to your doctor and therapists, lean on friends and family for support, and remember to seek out delicious transitional foods like theEATBar.
To help you along your journey, use our discount code BLOG15 at checkout to get 15% off your order.
]]>We only notice how much we appreciate hunger when it disappears on us, leading us to ask questions like, “Why am I not hungry after not eating all day?”
If you’re not feeling quite as hungry as you used to, you’re not alone — everyone loses their appetite at some point in their life.
When we feel this way, it’s important to take stock of the changes in our lives or bodies that might be leading to a loss of appetite, while making sure to give ourselves the energy we need.
We’ve compiled a short menu filled with calorie-dense, easy-to-digest foods along with some tips and techniques to help us rediscover that awkward, well-meaning friend — hunger.
Our bodies need a lot of energy. A lot.
For instance, a 450 calorie doughnut has about the same energy as a stick of dynamite. Because the average person eats between 1500-2500 calories a day, that means we eat the equivalent of four to six sticks of dynamite a day!
But don’t worry, a cinnamon twist doughnut won’t explode in your belly any time soon. Our bodies burn these calories slowly in an efficient, controlled manner, pumping the energy wherever it’s needed. In other words, food is our fuel.
Even when we’re lying absolutely still, we consume huge amounts of energy by breathing, maintaining our body temperature, pumping blood through our body, and using our brainpower — 20% of your energy needs come just from your thoughts!
To keep our tanks full and our machines running, we need a signal that tells our body that we need more energy — hunger
Normally, hunger’s pretty good at telling us when we need another snack. But sometimes, this hunger signal doesn’t come through as strongly as we’d like, or we simply don’t feel like eating. Everybody goes through phases when their appetite wanes, but our bodies still need food.
Here are some signs that our body needs food even if we’re not hungry:
It’s tough to eat when you’re feeling this way, but there are some foods and practices you can bring into your life to increase your appetite and make refueling a bit easier.
When our motivation to eat is low, we can compensate by filling our stomachs with energy-dense foods and those that are easiest for our bodies to digest.
These picks infuse us with the fuel we need to conquer the day without upsetting our stomachs.
Rich in protein and healthy fats, hard-boiled eggs are a great option if you have an upset stomach. Their soft texture is fun to chew and they can quickly fill you up with long-lasting energy to power you through your day.
Eating a ripe banana also infuses your muscles with electrolytes which can help reduce cramping and even relieve nausea.
Drinking your energy in liquid form gives you the fuel you need quickly and deliciously. Because they’re already broken down, liquids are easily digested by the stomach, so you might feel a quicker energy pick-me-up than a fiber-heavy food.
One of the easiest foods to digest, white rice is an easy option for someone who’s dealing with stomach issues. Each spoonful is packed with magnesium, iron, and B vitamins. While it’s usually served with other foods, white rice can be a tasty treat all on its own.
Tasty, convenient, and perfect company for a short walk outside, theEATBar can be just the fix we need to make eating fun. Coming in four unique flavors and layered with sweet meringue flavor, theEATBar is a great option to fill your stomach when your appetite’s MIA.
With all these easy eating options in mind, there are still many techniques we can adopt to make regular eating a staple of our daily life even with decreased appetite.
It’s easier to eat when we love what we’re eating. Take out a pen and paper and make a short list of foods that you love.
This could be dark chocolate, cheese and crackers, or a bowl of your favorite cereal. If you’re not quite ready to take a bite of these foods yet, then look forward to getting reacquainted when the time is right.
If you’re physically able, try going for a light jog or a scenic hike. Working out our muscles helps ramp our metabolism into a higher gear, boosting our appetites and lowering stress levels.
If you’re wondering which workouts are best suited for you, talk to your healthcare provider and find out what they recommend.
Eating is always more enjoyable when we’re with loved ones. And there’s nothing more satisfying than cooking up a home-cooked meal in the kitchen, all working to make the best dish possible.
Sometimes, all we need is the right environment to get in the right mindset. By surrounding yourself with friends who love eating, you just might find some appetite creeping back into your stomach.
In general, we’re advised to eat every three to four hours. If you find yourself forgetting or postponing a snacking session, set yourself a reminder on your phone.
When it buzzes, stop what you’re doing and take a few scrumptious bites of a snack you love. Once you’re done, reset the timer and be ready to go again in a few hours.
We all know this one — treat others how you’d like to be treated.
But sometimes, we forget to apply it to ourselves — treat yourself how you’d like others to be treated.
Struggling with eating can be a frustrating experience, but it’s never helpful to beat yourself up. We all go through tough periods. The most we can ask ourselves is to do our best and spend time with people who care about us.
So take a deep breath. Take time to be grateful, not just for others but for yourself. Once you’ve done that, you can take a small step on your journey to falling even further in love with food.
There are dozens of reasons we might experience a lack of appetite — side effects of a new medication, underlying health conditions, even the common cold.
The trick to making it through these periods is to bring foods into our life that are energy-dense and easy to digest. Make a list of your favorite dishes, set a reminder on your phone, and surround yourself with friends who love eating.
While you’re at it, add another treat to your growing list of favorite foods by using our discount code BLOG15 at checkout to receive 15% off your order.
We believe that eating is one of the most enjoyable, unique aspects of being alive. That’s why we created theEATBar, a delicious bar bursting with meringue flavor perfect for anyone living with eating troubles, especially those with secret superpowers.
Remember, you can process the energy equivalent of a half-dozen sticks of dynamite a day! If that’s not a superpower, we don’t know what is.
We’ve compiled 10 helpful tips to make sure you and your loved one make the most of your next visit to the hospital.
Staying in a hospital can be a trying, tiring experience, and sometimes what a family member really needs is rest, relaxation, and some alone time. Ask your loved one honestly if they’d like you to visit or not, and don’t take it personally if they decline. Simply let them know that you’d love to visit whenever they feel up for it.
If you’re ready to visit, remember that facilities have different hospital visitation rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions are determined by state governments and by each individual hospital. Many require that you’re fully vaccinated and that you wear a mask to minimize the spread of COVID.
Definitely practice social distancing and wash or sanitize your hands before, during, and after your visit. You might also want to schedule a COVID-19 test before your visit to ensure your loved one’s safety. Also, check if their hospital has a special policy on child visitors, as some do. Following the rules is the first step to keeping your loved one safe and their medical team happy
Check the hospital visiting hours before you schedule your strip. If you arrive at the beginning of visiting hours along with a large number of visitors, this process could take some time, so bring a book or magazine to pass the time.
All across the country, staff shortages are putting a strain on hospitals. Most physicians already worked between 40-60 hours per week, and now they’re putting in more hours than ever before caring for COVID patients.
While your loved one’s medical staff might be hard to get a hold of, remember to put yourself in their shoes. They likely have far more on their plate than they would like. Showing your appreciation could be as simple as saying “please,” or “thank you.” A little recognition and empathy go a long way.
While flowers are often the go-to gift when visiting a patient in the hospital, more nurses are recommending that you keep these out of hospital rooms. The pollen and petals can activate allergies which can complicate matters for those that are immuno-compromised.
Even if your loved one would really appreciate a sunflower, their roommate may not be so grateful — the same goes for perfume or cologne.
Instead, go for gifts like:
If another loved one is unable to visit right now, check-in with them to see if they’d be able to set up a video call or even compose a hand-written letter. Staying in the hospital is often an isolating experience, and your family member will appreciate hearing from others.
Depending on their personality and how they feel, they might also be tired and feel a little overwhelmed by in-person visitors, so setting up other avenues to connect could be just the pick-me-up they need.
One of your biggest jobs during this period is to serve as an advocate for your loved one. You’re an integral part of your family member’s care team, so check in with them during every visit and see if there’s anything you can do to increase their comfort levels, within reason.
If your loved one is unable, take notes as the physician suggests treatment options and other ways to maximize patient care. Remember, medical records are only the business of your loved one and their doctor.
Here is an apt time to plug the golden rule — treat your loved one as you’d like to be treated. Depending on your family member, that might mean respecting boundaries and not overstepping your bounds.
There are few more bonding experiences than sharing a delicious meal, and hospitals aren’t exactly known for their world-class eats. However, your loved one might be on a specific diet designed by their doctor. Check with medical staff and find out if you’re able to bring in a healthy, home-cooked meal or a convenient, scrumptious EATBar.
Not everyone is able to make frequent visits to the hospital right now, especially if you’re an immuno-compromised person yourself. You might be able to help more by putting together home-cooked meals, doing grocery shopping, and helping keep your family member’s house in order.
