We Are What We Eat

According to a new research review published in The Lancet, which analyzed nearly 20 years of dietary data from 195 countries, poor nutrition was linked to 20% of all deaths worldwide in 2017. That makes nutrition a bigger health threat than smoking.

How Home Care Can Help

At Assisting Hands we are mindful about the importance of nutrition and work with our caregivers to find alternatives that support healthy nutrition at home. That is why we put together this blog with delicious ideas to eat well and avoid being part of the scary statistic mentioned above.

How to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables at Home

Putting together a healthy plate is easy when you make half your plate fruits and vegetables. It’s also a great way to add color, flavor, and texture to your meals. Your plate will be stacked with healthy vitamins, minerals, and fiber. All you need to do is make 2 cups of fruit and 4 1⁄2 cups of vegetables your daily goal intake.

Try the following tips to enjoy more fruits and vegetables every day.

• Variety abounds when using vegetables as a pizza topping. Try cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini.
• Mix up a breakfast smoothie with almond milk, frozen blueberries, and a banana.
• Make a veggie wrap with roasted vegetables and avocado rolled in a grain free tortilla.
• Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips with your favorite salad dressing for dipping.
• Grill colorful vegetable kabobs packed with tomatoes, green and red peppers, mushrooms and onions.
• Add color to salads with baby carrots, grape tomatoes, spinach leaves or mandarin oranges.
• Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box additions or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner.
• Ready-to-eat favorites: red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.
• Place colorful fruit where everyone can easily grab something for a snack-on-the-run. Keep a bowl of fresh ripe fruit in the center of your kitchen or dining table.
• Get saucy with fruits. Put berries, peaches or pears in a blender for a thick, sweet sauce on grilled or broiled seafood or poultry, or on pancakes, French toast or waffles.
• Stuff an omelet with vegetables. Turn any omelet into a hearty meal with broccoli, squash, carrots, peppers, tomatoes or onions with low-fat sharp cheddar cheese.
• Add pizzazz to sandwiches with sliced pineapple, apple, peppers, cucumber and tomato as fillings. Replace bread with Lettuce Wraps.
• Add grated, shredded or chopped vegetables such as zucchini, spinach, and carrots to lasagna, meatloaf, pasta sauce and rice dishes.
• Make fruit your dessert: Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
• Make your main dish a salad of dark, leafy greens and other colorful vegetables. Add chickpeas or edamame (fresh soybeans).
• Fruit on the grill: Make kabobs with pineapple, peaches, and banana. Grill on low heat until fruit is hot and slightly golden.

Help at Home

Some of these ideas might sound challenging to execute, but our caregivers will be there to help you prepare delicious, healthy food. They can do the grocery shopping, visit local farmers for affordable organic vegetables, and even help you with gardening your own herbs to improve taste, add safe fermentation or sprouting to increase the nutrition content and make eating healthy affordable and enjoyable.

Assisting Hands® Home Care offers a wide range of in-home services such as healthy cooking and grocery shopping to meet your dietary needs. We take pride in helping our clients remain happy and healthy at home.