It’s always a good idea to pay attention to what you eat, but as you grow older, nutrition plays an even more important role in maintaining your health and body. Knowing which foods are best for seniors’ nutrition is crucial for a senior’s diet.
Whole Grains
Pasta, rice, and bread made with whole grains give you more nutrients and less calories than the versions of those same foods made with white flour. Oatmeal and raisins paired with whole-grain toast topped with blueberry or strawberry fruit preserves can make for a delicious, filling, and healthy breakfast. Swapping out white rice and pasta for their whole grain counterparts is another easy way to add more nutrients to your diet.
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds are perfect for snacking and provide you with much more nutrition than calorie-heavy, nutrient-deficient snack foods like potato or corn chips. Some are even rich in antioxidants. Walnuts, pistachios, and almonds can be eaten alone, paired with dried prunes or cranberries, or used as a topping for yogurts or salads. Seeds like chia seeds and quinoa can be mixed into other foods to provide extra nutrients and flavor.
Dark Leafy Greens
Greens like spinach, kale, and arugula are chock-full of Vitamin K, which helps maintain bone strength. Spinach can be eaten raw in a salad with oil and vinegar, but when cooked, it works as an excellent side dish to nutrient-rich foods like salmon. This recipe for scallops with cooked spinach is an excellent option to try out with your loved one.
Brightly Colored Berries
Technically, cherries are drupes and raspberries are aggregate fruits, but both are considered culinary berries. These fruits, along with blueberries, are high in vitamins and antioxidants and make for great snack foods, preserves, or even healthy desserts. Nutritionists point to vividly-colored fruits as the healthiest ones, but these foods are also healthy frozen year-round.
Looking for other good recipe and snack ideas? There are plenty more recipes on our Ebenezer blog page. Or schedule a recipe exchange with your neighbors and share ideas for making healthy cooking fun and easy. Happy Summer!