A clean house and a well-walked, well-fed dog can go a long way to making sure someone’s return from the hospital goes as smoothly as possible.
Few realize how draining it can be to constantly care and advocate for a loved one. One of the most important things you can do for your family member is to take care of yourself. Make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising every couple of days.
It’s easy to recognize that someone needs rest and recuperation when they’re inside the hospital, but a little harder to notice when someone’s constantly running errands and balancing a job and home life. Closely monitor your own energy levels and feelings and set healthy limits on what can be expected of you. Of course, stay home if you’re feeling sick in the slightest.
Though we might not cherish our times in hospitals, these facilities are vital components of living a healthy, active life. Hospitals are filled with nurses and physicians that care about restoring us to full health and leading the best life possible.
However, hospitals are only designed to cater to the needs of hospital patients, and sometimes we can forget that caregivers need care too.
Remind yourself to rest, recuperate, and take time for yourself. Cook yourself up a delicious, home-cooked meal or chow down on a scrumptious EATBar layered with rich, meringue flavor.
As an extra treat, use our discount code BLOG15 at checkout to earn 15% off your order.
Whether they won’t touch anything green or never feel like eating period, it can be frustrating for you and your child once dinner time rolls around. So rather than blowing a fuse at the dinner table every day, you can help them improve their eating habits.
There are ways to nudge your child in the right direction. Understanding picky eaters and how to introduce new foods into their diet can help you expand your child’s mind to the vast and wonderful world of food!
Children can become picky eaters for several reasons. They may be sensitive to a particular taste, aroma, or texture. Children can learn eating habits from parents, as well. For example, if your child sees you complaining about a meal, they may learn to dislike that same food.
On the other hand, some kids have illnesses that limit their eating options. Children –– who suffer from eating disorders, diabetes, or severe allergies like celiacs –– have to avoid certain foods, in order to prevent their situation from becoming worse.
With that in mind, we want you to know that being a picky eater is not a bad thing. Since everyone (especially children) has their own tastes, it’s natural for people to be attracted to some foods and grossed out by others. In the end, what you like and dislike to eat should be no one’s concern but your own.
When kids are young they should be introduced to a variety of foods. This opens up their mind and influences them to try new things. Keep in mind: some strategies can negatively affect your child. If you are worried about doing something wrong, we’re here to help!
If a child is not hungry, do not force them to eat a whole meal. Also, don’t bribe your child to eat. These methods will make kids see eating as a chore, instead of a pleasure. Not to mention, they can fill your child with anxiety and frustration. To make matters worse, they become less sensitive to hunger and fullness because they’re continuously being forced to clean their plate.
Rather than making your child eat a full meal, try serving small portions to them. This route prevents the child from overeating and allows them to ask for more if they want.
To bring healthy food into a picky eaters’ diet, you should be patient. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends you to wait three to five days between each new food. Also, start with small portions. By allowing your child to get a limited taste of new food, you can see if they are allergic to or can’t tolerate it.
It will take time for the first bite to arrive. Imagine giving your child a new type of food, like a sweet potato. They will closely analyze the food by observing, smelling, and touching it. Some children may even put a tiny piece of the potato in their mouth, then take it out.
In this circumstance, you can help your child take a proper bite of the sweet potato by sitting down and talking about it with them. Don’t speak about how good the food tastes. Focus on its color, shape, aroma, and texture. Try serving the sweet potato with your child’s favorite food, as well. These techniques make the potato appear more “friendly” to the child. As a result, they’ll be willing to take that first delicious bite.
Feeding a picky child may be a trial, but small comfort foods can serve as the ideal meal for them. For some inexplicable reason, comfort foods provide a wonderful relief and security within someone. So, here are a few lunch and dinner recipes that you can serve.
If you’re having trouble finding good school lunch ideas for picky eaters, then why not try a cheese quesadilla? This food evokes vivid images of grilled cheese with its crunchy tortilla shell and hot, gooey cheese. What makes quesadillas even better is that they can be baked, rather than fried. So, naturally, the food uses less oil and is healthier than your run-of-the-mill fried quesadilla.
Not only are chicken nuggets a popular kid-approved meal, but they are the perfect family-friendly food! The crunchy breading completely compliments the soft and juicy chicken breasts. Feel free to add your child’s favorite dipping sauce to bring some extra flavor into the mix. Chicken nuggets also serve as a “gateway” to other chicken-based dishes that they may enjoy.
Mac and cheese is a classic dish for dinner with picky eaters. Why? Mainly because it's simple and packed with flavor. The creamy, cheesy, and velvety nature of this meal makes it easy to eat. Plus, if your child gets tired of the old-fashioned mac and cheese recipe, you can easily add another ingredient to make the dish more refreshing. Consider adding vegetables –– such as spinach and broccoli –– or a little breadcrumbs into your child’s mac and cheese.
Finding suitable lunch or dinner ideas for picky eaters can be easily accomplished by using simple ingredients. Cheese quesadilla, chicken nuggets, and mac and cheese are just some of the meals that your kid will love. Other comfort foods that they may like include vegetables, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, veggie pizza, and fruit smoothies. The options are endless, so be sure to do research and create a list of the foods that you want to introduce into your child’s diet.
Children, who are not open to eating a wide variety of foods, can be frustrating to deal with. Yet, if you’ve made it to the end of this article, then it shows you truly care about developing your child’s eating habits. Please know that you are not alone in this mission.
At theEATBar, we understand the challenges of eating, so our snack bars are here to help! Using a meringue texture and simple flavors, we created a melt-in-your-mouth treat that’s easy to eat and a quick way to get calories. Your child will love these bars as a snack during lunch or as a boost of energy before playing with friends.
As a special treat, use the discount code BLOG15 for 15% off your next order!
If you want to know more about our meringue bars before giving them to your child, please contact us. We’re open to answering any questions you have regarding our product. Also, visit our blog for extra food and eating tips!
]]>Sometimes you’re the only person available to help them. While looking after a family member can be rewarding, it requires careful assistance, especially if the patient is a senior.
Seniors often need a caregiver to help them with specific tasks, such as getting to places, remembering to take their medication, and eating a meal.
If you’ve assumed the role of caregiver for someone, then we want to say: thank you! Not only are you helping a person that dearly needs it; but, by being with a patient, you have the ability to make them happier and healthier.
We understand that a person must take on the caregiver role for multiple reasons. For example, you may not have an available person to offer care at home, or you're the only one who can financially support the patient.
Whatever your case may be, one common theme that ties many family caregivers is the overwhelming feeling of not having the proper tools or qualifications.
Luckily, there are plenty of resources that can help in your caregiving journey! Hospice care is a special care plan that focuses on the quality of life for a terminally ill patient and their caregiver.
Hospice care assists the patient and caregiver by giving them access to multiple services, allowing the patient to receive proper care, so the family caregiver does not have to perform much strenuous work.
You probably have a long list of questions and don’t even know where to start in your journey to finding hospice care. Don’t worry. After reading this, you should feel more prepared and comfortable to find support.
Some see hospice care as “giving up.” Yet, this idea couldn’t be further from the truth.
Hospice care seeks to improve the patient and caregiver’s quality of life, but there is more to this service than that. The hospice philosophy does not give up on life. Instead, hospice strongly asserts the value of life without hastening or postponing death.
A hospice team addresses any physical, psychosocial, and spiritual distress from the patient, caregiver, and other family members.
For instance, a hospice nurse or social worker holds regularly scheduled meetings for family and friends of the patient. These meetings give each person a chance to share their feelings and ask questions.
Hospice services give friends and family a break from caregiving, as well. Taking care of a terminally ill patient can be a physically and mentally draining task. So, hospice allows everyone to have up to five days of relaxation. The patient is cared for in either the hospice facility, a nursing home, or a hospital. Meanwhile, the patient’s family and friends are free to relax and plan activities until the respite care period is over.
We understand if you feel anxious by the thought of your loved one being surrounded by other people in a nursing home. In order to ease your mind, hospice patients can be treated in the comfort of your home and regularly scheduled meetings can be held at the caregiver’s house.
When you want to see your loved one but are too busy with work around the house, hospice can help with that! The hospice team enlists passionate volunteers to assist you with light chores, like cooking, cleaning, or picking up dry cleaning. Domestic duties are, ultimately, your responsibility; but hospice is always willing to take some of the “weight” off your shoulders, so you can have time to focus on the patient.
