Simple Steps to Healthy Eating for Seniors: Habits to nourish your body and mind

Since we were children, we’ve been told what to eat for good health. Over the years we’ve all learned a thing or two about what works best for us. Whether cooking for one, sharing meals with friends, or navigating dietary needs, we’ve developed strategies for healthy eating.

Here are some of the ways I try to stay on track:

• I make a weekly menu of dinners I plan to prepare.
• From my menu, I make a grocery list of items I need to purchase as well as other items to restock the pantry and make sure we have foods for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.
• I mostly cook at home.
• I enjoy dining out and try to stay flexible.

Planning your meals. Need recipes or ideas? Browse some recipe websites. Flip through some cookbooks or cooking magazines at the library. Ask your friends to share their go-to recipes. Experiment with recipes in your slow cooker or multicooker. Choose some one-dish meals that incorporate protein (meat, fish, seafood, dairy products, lentils, beans, and tofu) and complex carbohydrates (whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals and fruits and vegetables). In the warmer months make salad a complete meal by adding a plant or animal protein. In the winter, make a hearty soup and enjoy it with bread.

Make a grocery list. Once you have your plan, make your grocery list. Group items by departments (produce, dairy, meat and seafood, frozen food). Plan your shopping for when you are neither tired nor hungry.

Cook at home most of the time. With a little planning it’s not hard to cook at home. You may want to do most of your prep work earlier in the day, so your meal takes minimal effort to finish when you’re ready to eat. Slow cookers allow you to combine ingredients in the morning and let it cook all day. Multicooker pressure cookers make quick work of longer-cooking ingredients. Freeze leftovers to work into upcoming menus. Lighten the load by getting together with a friend or two to make soup, stew, or a casserole and divide the dish between you.

Enjoy dining out. This is when we see friends and relax, both important to our overall good health. Bring leftovers home for lunch the next day or to work into an upcoming meal.

Ultimately, healthy eating is not about perfection, but about making choices that support your well-being and fit your lifestyle. By planning ahead, cooking at home, and enjoying meals with others, you can create habits that nourish both body and mind.

Story by Roberta S Lang, Viva Villager. For more information on membership or volunteer opportunities, call 503-746-5082 or email info@vivavillage.org.