A second helping

Many residents ought to be watching their calorie intake, but sometimes after a particular meal they are still hungry and want more. I wonder if residents should be allowed second helpings.

Since I am on a 1,500-calorie-a-day diet, the meal usually fills me up. But some days the noontime meal is smaller and other days when I feel hungrier. I sometimes want seconds but am reluctant to ask.

Many residents ask for second helpings every day. When a resident who gets single portions is seated beside a resident getting double portions, that resident, depending on what is served, might be looking at their neighbor's tray with longing.

Perhaps because of winter, residents are seeking comfort from more food. On days when they are told after trays are passed that there could be no seconds, some residents accept it. But some do complain.

I understand how the residents feel. Usually, I most enjoy the protein part of the meal. I would prefer to have two pieces of chicken and would gladly give up the potato or starch that is offered. But, I realize the protein part of the meal is also the most expensive part. So, in an endeavor to live in a state of balance, I try to eat what is put on my plate.

Since I seldom snack between meals, I wonder why residents, who ought to be full after lunch, cannot seem to wait until the 2 p.m. snack. However, I realize many residents do not ascribe to the theory that a meal should only fuel our bodies enough to keep us going until the next meal is served.

Kathleen Mears

Kathleen Mears is a long-time blogger who has been a nursing home resident for 21 years. She is an incomplete quadriplegic and uses a power wheelchair to get around. Her computer is her “window on the world.” This blog shares her thoughts and view of life as a nursing home resident as well as ideas of how it might be improved in the future.