One common misconception is the idea that palliative care and hospice care are the same. Though palliative care is often included in hospice services, these care plans are different. So, what is the difference between hospice and palliative care?
Hospice care is reserved for patients who have six months or less to live. These patients’ illnesses cannot be cured or treated. On the other hand, palliative care can be provided during any stage of a person’s illness and the patient receives active treatment.
Medicare, Veterans’ Administration (VA) benefits, and Medicaid cover hospice care. If you are with a private health insurance company, it’s best to talk with them since their plans vary in terms of coverage. People –– who are uninsured or do not have a sufficient coverage plan –– can receive help from some hospice organizations. Due to money from donations, grants, or other sources, certain organizations can offer hospice care at no cost or a reduced rate.
Taking the time to assist your loved one every day is a noble, challenging, and rewarding task. Not only are you spending long hours looking after them, but you’re also allowing the patient to experience a sense of tranquility. Caregiving can be a physically and mentally draining task, so asking for help is encouraged!
Multiple qualified workers, like a hospice team, provide an efficient way to take care of the patient, your family, and yourself. With this in mind, we advise you to consider what your friends, family, and the patient have to say about hospice care. Feel free to research a care plan and to find any local hospice help in your area, too.
Finding something for your loved one to eat can be tough. Often times, seniors are not hungry or are unable to eat much. Even children find it hard to stomach something during their hospice treatment. This is where the EATBar comes in. The EATBar is delicious and simple comfort food, which is designed to melt in your mouth.
When you’re struggling to find food for your loved one, theEATBar serves as a pleasurable treat for everyone. It also gives your patient an easy-to-eat snack with delicious flavors, like dark chocolate, strawberry, vanilla chocolate, and lemon. What makes theEATBar perfect is its nut-free and made with gluten-free ingredients!
Pro-Tip: Use the discount code BLOG15 for a 15% off your next order!
Learn about theEATBar through our blog. Don’t forget to contact us with any questions or concerns regarding our product.
]]>However, humans have a much deeper, creative connection with food.
Think of all the cuisines in the world or the cultural significance of food in every society. Everything we do is centered around food. From birthday parties to holidays to tailgates, we celebrate life’s big moments with both the people we love and the food we love.
Enjoying food can be something most of us take for granted, as those who have trouble eating or enjoying food can find these moments of celebration difficult. At theEATBar, we want to show our love through food that includes everyone. This mission is at the heart of our company.
Keep reading for a dive into why food is so much more than just fuel.
We can understand just how important food is to humanity by focusing on the places and the people we eat with. Food is at the center of any celebration, gathering, or family dinner.
You may have complained about family dinners when you were a child, but the importance of “dinner time” is easily shown through weekly dinners with loved ones. Most family members have such busy schedules that dinner time can be the only time for visiting with one another.
Whether sharing a meal with your parent or sibling or going out to eat with your newfound friends, many of our joyful moments contain food. Sharing a meal is more than just chowing down; it is about taking the time to connect with the person across the dinner table.
For those who have lost their appetite or struggle at the dinner table, this connection of sharing a meal together can at times be tarnished.
We wanted to create theEATbar to provide a tasty, filling, and satisfying food option that can help bring joy back into eating. Having an eating experience that is actually enjoyable can allow one to focus on connecting with others at the table.
Another important thing to understand is everybody’s experience with food is unique.
Some people might have difficulty swallowing, while others struggle with binge eating. Someone you know might have to eat particular food or liquids to help with multiple sclerosis or struggle to physically eat because of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. There are hundreds of different ways people can interact with food, and no two people have the same experience.
The point is, you can never honestly know how the people around you experience and interact with food, and there’s no perfect solution that will accommodate everyone’s eating struggles.
Be mindful of our differences and never judge someone who has a different relationship with food. We hope others will do the same for you too!
Finding joy and not just fuel in eating, can be done through mindful eating.
Mindful eating, also known as intuitive eating, is a practice meant to reconnect you with food in a positive, almost meditative way. To start, all you have to do is ask yourself two questions:
And
The first question can reveal some of the various ways you view food. Most likely, the food you think you should eat is closer to the food you’ve been told you should eat. The second question helps you move past the should/shouldn’t phase of food and allows you to begin viewing foods with happiness and excitement again. If the answers to these questions are entirely different from one another, then diving deeper into mindful eating can be a great tool.
Instead of listening to the shoulds and shouldn't, mindful eating makes you listen to your body and ask yourself some critical questions.
What kind of food will satisfy your hunger? What type of food brings you happiness? What kinds of foods can give you nutrients while still achieving the first two goals?
Once you can answer those questions, your food journey will truly begin.
The answer to how to have a healthy relationship with food is going to look different for everyone. Although understanding that food is more than just a way to fuel our bodies can be a great place to start.
We created theEATbar to help bring joy and fun back to eating. Our founder, a speech-language pathologist by trade, wanted to make an easy-to-eat, calorie-full, delicious snack for everyone.
With a melt-in-your-mouth meringue texture and easy, tasty flavors, theEATbar is a quick and simple solution for anyone looking to eat.
Learn more about theEATbar, and other food tips on our blog!
]]>It is a highly noble and courageous task to take on, but at the same time, caregiving provides many challenges that are unpredictable and hard to handle. With so much to keep track of, caregivers are at risk of getting overwhelmed, burnt out, or simply exhausted from everything on their plate. Many times, while the caregiver is working tirelessly to provide high-quality care for their loved ones, no one is caring for the caregiver.
We want to change that!
At theEATbar, we know how difficult it can be to take on the pressure of caregiving, so we wanted to provide a shortlist of tips that any caregiver can use! From nationally available resources and support groups to self-care practices and more, this article will go over the basics of taking care of yourself while taking care of someone else. Whether you’re about to be a caregiver, you’ve been caregiving for a while, or you simply want to learn more about the caregiving process, this article should provide a solid place to start!
When you boil it down, caring for yourself focuses most on your mental health. Eating a healthy diet and taking care of your body with physical activity are essential, but often, caregivers can struggle most with the mental challenges caregiving provides. That’s why the very first (and arguably most important) tip on our list is prioritizing your own mental health at all times.
Some people might read this the wrong way and assume we’re saying to take care of yourself at the expense of the person you are caring for when in reality, it’s the exact opposite! There is no reason you shouldn’t be able to take care of your mental health while caring for someone else. In fact, if you aren’t taking care of your mental health, you probably can’t provide your best version of care services.
This can be especially true when you provide care for a loved one, such as one of your family members. As much as you won’t want to admit it, many caregivers report that it is more complex than they realized to see a family member or friend that is dealing with health problems. It’s crucial that you can remain stable throughout this time to continue to provide excellent care in the long term.
We highly recommend finding a therapist to help you relieve stress and develop healthy coping strategies for your challenges. Therapy, while often stigmatized, is one of the best investments you can make in your mental health, and regularly seeing a therapist as a caregiver can help you any time you feel overwhelmed.
This next tip goes hand in hand with our first recommendation, as giving yourself a robust support system will do wonders for your mental health. A support system, like therapy, provides various outlets for you to destress, rest, and get help. However, unlike therapy, a support system is wider-reaching and addresses many different aspects of your life.
A support system is often made up of the people closest to you, like family and friends, but it can also include medical professionals, respite care centers, and even professional family caregivers. There’s no single “perfect support system,” but if you have a group of people that can look out for you and give you the help you need, then you’re already well prepared.
Support groups and systems are also incredibly good at spotting the signs of caregiver burnout before you might realize it. Also known as caregiver fatigue, caregiver burnout occurs when a caregiver simply reaches their mental and emotional limit. Caregiving roles demand a lot from a person both physically and mentally, and when you let the stress, frustration, and exhaustion pile up, it can make a physical impact on your body.
However, with a solid support system, you can better manage caregiver stresses and challenges. You can even “dilute” the caregiver burden by allowing someone else to briefly provide care while you take a break for yourself. Find a reliable support system, and you will find caregiving to be much less hectic to handle.
Our final tip is simple; use the resources provided to you! Caregivers can feel like they are alone in their struggle or not prepared enough to provide informed caregiving, but there are so many resources that can help you with that!
One of the best resources you could ask for is The Family Caregiver Alliance, as it has superb lists of information, education, and even a state-by-state database of caregiver services and resources.
If you were working full-time before becoming a caregiver, the Family and Medical Leave Act could help you determine how much time you can be compensated for in paid time off. It might not seem like a huge deal at first, but this will give you a surprising amount of relief.
