Eat Three Balanced Meals, Including Vegetables and Protein

My souvenirs for my mother back home are pickles and vegetables.
I always buy fresh vegetables at a local farm stand in the countryside and fill my suitcase before heading to Tokyo.This time, I brought autumn delicacies like chestnuts, as well as sweet potatoes, okra, pumpkin, green onions, eggplant, and cucumbers.
By the time I buy cabbage, chicken, and soy milk at the supermarket in front of the station and take the bus back to my parents' house, I feel just like a local (having returned from a trip with a suitcase).
I don't go as far as saying "I'm home," but once my mother lets me into the house, I head straight for the refrigerator.I check the contents while putting away the meat and vegetables.
The scary thing about an elderly person's refrigerator is that expired food keeps appearing one after another.I've cleared out quite a bit since last year, but spices, in particular, had become like fossils.
Nutmeg or cloves from seven or eight years ago would come out without a second thought.
The pattern is almost always: can't finish it -> put it away -> forget about it -> but can't bring myself to throw it away.A characteristic of a kitchen in old age is that it's hard to use because there are too many things that aren't being used.
You can't let your guard down with seasonings, either.Why is it that the soy sauce expired a year ago and the spout is clogged?
Isn't soy sauce something you use every day?
It seems my mother preferred using a concentrated soup base instead of soy sauce.For now, I tidy up a little bit every time I return home, and I've finally reached the point where the drawers open smoothly.
For the sake of my mother's honor, I will write that until she was in her 70s, she loved cooking and was the kind of person who could hand-make several tiers of Osechi for New Year's.She could make mackerel sushi and ohagi that tasted better than what you'd buy at a store.
Now in her late 80s, it seems it has gradually become difficult for her to stand in the kitchen for long periods.She has also lost the energy to put time and effort into meals for just herself.
She says there are days when she just eats a bowl of rice topped with a fried egg, just to make it quickly, eat easily, and keep cleanup simple.
If my younger sister were here, she would bring fish or bento boxes, but since she is away for work, I am coming over to cook instead.However, my cooking is very much my own style.
Basically, it's a vegetable-centered stir-fry with a little pork or chicken mixed in.Other staples include komatsuna with sesame dressing, cucumber salad, sautéed sweet potatoes, and onion miso soup.
I usually make five or six dishes, but when I think about it, it's mostly vegetables.
I always make sure to add protein with meat, fish, eggs, or tofu.Fortunately, my mother doesn't complain about my cooking and says it's "delicious" no matter how bland it is, so I feel good about standing in the kitchen.
After all, being told it's delicious is the best motivation!