After the death of a spouse, eating can become a chore.  Many people do not have an appetite; others do not want to cook for one person; and others overlook their own physical well-being in the midst of grief and loneliness.  However, those who are alone should make good nutrition and health a priority in order to properly fuel their body.  Protein is important to keep muscles stronger and reduce the risk of falling; grains provide fiber for gut health and helping lower cholesterol; dairy provides calcium and vitamin D for strong bones and also helps reduce falls; fruits and vegetables are important to help prevent chronic disease. 

A group of widows had recently formed a support group and discovered they had developed bad eating habits after the loss of their spouse.  Instead of cooking an evening meal, they ate things like popcorn, crackers, and krispy treats.  They invited the Todd County Extension Agent for Family & Consumer Sciences to speak to them about nutrition.  After covering tips for cooking for one and using leftovers, the FCS Agent focused on stocking their pantry with items like tortillas, cans of fruit and vegetables, cans of meat, and freezing extra meals when they cook.  She also encouraged them to think about MyPlate and how they could turn a one item snack into a simple meal with three to four food groups.  The group practiced creating simple meals by playing a game where they were given the name of an item and asked to come up with a simple meal using items they had in their pantry at home.

At the end of the meeting, one of the ladies said.   “I really needed this.  I eat terrible.  I am going to the grocery on the way home.” Another said this gave her good ideas for meals and was encouraging.  The next day, one of the ladies sent me a message along with a picture of her dinner.  She had set a place for her dinner on her kitchen island and used a placemat and colorful fall arrangement (part of the lesson, instead of eating mindlessly).  She said “My dinner tonight—leftover chicken and mixed vegetables.  All I cooked was the rice.  Added teriyaki sauce.  Thank you for that great lesson and brining awareness to my eating habits.”

A 3-month follow-up is planned with the group.