When you provide care to someone dealing with a specific health issue, such as heart disease or Alzheimer’s disease, you can often find specialized groups that can help you manage the particular problems associated with the matter. For example, the Alzheimer’s Association and the American Heart Association provide detailed information and resources related to their specific ailments.
Caregiving is a rewarding yet sometimes challenging task to take on. You will learn a great deal about yourself and the person you are caring for, and it’s tough to experience something like that without going through some significant emotional changes. Make sure you find the help and support you need for you to be successful.
As for us here at theEATbar, we provide a different type of support; tasty food! theEATBar was developed specifically with the ever burdened caregiver in mind. When you learn a loved one has been diagnosed with a medical condition, your world changes rapidly, and it changes a lot, so having a quick and easy snack is invaluable.
The shape of the bar promotes self-feeding, requires no utensils, and can be stored at room temperature so that anyone and everyone can enjoy it, making snacktime the easiest part of your day. Our unique melt-in-your-mouth meringue texture provides easy chewing, while our array of delicious flavors keeps you coming back for more!
Check out our collection of snack bars, or learn more about family and food at our blog!
]]>When people get hangry, it’s most likely due to a lack of food with no mealtime in sight. This is why hangry episodes are often in the middle of the afternoon, in the space between lunch and dinner! One solution could be adding more food to your regular mealtimes to try and make the waiting period more bearable, but in our opinion, the best solution will always be snack time.
Even if you haven’t seen the phrase since elementary school, snack time is a precious period of time in anybody’s day, and we’re trying to help it make a comeback. For some reason, snacks are often associated with being unhealthy, when it’s quite the opposite! Snacks allow you to feed and nourish your body whenever you need to, even if it’s in the middle of two significant mealtimes.
Snacks can also help a wide variety of people who may have difficulties with food or eating habits and can even help to teach younger children about valuable life lessons and social skills! So whether you’re looking for a way to prevent your partner from getting hangry or trying to help your kid develop a healthier relationship with food, look no further! We’ll go over some snacking basics, as well as the benefits of snack time, so you can start adding some snack breaks into your day.
Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the treatment, diagnosis, and/or medical advice of a qualified physician, registered dietitian, or healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
One of the possible reasons that snacks have gotten a bad rap recently is thanks to the values of modern society. As much as many of us try to avoid it, we live in a world that is quite often fixated on food, weight, health, and diets. Instead of promoting healthier eating habits or encouraging body positivity, the global focus is usually on the latest fad diet or exercise routine promising to “sculpt your body.”
All of this has led to an overwhelming amount of people that struggle with their relationship to food. Over or under-eating, binge eating, calorie counting, and various other eating disorders exist in society today. Thanks to the relentless press of ultra-healthy body images and diets, it’s difficult to break free from these disorders. Here’s where adding in snacks can help!
Rather than painting snacks as a cause of weight gain or “overeating,” snacks should be viewed as a positive, simple way to give your body food when it requires it. This can help start reframing nutrition in your mind as nothing more than energy and sustenance for your body. It removes pressures and societal expectations that center around food, and by normalizing the idea of “eating when you’re hungry,” you might start interacting with food in a healthier way.
Building on the ideas in the last section, snack time is all about tuning into yourself and understanding your body’s needs. The keyword here is needs and not necessarily wants. This could be a reason that snacks don’t get a great reputation, as when people go to snack, they won’t always choose great food.
However, just as with anything else, there are two sides to this story. It’s true that many people think of quick and easy options when it comes to snacking, but that’s likely due to the fact that most quick and easy snacks are labeled as snack food! Bringing back a regular snack time to your life can help you break that relationship in your mind and help you listen to your body when it comes to food.
This last tip is directed more at children (or, more accurately, the parents of children), but anyone can still follow this advice. Besides providing a midday boost or staving off those pesky hangry feelings, snack time can be highly educational, both about food and plenty of other things!
For children, in particular, snack time can teach them several valuable lessons. For the youngest children, snack time is the perfect arena to practice sharing and communication. Teaching kids how to share is much easier when it comes to food because pretty much everyone wants some!
Snacks can also teach kids about people with allergies or difficulties eating. If some people are gluten-free, can’t eat peanut butter because of an allergy, or really don’t like cottage cheese because of the texture, those moments can teach kids about all the ways people interact with food. This can help children develop a more understanding and compassionate stance regarding food while also combatting toxic diet and body image culture!
Finally, and perhaps most obviously, snack time is a fantastic place to try new foods, learn about the categories of foods, and redefine what a snack is! For instance, with some trail mix and nut butter, you can show the importance of healthy fats while providing a tasty snack. More nutritious snacks like dried fruits and beef jerky can show people different, more natural protein, fat, and sugar sources!
Some of the best meals and snacks are discovered simply by trial and error, and when snack time is encouraged for anyone and everyone, there are endless possibilities.
Though this article has primarily focused on “healthy” snacks, snacks are meant to be enjoyed, so if a food makes you happy, eat it! You don’t always have to eat boiled eggs and wheat toast with cream cheese (yuck); have some ice cream now and again! Treating yourself to something sweet and sugary can affect your mood, and give a little boost to your happiness.
Snack time isn’t about being the healthiest or eating the best foods; it’s about giving your body a little extra. It’s about enjoying the process of eating and finding joy in the fact that food gives you energy. As long as you’ve got that part figured out, you’re well on your way to happy snacking!
We love snacks here at theEATbar, which led to the creation of our bars in the first place! Our unique, meringue-textured snack bars are perfect for snacking amongst all ages! The bars are tasty, melt-in-your-mouth, and chock full of calories that will help you get back on your feet in the middle of the day.
Check out our collection of tasty bars here, or learn more on our blog!
That being said, plenty of people have noticed that it’s become a little more difficult to connect in recent years. Maybe work hours have started to bleed over into the evening, or your kids have after-school sports and activities that prevent you from having the nightly dinner you may remember. When reality hits, it can be extremely difficult to always spend dinner together at the same table...and that’s ok.
Not every dinner has to be an event, and when it’s all said and done, it’s natural for many families to struggle with matching schedules. There’s nothing “wrong” with you or your family if you don’t have many family dinners because every family is different! Kids will grow up and go through phases, your values can change and evolve with time, and just like all other things, families are constantly evolving.
However, if you have a family dinner planned for some time soon, or you’re looking for a new way to connect with your loved ones, we’ve got a couple of suggestions that might help you, namely, conversation starters! We know it sounds corny at first, but having some interesting conversation topics up your sleeve can transform almost any gathering, family dinners included.
This article outlines five conversation starters that you could break out at the next family dinner. Because we only have five suggestions for you, we made sure each one fits a slightly different family dinner situation. For example, one of our suggestions is geared towards a family dinner with extended family included, like a holiday meal, while another suggestion will probably work best with younger kids!
If nothing else, we hope this article can give you some good ideas about ways your family can connect. We realize it’s not always easy for families to connect, especially as children grow up and schedules get busier and busier. That’s why conversation starters are a great way to add some family time back to your life; they’re quick, compelling, and you might be surprised at what you learn!
As we said before, these conversation starters are for a few different situations. In theory, you could try these conversations at any time, but you might have more initial success sticking to the categories!
We’ll start with one of our favorite conversation starters for kids! As anybody who spends a lot of time around young children will know, having a complete conversation can often be a tall task. On the one hand, most kids love to talk and tell stories, so starting the conversation isn’t too hard. On the other hand, kids can switch emotions and trains of thought in the blink of an eye, and if an exchange isn’t up their alley, they’ll switch their focuses pretty quickly.
To try and spark a conversation with younger kids at a dinner table, you might consider focusing on fun, quirky, or imaginative questions, so it feels more like playing a game than having a conversation! This can go in a lot of different directions, but to give you a good starting conversation idea, try this:
“If you had one wish (and you can’t wish for more wishes), what would you wish for?”
Have everyone at the table go around and say their wishes, and ask them to explain why they wished for that! Make sure your kids know that it’s more of a “silly” question than anything so that they don’t feel any pressure about their answers.
On the other side of the talking spectrum from young kids are teens. Teens are much more likely to answer your questions with simple “yes” or “no” grunts than they are to tell you a story about their day, so making this connection can be difficult. Obviously, that’s not the case for every teen out there, but middle school and high school can be challenging for everybody, especially when it comes to socialization.
As a result, a conversation starter for a teen will look much different. A good strategy could be catering the conversation towards one of their specific interests or asking questions about a topic you know your teen is excited about. Try to hone in on one or two significant issues, and you should be able to spark a fascinating conversation! For example, if your teen is in the middle of a book you know they are enjoying, try:
“Who is your favorite character from the ____ (book, movie, show) you’re into right now?”
