Nutrition Strategies for Active Older Canadians
Friday, January 27, 2017
Playing golf, walking the dog, gardening or helping your kids with home renovations all require a steady supply of energy for your body. Whether you have a busy social schedule or you do a lot of travel, thinking ahead about meal and snack planning can be challenging. In fact, a survey found that although boomers strive to eat a healthy diet they are only doing so about half the time.[1]
Here are a few strategies to ensure active older adults, 55 and over, get the energy they need and eat well consistently, not just when they think about it.
- Food is your fuel and you need a regular source. Try not to go more than 4 hours without eating. Think about your day before you leave the house and decide what you should bring if you will be out over a meal or snack time. Often just packing a peanut butter and jam sandwich or an apple and a yogurt can tide you over until you get home.
- Start with a balanced breakfast and include a good source of protein. Protein will act like an anchor for your energy and make it last longer. Instead of having just toast and juice; add an egg or 1 Tbsp. peanut butter to your meal.
- If you golf, be sure to toss a granola or fruit and nut bar into your golf bag. Trail mix is another long lasting snack. If you are golfing over the lunch hour, pack crackers and cheese or a nutritional drink like BOOST® High Protein.
- Keep emergency snacks in the car. Portion-controlled snacks that provide a great source of protein and energy in a portable, on the go container are ideal. Pre-portion ½ cup trail mix, 12 almonds and 6 dried apricots, a mini tin of tuna and wasa crackers or BOOST® High Protein , all terrific options. Research shows that eating pre-portioned, calorie set snacks can help people better control their calorie intake. [2]
- Focus on fruits and vegetables.
Healthy Protein-Packed Snack Ideas:
- Mashed black beans with lime, cumin and cilantro spread on whole grain crackers
- Hard boiled egg
- BOOST® High Protein
- Wasa crispbread topped with chopped tomato, green onion and parmesan grilled
- Cottage cheese and canned fruit
- Dry cereal and milk
- Greek yogurt and canned peaches
- Ripe banana, milk and cinnamon shake
- Cucumbers and carrots with hummus dip
- Apple slices with almond or peanut butter
- Peanut butter banana wrap on a small whole grain tortilla
- Shrimp, Greek yogurt and dill on cucumber rounds
This article has been sponsored by BOOST, but all comments and opinions are my own.
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