If you are an Alzheimer’s caregiver and you’re looking for a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day this year… look no further.
At Alzheimers.net, we’ve consulted with the experts to put together a healthy brunch menu that will really “wow” your mother and guests.
A Mother’s Day Brunch for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s
Before we share our healthy brunch menu with you, here are some tips on celebrating Mother’s Day with a loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease:
- Don’t expect perfection. In fact, the more you lower your expectations, the more enjoyable this Mother’s Day holiday will be.
- If you are inviting extended family members, be sure to educate them on what to expect in advance.
- Involve Mom or the person with Alzheimer’s as much as possible in the meal preparation, clean up and traditions.
- Keep in mind that people with Alzheimer’s can get easily overwhelmed, plan for rest time throughout the day.
- Put on old familiar music, that Mom (or a loved one) remembers from back in the day. This is a great way to spend the day working in the kitchen while reminiscing.
- Share a list of safe and useful gifts for your loved one with Alzheimer’s with family members and friends.
What’s on the Menu?
Below are some healthy dishes, all of which comply with the Alzheimer’s diet. If you are cooking alone, you may want to select a main dish, a side and one dessert. Remember the goal is to keep everything in moderation this year.
Note that, while the ingredient amounts and instructions can be followed on the recipes in the links provided below, we have made some adjustments to the ingredients to make the dishes more brain healthy (for example, almond milk is substituted for cow’s milk).
- Baked Salmon with Garlic Balsamic Sauce
- Blueberry Corncakes or Buckwheat Pancakes
- Hazelnut Greek Yogurt Parfait
- Healthy Blueberry Cheesecake
- Healthy Vegetable Egg Frittata
- Poached Egg Shakshuka (a healthy traditional middle eastern egg dish)
- Sweet Potato Cakes with Avocado and Lime
Baked Salmon with Garlic Balsamic Sauce
You can’t really have a brain healthy meal without wild caught fresh salmon. Loaded with brain healthy vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon is not only delicious, it’s one of the best foods you can eat for Alzheimer’s prevention.
See the complete recipe here: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/easy-baked-salmon-garlic-balsamic-glaze/
For Balsamic Sauce
- Aleppo pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Honey
For Salmon
- Black pepper and salt
- Fresh dill
- Fresh parsley leaves
- Salmon fillet, no skin
Blueberry Corncakes
This recipe comes from the Blue Zones diet website. Several areas of the world were designated as “Blue Zones,” because the inhabitants of these geographic regions live longer and are healthier than just about anyone on the planet. The food is non-processed; it includes plant-based proteins and local caught fish (similar to the Mediterranean diet).
See the complete recipe here: https://www.bluezones.com/recipe/blueberry-corn-cakes-recipe/
Ingredients:
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- Finely ground cornmeal
- Ground cinnamon
- Pure maple syrup
- Pure vanilla extract
- Sea salt
- Spelt flour
- Unsweetened plant-based milk (almond or coconut milk)
Buckwheat Pancakes with Berries
Combine 1 1/2 cups low-fat yogurt (any flavor, but no sugar added), 1 large egg, 1 cup whole-wheat or buckwheat pancake mix and 3/4 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk (almond or coconut milk). This recipe makes 4 to 5 servings. Serve with a small amount 100% real maple syrup, and 1 cup fresh strawberries, blueberries or raspberries (or all 3 for an optimal antioxidant kick).
Hazelnut Greek Yogurt Parfait
It’s all about a Greek yogurt parfait to celebrate Mother’s Day in a healthy way! This parfait includes the delicious flavors of coffee, hazelnuts, pistachios and raisins (we eliminated the Kahlua [because of its sugar content] and the table sugar) for a brain-healthy indulgent dessert!
Substitute for Kahlua
You can substitute: 1 teaspoon coffee extract per 2 tablespoons of Kahlua called for in the recipe, or 1 substitute 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder per 2 tablespoons of Kahlua ( the coffee extract offers more of the Kahlua flavor).
See complete recipe here: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/greek-yogurt-parfait-with-kahlua-nuts/
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Hazelnuts, shelled
- Light whipped cream (use very sparingly)
- Low-fat Greek Yogurt (sugar-free vanilla flavored)
- 4 tbsp Kahlua
- Pistachios, shelled
- 1/2 cup sugar (substitute healthy sugar substitute such as stevia)
- Thompson raisins
- Vanilla extract
Healthy Blueberry Cheesecake
What’s a Mother’s Day celebration without dessert? This healthy cheesecake is made with a base of cashews instead of cream cheese. The cashews create the creamy texture of the fat-laden cream cheese. You can use any type of berries (or combine several together) for the topping.
See complete recipe here: https://www.bluezones.com/recipe/blueberry-cheesecake/
Ingredients:
- Fresh blueberries
- Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- Melted coconut oil
- Raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
- 100% pure maple syrup
- Salt
For Crust
- 8 to 10 Medjool dates, pitted (for a healthy sweetener)
- Raw almonds
- Water
Healthy Vegetable Egg Frittata
This simple main dish (for brunch) is a baked frittata with arugula, pesto and roasted red peppers. It can be made in advance, then heated up on Mother’s Day (like a quiche). It’s easy to make, all natural, and full of great herbs and spices.
See the complete recipe here: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/baked-frittata-recipe-roasted-red-peppers-arugula-pesto/comment-page-1/#comment-1271340
Ingredients:
- Baby arugula
- Basil pesto
- Diced white onion
- Eggs
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh roasted red pepper and 3-5 cloves of garlic (place the garlic and peppers in foil, cover with extra virgin olive oil and roast in the oven on low until soft)
- Pepper and salt
- Shredded Mozzarella cheese (part-skim)
Poached Egg Shakshuka
Shakshuka is a very healthy Middle Eastern dish with healthy vegetables (like green peppers) and a tomato-based sauce. The eggs are poached in the sauce, which is made of green pepper stew, spiced tomatoes, garlic and onions. Large eggs are cracked, then poached over the tomato stew, then cooked over low heat. Use fresh tomatoes (not canned), the riper, the better, and fresh herbs and spices for optimal nutrients and brain health.
See the complete recipe here: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/shakshuka-recipe/
Ingredients:
- Chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh mint leaves
- Garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
- Green peppers, chopped
- Ground coriander
- Ground cumin
- Large eggs
- Pepper and salt
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Sweet paprika
- Tomato sauce
- 1 tsp sugar (substitute with stevia or coconut sugar for optimal brain health)
- Vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
- Yellow onion, chopped
Sweet Potato Cakes with Lime and Avocado
See the complete recipe here: https://www.bluezones.com/recipe/sweet-potato-cakes-recipe/
Ingredients:
- Brown rice flour
- Cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- Coconut butter or extra virgin olive oil, melted
- Cornstarch
- Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
- Fresh sweet potatoes
- Garlic cloves, crushed
- Limes juiced and quartered
- Red chilies, 1 finely chopped and 1 finely sliced
- Red onion, finely chopped
- Ripe avocados, halved and pitted
Do you have any other Mother’s Day brunch recipes that you’re planning to make for Mom? We’d like to hear about your plans and see your Mother’s Day brunch recipes in the comments below.
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