By leaving it slightly open-ended, your family can all respond with different answers while providing the teen with a topic they hopefully feel more comfortable about.
When the grandparents come to visit, many of us tend to bring out “the big” dinner table so we can properly feast! Often, grandparents visit around the holidays or important events, so you may even have a dinner party while they’re around. For this kind of dinner, conversation starters might do well to focus on prompting family stories!
Our grandparents (or mom and dad, depending on how you look at it) are fantastic sources of stories and family history. When you get the chance to have them open up, it can be an excellent opportunity for the whole family to learn something interesting about their own lineage. Just make sure that the question makes a space for everyone to tell a story.
Try: “What’s your favorite family tradition or memory? Why is it your favorite, and if you know, how did it start?”
This creates accessible story opportunities for the younger folks in the family and exciting stories about the family from the older folks! It’s a win-win.
If the entire extended family is coming for dinner, then you might have a family game night on your hands. You already know that there will be plenty of catching up and talking around the table, so instead of opting for a standard conversation starter, you might want to look into some dinner table games for family!
We know that families generally love board games and charades, but dinner time provides opportunities for different types of games. Since everyone will be eating, you want the game to be casual and hands-free.
Try starting “The Family Questions Game” by asking one family member: “What has been the ____ part of your year, and why?”
This person starts the chain of responses that will then go around the table! You can fill in the blank with any adjective, but by giving the entire table a single question, you can involve everyone in the conversation with minimal effort.
For our final recommendation, we’ve got a celebratory conversation starter! This is the most niche among all the family conversation starters, so it might not work in every situation. For some context, imagine that this is a birthday, graduation, or anniversary dinner with your family.
The celebration will be the center of attention for most of the night, so playing into that can help. To include everyone in the conversation, make it general enough to apply to anyone but still relatively on topic. One example of this could be:
“What was the hardest part of reaching this celebration? What are you looking forward to going forward from this point?”
When you ask about the past and present surrounding the event, you can draw out stories from people and their dreams and goals for the future, which always makes for great conversations!
Here at theEATbar, we love helping families come together and connect. That’s one of the reasons we created the company in the first place; making a snack that’s fun and easy for the entire family to eat and share, regardless of a disability or disorder.
TheEATbar’s melt-in-your-mouth meringue texture comes in several tasty flavors, so it’s the perfect snack for any time of the day. If you’re looking for easy, fun, and filling calories, theEATbar might just become your next favorite snack bar! Check out our snack collection on our website, or read our blog for more great family and food content.
People with eating challenges are often stuck with tasteless, bland food options, and they deserve better!
That original idea was what led Bagan (along with some of her closest family) to create theEATBar, a delicious treat that brings the joy back to eating. Crafted from melt-in-your-mouth meringue across several delicious flavors, this snack bar is leading the charge for accessible food, and it might just help you too!
Creating theEATBar was just the first step to bringing the joy back to eating. As we grow, we discover more and more people in need of a simple and easy treat, and we’re happy to help.
Have you ever felt the strange feeling of completely losing your appetite? Unfortunately for some people, that feeling is more common than you might realize. We designed theEATbar specifically for these people who struggle with day-to-day eating more than the average eater! In a sense, our purpose is to bring more joy, more connection, and more love to all food lovers.
We know how many individuals and families struggle to find satisfying food options, particularly in the snack department. Many people try to enjoy traditional snacks only to be fatigued by excessive chewing or spoon-feeding. We needed something different, something that was easy, tasty, and filling, because when you can enjoy your food, the rest of the world comes just a little bit easier.
From older adults and those who have trouble swallowing to people with various other health problems, theEATbar is on a mission to help.
In addition to its original purpose as a treat for people with eating challenges, theEATBar was made to bring us all together.
Often, caregivers, parents, and children are spending less time eating together than they spend on finding and making food that works for them! Though it might not seem like a big deal, eating together is one of the best ways to connect with your loved ones, so bringing people back together over an easy snack seemed like a great solution. Now, instead of yet another item on a caregiver’s to-do list, theEATBar is an enjoyable and straightforward snack that lets people spend their time together.
A quick search on Google may give you a list of soft and pureed foods to help with swallowing difficulties, but they’re kind of… meh.
Disclaimer: Remember to always speak to your healthcare provider about appropriate foods and consistencies.
Oatmeal, mashed potatoes, and yogurts are all acceptable foods, but they’re definitely not the celebration we’re talking about. Eating is supposed to be joyous, even if you’re on a soft food diet.
theEATBar is a crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth meringue bursting with flavor; it's a sensory experience you will actually celebrate.
We designed theEATBar’s bold tastes, quick melt, and easy calories to bring a fun and shareable snack into people's lives.
The simple act of eating—which isn’t always simple—can be an act of great love.
Our meringue bar flavors are much more exciting than pureed vegetables. There's a flavor for everyone with Dark Chocolate, Vanilla Chocolate, Strawberry, and Lemon. If your family’s looking to enjoy together, which we highly encourage, consider getting them all.
Share the joy of eating together again!
For all the reasons behind us creating theEATBar, we can really boil them down into three main ones:
Too much time is being spent on chewing, worrying, and preparing foods. It was time for a quick and satisfying snack to be made available. theEATBar may be little, but it’s having a significant impact on people’s lives.
With an overwhelming amount of underwhelming foods, we knew we needed big flavors that brought the fun back into eating. Easy food doesn’t have to be tasteless; in fact, it should be the complete opposite!
This brings us to our third reason,
Eating according to your dietary or physical needs is one thing, but eating without joy is something we can’t accept. theEATBar was made to make eating satisfying, exciting, and joyous again.
We created theEATBar because we needed theEATBar. People need to eat and do it in a way that provides them with joy.
Instead of eating a bowl of boring ol’ pureed vegetables, food should be a celebration. theEATBar is a scrumptious treat created to bring more joy to your mouth and life. Why would we settle for anything less?
To learn more about the lives we’re impacting today, check out our other blog posts and what others are saying about theEATBar.
]]>Recovery.
After surgery, the recovery process often becomes one of the most important tasks you have, as it helps you work through the challenges of life after your operation. Even if you don’t feel like you can or simply don’t want to do more physical therapy, sticking to your recovery process is ultimately the best option you have.
That being said, there’s no reason that your recovery has to be any more challenging than it already is! Between all of the physical therapy, stretches, medications, and checkups with your doctor, you still need to figure out a way to live your life. Granted, some of your everyday activities might be impossible during recovery (sorry extreme sports enthusiasts), but there are plenty of things you can do while in recovery that can make it easier.
Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or health care provider. Always seek the medical advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
If you’re reading this article, then there’s a decent chance you’re going to have surgery sometime soon. Maybe you’ve already had the procedure! Regardless, before we get into the fun activities that can occupy your downtime in recovery, you should know a few other things about recovering from surgery.
Undoubtedly, everyone’s experience will be slightly different in order to match the needs of their specific recovery plan. However, there are generally a few commonalities between all surgery recoveries! We put together a small list of things you might expect once your surgery is complete so that you can have a little more knowledge about your situation.
With just a few of these ideas in mind, let’s move on to the fun part; how to fill your recovery time!
For as long as they have existed, books have always been great companions to the sick and injured. Though it might sound cliche, a book can provide you with the perfect escape from your recovery process and give your brain something other than hospital food to think about. The biggest struggle with this suggestion is simply finding suitable reading material!
A book is also arguably a more captivating way to fill your time than watching an endless stream of movies and TV shows. You can get easily distracted when watching a screen all day, but hours can fly by without you noticing when your head is in a good book. If you don’t have any books you’re currently reading, it might be a good idea to ask for a few books from the people supporting you.
Note: If you aren’t getting the surgery yourself, an enthralling book will always be a good gift for the person who is!
Is reading not really your thing? That’s ok! These suggestions should help you figure out some fun activities, but you don’t have to follow every single one. As long as you can find ways to occupy yourself with all this newfound downtime, you’ll have some recovery success.
With that in mind, our next suggestion could help you to break out of the monotony of sitting around all day; make some art! This activity can truly be as simple or complex as you want it to be.
Are you just looking to kill some time in a fun and easy way? Get some activity books or coloring books to put on your bedside table. Want to improve your sculpting skills? Get some clay to work within the backyard. As long as it’s a relatively calm art medium, you should have no issues creating throughout your recovery.
