I often find myself worrying more about my husband’s well being than my own. After all, I am his primary CarePartner and that carries a lot of responsibility. So, I plan meals and try make sure that he eats on a regular schedule. I watch what he eats to see that he gets his recommended allowance of fruits and vegetables and work to steer him away from unhealthy snack choices. And yes, I sneak extra veggies in whenever I can. But then, I catch myself eating whatever leftovers I find in the fridge.

We both still make our own breakfasts, which works well for us. We plan our other meals together and they are much like the things we both grew up with during the “meat and potatoes” days. We don’t necessarily like the same foods and his tastes tend to run to less healthy options. I can get by on soup or a salad and fruit for lunch, he needs a sandwich. Dinner usually is an entrée and 2 sides, we are still stuck on the food pyramid. Unfortunately, Michelle Obama’s healthy plate hasn’t made it to our house yet.

The Brian Grant Foundation recommends a plant based, whole food diet. They provide great nutritional advice including recipes at https://briangrant.org/nutrition/ for people with Parkinson’s. I know that their suggestions would be healthier for both of us, yet it would represent a complete change in how we shop, how we cook and what we eat. Then comes the challenge of getting him to eat it, we are still fighting the kale battle.