You and your elderly parent might not be huge zucchini fans, but this squash is easy to grow, healthy and delicious. If you’re worried about making recipes that your elderly loved one will enjoy eating, keep reading for a few ideas you can try. The great thing about zucchini is it has lots of vitamin A and very few calories. Once you’re more familiar with a few go-to recipes, you’ll find it easy to cook and prepare.

Dishes can be anywhere from savory to spicy to sweet. The most common way to use this versatile vegetable is in bread, and you’ve probably heard of zucchini bread before. Even if your elderly parent has tried zucchini in the past and not enjoyed it, that doesn’t mean they won’t like these recipes. You can hire senior care services if you need more help with meal planning and balancing health for your elderly loved one. They can also help your parent with the everyday tasks of living.

Tomato Zucchini Bake

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 pound sliced zucchini
• 1 ½ cups corn kernels
• 1 ¼ pounds sliced tomatoes
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cooking spray in a 2 quart baking dish and layer the zucchini, corn, and sliced tomatoes. Mix the cheese and panko together and sprinkle over veggies. Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes and then cover with foil to bake 10 more minutes. Serve.

Grilled Zucchini and Seafood

Ingredients:

• 1 pound gold potatoes
• 8 garlic peeled cloves
• 1 slice sourdough bread, crust cut off
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt, plain
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• 1 pound fish fillets, such as halibut
• 2 red bell peppers, quartered
• 1 pound zucchini, sliced diagonally
• ½ red onion, sliced

Peel the potatoes and chop into 1” pieces. Put into a large saucepan and fill with cold water. Add the garlic and boil for 15 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, tear bread into a few pieces and place in a bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the water from the potatoes, yogurt, 2 tbsp olive oil, and the lemon juice and zest. Stir until it forms a paste.

Drain potatoes, saving cooking liquid. Mash potatoes until smooth and add in bread mixture. Stir in the salt and 2 more tsp of olive oil. Cover and keep warm.

Preheat grill over med-high and drizzle fish with ½ tsp olive oil. Season with thyme. Cook 2-3 minutes per side and transfer to a plate.

Drizzle zucchini, bell pepper, and red onion with remaining ½ tsp olive oil. Cook pepper 5 minutes and then add zucchini and onion. Cook 10 more minutes until veggies are tender. Serve with potatoes and fish.