Our last activity might be a little more difficult to achieve, so take our suggestion with a grain of salt, no pun intended! After all the bland hospital food and sometimes nasty-tasting medicines, you’re going to want some tasty eats to help you through the days. To start, you’ll probably order some food from your favorite restaurant or tear apart some gift baskets full of snacks that you might’ve received.
However, ordering out gets pricey after a little while, and gift boxes don’t keep fresh vegetables or protein very well. When you hit this point of your recovery, it might be time to take matters into your own hands and get cooking! Cooking is a great way to keep your hands and mind occupied, and it results in tasty food; how great is that?
For anyone recovering from surgery right now, you have our thoughts and sympathy! It’s always an ordeal to go through any operation, and we know how tough that can be on your and your family. To help ease some of the stress and fit a tasty snack or two into your schedule, you might want to pick up some EATbars!
Our tasty, meringue textured snack bars are perfect for anyone who wants a quick, easy-to-eat, and delicious snack! Full of easy calories for a great midday boost of energy, there’s just something about an easy-to-eat treat that melts in your mouth without any effort! Check out our collection, or read more about eating and lifestyle tips on our blog.
Though there are many options for older adults and how they want to live, one of the most influential and helpful solutions is a caregiver.
]]>As kids, we rarely give a thought to our parents getting old, but sooner or later, there will come a time when you need to sit down with your parents to discuss a plan for when they need help the most. Though there are many options for older adults and how they want to live, one of the most influential and helpful solutions is a caregiver.
A caregiver can be anyone, from yourself and other family members to trained nurses and professional facilities like nursing homes or retirement communities. As long as you are providing support and care for someone, you are a caregiver! Having a caregiver around helps people with daily tasks and upkeep, which can offer a huge sense of security and support for everyone involved.
However, while your aging loved ones receive excellent care and attention, the caregiver themselves can often struggle. Caregiver jobs are challenging and require a significant amount of emotional strength, something that takes a mental and physical toll on your body. Without outside help and support, the job can feel overwhelming, but with the right resources and assistance, it doesn’t have to be.
Keep reading for a quick look at 10 caregiver resources that anyone may find helpful! From support programs and health care assistance to a wide variety of other caregiver services, this list will outline some of the most valuable websites, organizations, and programs for caregivers.
Taking care of your loved ones can be difficult for everyone involved, but with the right kind of help and support, you can ease the stress and focus on the essential things.
At times, caregiving can be a draining job, and plenty of caregivers try to muddle through it on their own. Some of the best resources you can find as a caregiver will be the resources that provide you with mental and emotional support. Finding support resources can help you talk through the complex aspects of the job and give you a safe space to handle your own needs.
Generally, when you assume the role of caregiver, it’s for someone already in your family. Because of this particular connection, your own family members can be one of your greatest assets. Various family members can help you cook, provide emotional support, do research, and much more, so be sure to utilize them.
The experience of being a caregiver is pretty unique, and often, people who have never had caregiver responsibilities won’t understand the difficulties of the job. In these situations, having a caregiver support program can be extremely useful! Support groups can be in-person or online and can connect you to other caregivers around the world.
This connection can help you find information, discuss issues you might be facing, or simply find some validation from people who know what you are going through.
Caregiver responsibilities can quickly become the biggest priority in your life, which can sometimes lead to financial difficulties. There are plenty of resources for financial aid, but they will change depending on your circumstances.
Medicaid is one of the greatest resources for caregivers to utilize, especially in the case of caregivers for seniors. Adults over the age of 65 can qualify for Medicaid programs, and unlike Medicare, these programs can help to fund long-term care for seniors struggling with money.
If the person you are assisting was a member of the military and needs financial aid for their senior living, they may be able to get help from the Department of Veteran Affairs. This department can offer monetary support for medical care, disability compensation and more, for those who qualify.
Depending on the type of care you are providing, there will be different expectations and requirements. Every person that needs care is unique, and there’s bound to be a need for more information.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is composed of many different agencies, one of them being the Administration on Aging. This program was designed to promote the health and safety of seniors around the country and is one of the best resources you can turn to if you have questions.
Family caregiving is arguably the most common type of care provided around the country, as family members or friends often care for those closest to them. The Family Caregiver Alliance has superb resources for information, education, and even a state-by-state list of caregiver services and resources.
While it’s true that home care and caregiving can sometimes be solitary jobs, you should seek help whenever possible, even if it’s just an extra set of hands for administering medications or someone to help out with the activities of daily living. Getting tangible help is crucial to caregiving.
If caregiving is starting to overwhelm or strain you, you might want to explore the Eldercare Locator. This helpful site (managed by the Administration on Aging) is a national service that connects independent caregivers with state and local caregiving agencies. This is one of the best ways to find caregiving support, both for yourself and the person in need of care.
Sometimes, all you need help with is a little organization and structure, which is where Lotsa Helping Hands comes in. This handy site connects caregivers to the people in their community and any other people who wish to help with caregiving activities. You can coordinate who is preparing meals, providing assistance, or even visiting times!
As we’ve said before, caregiving depends on the person in need of care and their unique situations. In many cases, people in need of care will be dealing with significant illness or disease that requires extra knowledge or assistance. Though there are endless types of specific care out there, two of the most common are Alzheimer’s Care and Cancer Care.
Alzheimer’s disease can be tough to deal with, especially if you are close to the person it is affecting. The Alzheimer’s Association can help you learn more about the disease, ways you can connect and approach the person in care, and handle some of the more complex emotions that may come up during care.
Cancer is one of the most prevalent and severe diseases in our time, so there’s no shame in needing extra help and assistance when providing Cancer Care. The American Cancer Society has a plethora of resources, information, and a dedicated hotline for questions.
Caregiving is an enormous responsibility, but it can be just as rewarding and joyful too! Here at theEATbar, we know that one of the easiest ways to connect is through food, which is why we developed the EATbar! Our bars are made with melt-in-your-mouth joy for all, across an array of different flavors!
Check out theEATbar today, or explore our blog for more eating and caretaking tips!
]]>Sometimes, however, a hospital stay needs to last a bit longer than you might want. Perhaps you had a major surgery that you need to recover from, or maybe you’re pregnant and needing some extra care before your delivery! Whatever the reason, spending an extended amount of time in a hospital can be a challenging experience, but it doesn’t have to be.
Hospital staff will do everything they can to make you as comfortable as possible, but there are also a few steps that you can take to help. We put together this article to go over some of the best tips we could find for making your stay at a hospital as comfortable as possible. That way, if you ever find yourself at a hospital, you can be prepared for anything!
Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Whether you know you’re going to the hospital for a long time or you have to rush there in an emergency, a hospital bag can make a significant difference to your time spent there. So what do we mean by a hospital bag?
Depending on the situation, your hospital bag can serve a number of purposes. For instance, if you are going to the hospital for a planned long stay (expecting the birth of your child, planned surgery, etc.), then your bag should contain the bare essentials that you’ll need over the next few days. This can include hygiene items, comfortable clothes, a phone charger, and a book or two.
In these pre-planned cases, you can treat it more as a hospital “overnight” bag, as you will likely know the length of your stay. Having all of the essentials on hand will definitely make things easier!
However, if you find yourself at the hospital in an emergency, it might be good to make a hospital bag checklist. Naturally, you won’t be able to pack your hospital bag in an emergency, but if you have a willing family member or friend, the two of you can create a comprehensive list of items that they will then bring to you. You can make this checklist in case of emergency, or if you are able, once you are settled into the hospital.
Generally, when you’re in a hospital room, you’re experiencing something painful or uncomfortable. While nobody likes these feelings, many people can actually make their hospital stay harder because they try to be stoic and handle their pain independently. It’s natural to want independence, but in these situations, it’s better to put aside your pride and work with the doctors as closely as possible.
Regardless of your medical problem, pain can be one of the biggest hindrances to the recovery process, so it’s critical that you listen to your doctors and follow their recommendations. The more you follow the directions of your care team, the shorter your stay is likely to be!
Don’t get us wrong, hospital food is designed to be nutritious and beneficial to your recovery, but don’t be surprised when you start craving one of your favorite foods. While there will be vending machines with snacks and maybe even a food court, you just can’t compare those to your favorite meals. They’re called comfort foods for a reason!
Having one of your favorite snacks (our favorite is theEATBar) or home-cooked meals can be a great way to feel at home in an unfamiliar place. Just be sure to check with the doctor in charge of your primary care to ensure that you are able and allowed to eat that food. If it’s allowed, have a loved one bring you the food at a convenient time or have the food delivered.
