Eat This, Not That for a Healthy Senior Summer

If you’re planning to get out and enjoy some sunshine, a walk in the park, or maybe even a picnic this summer, food is part of the fun. So what should you eat and what should you avoid?

Eat This.

The right food choices can help you manage your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Healthy eating can even help improve your mood, strengthen your bones, support heart health, and boost your immune system.

Water

Unless you have a medical condition that requires limiting the amount of water you drink, aim for about 8 glasses a day. Maybe more if you live in a hot environment or are more active than usual.

Water helps control body temperature, supports digestion and healthy skin, and muscle function and mobility. If that sounds like a lot, fruits & vegetables with a high water content can help too. Try cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, and strawberries, which are 90 percent or more water. You’ll even find some fruits and many vegetables on our Senior-Friendly menu.

More vitamin B12 foods

As you get older, your body doesn’t absorb vitamin B12 from food as well as it used to. But you need B vitamins to help prevent fatigue, depression, and anemia. It’s one reason taking a vitamin B supplement is a good idea. However, summer is a great time to eat more food high in vitamin B like crab, lobster, fish, yogurt, and eggs.

Not That

Eating more of a plant-based diet with some lean meats is a lot like the Mediterranean Diet. It’s a proven way of eating to reduce the risk for heart disease and live longer. That’s how you should be eating.

So what about foods you should avoid? If you want to protect your health, reduce your risk for disease, and live longer, here are some popular summer foods you should avoid:

• Hot dogs
• Lunch meat
• Cold cuts
• Meat spreads
• Smoked seafood
• Soft cheeses
• Sugary drinks
• High-calorie foods and desserts
• Foods high in sodium
• Fried foods

If you’re not feeling up to cooking this summer, or not sure how to eat healthy, we can help. Just pick your favorite meals from the Senior-Friendly menu, and we’ll take care of everything else. You’ll have a healthy meal ready in minutes without a mess in the kitchen to clean up.