The importance of a healthy diet can’t be underestimated, no matter what your age. However, as we get into our senior years it becomes particularly important in order to help manage any potential physical health problems that might arise. Incorporating more fresh fruits, veggies and staying better hydrated are three take home points that are key to maintaining good health for as long as possible. But what else can we do to look after ourselves as we age?
Cook Smart – Cook from Scratch
One way to develop better eating habits, is to eat three meals, cooked from scratch every day. This might sound daunting to some of us, especially if we’re not especially kitchen competent or adept with recipes, but it doesn’t need to be hard work, or stressful. If you’re someone who needs to follow a special diet or should simply cut down the amount of fat they eat, using a search engine to find “healthy low fat recipes” or “recipes for diabetics” can bring you lots of useful and easy meal ideas to try.
Try New Seasonings
Maybe you have to follow a low salt or low sugar diet. It’s great to try and experiment with new flavors and seasonings to make your food more interesting. Think about using spices like cayenne or paprika to add color and fire to food, or dried herbs like thyme, mint, parsley and basil to add mellow, but aromatic tastes. If you’re looking to cut sugar, you might want to avoid artificial sweeteners too – so look to use honey or natural sweeteners like agave nectar in place of refined sugar.
Aim to Try New Foods Every Week
Each week, when you shop, aim to include one new fruit or vegetable in your cookery repertoire. It doesn’t matter how unusual it is – and you never know, you might discover new favorites that you can pass onto other family members and friends. Make notes of all the new foods you like (and the ones you don’t like too) so you can keep track of what you’ve tried. Try these tips for making Matcha Smoothie Bowls if you’re new to the matcha trend.
Reduce Portion Sizes the Easy Way
Are you looking to lose weight? Then why not try simply reducing your plate size. Using smaller plates and bowls means you won’t actually feel cheated when you see what’s on them – you’ll still have a full plateful of food, and it will encourage you not to overeat. Over time, you’ll notice that you’re losing weight without even trying.
– By Jess Walter