While you’re in the hospital, you will have people that want to come visit and support you! From family members and loved ones to classmates and coworkers, there’s probably a good amount of people that will come through your room. The support will undoubtedly help with morale, and having visitors is a great way to stay in touch with the outside world, but at the same time, you’ll want to set boundaries.
Outside of the hospital’s existing rules, try to make a plan for when visitors can see you. You can do this by designating specific hours of the day that people can visit you or limiting people’s visits to a particular length of time.
Whatever the reason you’re in the hospital, you need your rest and relaxation to recover, so don’t feel guilty for setting up these essential boundaries! Your health care takes priority, and the people who care about you will undoubtedly understand.
There’s no “one way” to have a comfortable stay in a hospital; everyone has their own way of coping and feeling at home. If you think that bringing your shampoo and conditioner from home will make the hospital shower a bit cozier, then do that! If you can’t survive without your lucky lip balm, have a friend bring it to you. If it’s going to help you in some way, then that’s the best decision you can make.
That being said, there’s no way to predict what’s going to happen or what will bring you the most comfort, so it’s essential to remain flexible and open-minded. Talk to your doctors as often as possible, so you can assess your situation and react accordingly. If your care team has any medical students, they can be a great resource for answering the more technical questions you may have.
The more you are able to roll with the punches, and adapt to whatever comes your way, the more comfortable your stay will be! It’s never easy being in the hospital, but with the help of those around you, and good communication, it will be as comfy as possible.
If you’re looking for some simple, but tasty snacks that anyone can enjoy, you should check out theEATbar! Our meringue-based snack bars are great for people of all ages, and we’d definitely recommend adding some to your hospital bag. Whether you need something tasty to break up the hospital food or have a family member that’s having difficulty eating on their own, our bar can help you.
For all of our delicious flavors, check out our online shop, or catch up on our blog to learn more!
]]>There’s nothing wrong with picky eating; everyone has their own preferences, but when it comes to your kids, lunch ideas for picky eaters can be few and far between. Picky eating can tend to make your life difficult. You want to make sure your kid is getting the nutrition they need, but you also have to figure out what kinds of food they’ll actually eat! Finding that balance can be tricky, but thankfully, it’s not impossible!
Here at theEATbar, we know all about the trouble some people can have with eating, and we’re here to help! We put together this list of lunch box ideas for the picky eater(s) in your family, so you might be able to find those extra 10 minutes of sleep on a school morning. We made our suggestions as quick and easy as possible so that you can say goodbye to the stress of school lunches for good.
If you’ve been working with a picky eater for a little while now, you understand how frustrating it can be when they ask for the exact same ham and cheese sandwich for the fifth day in a row. You want to pack food that your kid enjoys, but if that’s limited to one or two types of meals, it’s easy to worry about them getting enough of the food they need.
In the end, school lunches for picky eaters depend on finding a balance of wants and needs. You should definitely focus on food that your kid wants to eat, but at the same time, you should still make sure they are getting all of the nutrients and calories they need.
Before we dive right in, we should mention that not every suggestion will work for you and your kid. While there are some main foods that tend to be popular with picky eaters, everyone has their own tastes and preferences. That’s why, before you start packing up your lunchboxes, you should take some time to discuss food options with your kids!
Picky eating can come from many different sources, ranging from eating challenges early in childhood to the social pressure that comes from eating. Because of that, you should make sure you know what your picky eater likes and avoids. Maybe you should focus on foods with a compatible texture or always avoid peanut butter. Whatever the case, taking time to learn your kids’ preferences will make the whole process easier for everyone!
Knowing their choices will also help you expand their palette as time goes on. If you know that your child is a fan of chicken nuggets, for instance, this can help you add more chicken-themed meals in the future! If you want to take it even one step further, you can make a list of all the foods your child enjoys so that they can help pick out the items for their lunch the next day.
Of course, there will always be days where none of the favorites sound good, and you’ll need to come up with something that can still fit your needs! That’s where we come in. We took a few of the most common picky eater meals and came up with alternatives that can save you from a lunch box meltdown!
The trick here is finding ingredients that can be made into a few different meals without too much of a hassle.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are a classic staple for tons of households, and their simplicity can translate to plenty of other dishes! For starters, there are plenty of other “picky eater” friendly foods that you can add to grilled cheese sandwiches.
Try adding fruit, like apples or bananas, to the sandwich, particularly if your child enjoys that fruit. You can also try this philosophy with kid-friendly vegetables, like cherry tomatoes or red peppers. If there’s a fruit or veggie that your child prefers, it could also work in this situation!
Alternatively, a quesadilla can provide the same cheesy, crunchy textures as a grilled cheese sandwich while still mixing up the routine. You might even want to add some beans to a quesadilla for some extra protein.
Plenty of kids want pizza every day for lunch, but we all know that isn’t possible (or healthy), so how can you find the balance? One great way to approach this is by deconstructing the pizza into some simple ingredients and packing each separately. For example, you could try adding some string cheese and slices of salami to the next lunch box, along with a fruit or veggie you know your child likes.
This way, they can still get pretty much the same flavors as a traditional pizza, but with a little healthier kick to it! Another method is taking pizza ingredients and making them into another dish, like pizza pasta. Make some simple pasta, add in your child’s favorite pizza toppings, and voila, you have an entirely new meal that your kid will love.
If you have the main meal figured out but still want to make sure your kid is getting enough to eat during the day, you might want to come up with snack ideas! Finding healthy snacks for picky eaters can sometimes be more accessible than planning out entire meals, so this could save you some hair-pulling in the future!
Just like your lunch ideas, try to come up with a list of snacks for your kids that allows them to choose between some of their favorite foods.
Working with a picky eater can sometimes be frustrating, but as long as you approach them with patience and understanding, they’ll start helping you in return! Try talking to your picky eater about trying one new food per week, or add in small amounts of new food so your child can try it without having to eat a lot.
At theEATbar, we know that eating can be a challenge at times, so we made our snack bars as easy and fun to eat as possible! Our unique meringue texture and simple flavors are sure to be a hit with your family, from snack time to dessert. Try theEATbar today, or check out our blog for more eating tips and tricks.
]]>While it seems evident that professional chefs pay attention to the plating of their food, it’s not usually something that the average home cook cares about. Between buying the ingredients, learning the recipe, and actually cooking the meal, cooking at home can be a hassle enough as it is without having to worry about how you plate your food!
However, the way that food is served and presented actually makes a pretty significant impact on the human psyche! Sure, many chefs plate their food to be aesthetically pleasing, but doing so can also help with how people interact and view the food. In particular, food plating techniques can help overcome some eating challenges and make food fun for everyone!
In this article, we’ll explore some of the science behind food plating and why you might want to start paying attention to how you serve your food in the future. So, grab your silverware, pull up a placemat, and get ready to learn about the ins and outs of food presentation!
You might be thinking to yourself, “wait, does it really matter?” and we don’t blame you! Food plating and presentation takes time and conscious effort, making it challenging to keep up with on a day-to-day basis. That being said, the way you see your food can impact several aspects of your dining experience!
On a fundamental level, how our food looks can influence how appealing we find the food! For example, imagine you were given two plates of food. The food itself is identical (let’s say it’s pasta with vegetables), but the plating is different. If the first plate looks like the result of a food fight, while the second plate is neat and tidy, which one would you prefer?
Most people will probably choose the second plate, despite the food being the exact same! In part, this is thanks to human’s natural biases. Even if we don’t think we’re judging how a meal looks, how we see our food will influence how we believe the food will taste.
For many people that are considered “picky eaters,” a big issue with food is how it is served and presented. A widespread form of this is disliking when foods touch. For some picky eaters, it’s a simple dislike, and for others, it can be a full-on phobia, but the fact remains the same; there are a lot of people who won’t eat food that is touching other foods.
In these cases, food presentation is incredibly important! One solution that has shown success is the idea of a deconstructed plate. A concept that can also be found in fine dining, deconstructing a meal simply separates out all the individual aspects of a dish. Doing this can help picky eaters adapt to new foods, adjust their tastes, and practice various food explorations!
Deconstructing dishes can also ease feelings of guilt or shame for picky eaters, as they can pick and choose which ingredients they want to eat and which they wish to avoid.
Trying out new food presentation ideas can also help you develop a healthier relationship with food! This theory draws on the concept of “mindful eating,” which is a psychological practice meant to help people wanting more control of their eating habits. In short, mindful eating aims to make you more aware of your food, how it is nurturing and feeding you, and how it makes you feel.
