Hey Seniors, Eat Healthy this Summer

Sure, there are all kinds of excuses to lay around all summer and eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should.  For summer should not be known as ice cream season.  It should be known as fresh fruits and vegetables season for various reasons, the most obvious being that late summer is when they are harvested, are easily accessible and inexpensive.  As a result, fresh fruits and vegetables are the key to eating healthy during the summer months.

However, seniors face challenges that others do not in their endeavors to eat healthy.  Things such as lack of mobility, fading taste buds, health issues, shopping and cooking for one just to name a few.  Yes, it is easier to pop that processed, high sodium, nutrient bereft, frozen dinner into the microwave rather than shop for, prepare and cook fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats.  So here are some tips to assist seniors in healthy summertime eating…

• Wander through a farmer’s market – or meander, stroll, or wend. It’s your choice.  And do so while hungry.  You’ll be amazed at what viewing fresh veggies and fruits can do for your culinary imagination.  And, more than likely, you’ll see something you’ve never tried before, which will also spur your culinary curiosity.  Just try not to purchase too much as fresh fruits and veggies have a short shelf life, especially if they haven’t been genetically modified, which is usually the case at local markets.  Hopefully, you have a farmer’s market nearby so you can visit on a weekly basis.
  
• Smooth out your fruits and veggies – with smoothies. You’ll be amazed how a mix of ingredients can hide flavors you would otherwise dislike on their own.  Just go on the internet machine and Google “smoothie recipes” and find your favorites.  Here’s a good place to start: https://www.wideopeneats.com/14-smoothie-recipes-sneakily-add-vegetables-diet/
  
• Freeze your fruits – just not bananas. They don’t thaw so well.  If you do go overboard at the farmer’s market, you can always freeze your fruits to be consumed later.
• Avoid those sides – especially at backyard cookouts and BBQs. Side dishes are usually chock full of empty calories.  Things like potato and macaroni salad, baked beans, coleslaw, and mac ‘n cheese are usually very high calorie and cholesterol items.  And while you’re at it, avoid salads coated with high calorie dressings as well. Eat fresh veggies, cut up, without dressings.
  
• Fire up the grill – and simply not to grill those lean meats you just purchased. Grilled fruits (pineapple, mango, cantaloupe, bananas, and grapefruit halves are to die for) and veggies (zucchini, peppers, corn on the cob, asparagus, onions…hell, if it’s a veggie, more than likely it can be grilled) transform boring fruits and veggies into something special.  You can also fire up the internet machine again for grilled fruit and veggie recipes like these: http://time.com/2829606/vegetarian-foods-grill-summer/
  
• Avoid eating late – We all seem to stay up later during the summer months due to the extended hours of daylight we enjoy. However, that’s no reason to stuff yourself at 9:00 in the evening, an hour prior to hitting the sack.  All those calories will be incorporated into your body as you sleep, rather than being burned off.  Try to eat your last meal of the day at least three hours prior to turning in.

Yes, it can be difficult to eat healthy during the summer, but with the availability of all those fresh fruits and veggies, there really should be no excuse to eat in an unhealthy manner.  After all, it’s your decision.