If you pause to think about it, how often do you take time and appreciate the meal you’re eating? Most of us would probably say once in a blue moon, but then again, what does it mean to truly appreciate the food and not just enjoy the taste? These are the types of questions that guide mindful eating, and to help you answer some of those questions, you can try a couple of different plating methods!
For instance, you can try experimenting with different portion sizes to change how you view a meal. A larger or smaller portion than you are used to will make you stop, and think about your meal, even if it’s just for a second! However, by taking that slight pause, you are engaging with your food in a new and different way than before.
When you start thinking about how food is served and presented, you can begin to see new opportunities and ideas to try out. Though you can try any of the above techniques to address a specific food-related issue, you can also practice food presentation for the fun of it!
Why should fine dining have all the fun, right? You never know, making your food into works of art might be a fantastic outlet for creativity that you never thought to try! From edible flowers to unique plate sizes, there are so many accessories and choices you can make when it comes to the art of food presentation. Even if it does nothing more than make you happy, then it’s achieved its goal.
Here at theEATbar, we know that food can be a struggle for some people. Whether it’s due to a selective palate, difficulty in physically eating, or simply a lack of interest in food, overcoming eating challenges can sometimes feel overwhelming.
That’s why we designed theEATbar to be an easy-to-eat, melt-in-your-mouth treat that everyone can enjoy! Chock full of essential calories and made with a unique meringue texture, consider theEATbar to make eating fun again!
]]>Many times, parents will ask for help or care as they age, and in many cases, this puts the pressure of taking care of them on their adult children, whether they’re ready for that responsibility or not. It’s undoubtedly a complex subject to talk about, but the more you can prepare for the possibility of taking care of your parents, the better the entire situation will end up.
Maybe you’re not ready to have that talk with your folks yet, or perhaps you’re looking for a bit of guidance as your parents are transitioning into this period of their life. Whatever your case may be, we put together these tips to help you! We rounded up a few of our best pieces of advice, so whether you’re becoming a primary caregiver or helping your parents into assisted living, you can feel a little bit more prepared.
No matter what your situation is, the first step should always be to talk with your loved one. Before you make any decisions about care going forward, you need to consider everybody’s needs and opinions. Primarily, you should sort out the level of care your parents need and all the different available resources.
For instance, if your parents are firmly against senior living communities like nursing homes, you need to then assess how they can get the care they need while still respecting their wishes. Whatever decision you all come to, make sure it is going to be healthy for everyone.
Often, during this process, you can feel as though you need to make certain sacrifices to best help your parents. Too often, it can feel like you are “giving up your life” to care for your elderly parents, which can quickly lead to resentment. To avoid all of this, you should try to remember that your mental and physical health is just as important as your parents’.
We understand wanting to be there for your family members, but if it comes at the sacrifice of your own wellbeing, it won’t truly be helpful. There is no shame in making time and space for yourself when you need it and prioritizing your health when you need to. Striking a balance between caring for your parents and yourself is incredibly important.
If the process has been particularly tough on you, there are a few steps you can take. Many people have found help in caregiving support groups, as they can talk about their issues with people who understand their situation. These groups can be virtual or in person, but having someone who can empathize and understand your mindset may help you manage the stresses that can come up during caregiving.
Similarly, if you can provide the majority of care for your parents’ needs but still just need a break now and again, you may want to consider respite care options. Respite care is designed to aid primary caregivers by providing caregiving services for a certain amount of time. If you need any time off, from one afternoon to a few weeks, respite care will ensure that your parents are fully taken care of while you’re able to take care of yourself.
Naturally, when it comes to caring for aging parents, their health issues will likely be a prominent part of their care services. For you, this means you need to figure out what aspects of your parents’ lives are most important and how to make sure these needs are taken care of. By prioritizing the necessities of your parents’ lives, you make it much easier to handle the more minor details in the long term.
Assess what you are able to take on and what will need to come from another source. You can probably take care of your loved one’s food and hygiene habits pretty well, but most people aren’t equipped to provide health care. Even if you have experience as a family caregiver, there is no shame in getting help from medical professionals or institutions.
For example, if your parents require medical assistance regularly, your first step should determine the best place for them to live. This could end up with home care services, retirement communities, or simply your home, depending on the level of care your parents need. Just by determining that factor, you can give your parents the best possible care right from the beginning.
There is no tried and true method for elderly care, and everybody’s situation will be different. You might plan meticulously, set up the most complete care plan possible, and still have complications arise. That’s ok!
Arguably, the most critical aspect of elderly care is adapting to new situations and rolling with them as best you can. Just remember that there is only so much in this situation you can control, and stressing over these challenges won’t do much to fix them. Instead of trying to make everything work based on a plan, be willing to change the plan as you go, and give yourself breathing room for mistakes.
For you and your parents, their aging process can be challenging to accept and reckon with. At the same time, the time spent with your parents can also be incredibly rewarding and can help you remain close to your family. To help manage these difficult times and emotions, make sure you still remind your parents that you love them deeply. Even just daily conversations can be a gift for elderly parents who are looking for connection.
Armed with some new information, we hope this can help answer some of your questions about caring for your parents. Though we know this isn’t an exhaustive list, it can be an excellent starting place.
We’re all about helping people get the care and support they need, which is why we created the EATbar, a simple to eat, easy source of calories for everyone. If your parents have difficulty with food, try some of our melt-in-your-mouth bars today. You can also check out our blog for more food and family content!
]]>Though many people view picky eating as stubborn or rude, the truth is, it shouldn’t matter what you like to eat or not eat! Some picky eaters’ food choices stem from things out of their control, such as eating disorders, diabetes, or severe allergies like celiacs. As for other picky eaters, if the world can adjust to the hundreds of diets, food allergies, and dietary restrictions that we see every day, there’s no reason it can’t adjust to fully accommodate picky eaters as well.
However, fixing the stigma around picky eating still won’t make finding the food you can eat much more accessible, so that’s where we come in!
We put together this list of ideas for picky eaters in the hopes that it can provide some inspiration for your next meal or at least help you explore some food options without any social pressure tied to your choice.
Before we get too ahead of ourselves, we want to clarify that no two picky eaters are the same, so some suggestions might work, and some may not. For many, bitter and sour foods are the biggest issue, while for others, it depends entirely on the texture, smell, or way the food is prepared. We’re not intending this list to solve picky eating for good, but instead, give picky eaters a few ideas on how to figure out the diet that works best for them.
There are also plenty of resources online and in-person for getting help with an eating challenge! With advice ranging from “school lunch ideas for picky eaters” to “how to overcome picky eating,” the internet can give you hundreds of resources.
As much as we love to find new recipes for picky eaters, today we’re talking about snack time! Most kids love snacks, even kids that are picky about many other foods. Snacks are also a great time to work on introducing new foods or overcoming a particular aversion.
This is because snacks are generally much smaller in portion size than meals, making it easier to take small bites and not feel guilty for not eating more. Starting small and working up to a particular food can often help picky eaters adjust and accept new foods over time!
In regards to kids, there are a few main food types that tend to do pretty well around snack time:
Bonus Tip: Chicken nuggets can help picky eaters find other chicken-based dishes that they enjoy.
Finding food for picky eaters can be even harder when you’re shopping for a whole family. You don’t want to shame or embarrass someone for their eating choices, but you also need to make sure you’re getting food that everyone will eat. Finding some common ground between everyone will make coming up with snack and dinner ideas ten times easier.
Here are a few snack ideas that are easily adaptable for the whole family! Most of these foods are hits with picky eaters, with additional options for your family to add on if they want.
Bonus Tip: Every picky eater will have specific comfort food and textures, so if they like mac and cheese and tomato sauce, start there and slowly try to expand off of their tastes! You can also experiment with different healthy snacks for picky eaters by finding organic versions of their favorite foods.
Finding food for people with eating challenges can be difficult, and often, the options that end up working can still be pretty bland. With this knowledge in mind, the EATBar was born as a delicious, simple snack option for all.
The EATBar is designed to melt in your mouth, making it easy to eat and a tasty way to get quick calories. On days that you might be struggling to find food that sounds good, the EATBar can come to the rescue, giving you the energy you need without any worries. Even better, our bars are nut-free and gluten-free, making it easier for people with those allergies to enjoy our snack!
No one should be ashamed of what they want to eat, and at the EATBar, we’re focused on making food fun for everyone! Try our delicious meringue bars today, or check out our blog for more food and eating tips!
]]>