Frank Sinatra once sang, “For as rich as you are, it’s much better by far to be young at heart.”
But to be young at heart, you need to have a young heart – and one of the keys to having a young, healthy heart is to have a nutritious diet. One of the easiest ways to ensure this is to cook your own food at home. Take-out, restaurant and convenience foods such as frozen meals are often laden with excess sodium and added ingredients.
Cooking at home, however, can be challenging for seniors, who may face a multitude of potential barricades – physical challenges, old bad habits and fewer people living at home to help eat the food among them, says Erin Ford, healthy eating specialist at Whole Foods Market Upper Arlington.
Chef Joe Antol of Columbus Personal Chef on Twin Rivers Drive says that while it’s up to the individual to do the work, the benefits of home-cooked meals are limitless.
“When you cook for yourself, you know what is going in the food and can control the fat and salt content. The portion size can also be controlled. It is out of control at many restaurants – ‘portion distortion,’ as they call it,” Antol says.
While prepackaged foods may be the most convenient, especially for those who have a hard time moving around, they’re not ideal in terms of nutrition, Ford says.
“Prepackaged foods that can be warmed or microwaved easily may be the most convenient choice, but generally they are full of processed foods and high in sodium fat and sugar,” Ford says. “(A) good option is to make crock pot meals using frozen vegetables and grains that take very little effort to prepare. Typically foods like this can be easily frozen in pre-portioned meals.”
If you absolutely cannot cook for yourself, keep an eye on labels and avoid high-sodium and high-sugar foods, and stay away from ones with oils and artificial ingredients, Ford says.
But if you are physically capable of doing light cooking in the kitchen, there is no one better to address your own needs than you are.
“If you have health issues such as high cholesterol, diabetes or dietary restrictions for religious or vegetarian reasons,
cooking for yourself can make sure your food is made to suit your needs,” Antol says. “Many restaurant cooks do not always know the best way to cook for customers with these needs.”
The basic building blocks of a healthful meal are fresh ingredients. These can be difficult for seniors, who might not be able to drive or visit the grocery store or farmers’ market, to obtain.
Grocery delivery services can bring fresh produce and other necessities right to your door step. Worthington-based The Hills Market offers free delivery on orders of $150 or more via its website, www.hillsonthego.com. Another service, Green BEAN Delivery, available throughout central Ohio, focuses on organic produce – locally grown whenever possible – plus natural groceries.
By controlling the ingredients in your food, you can avoid artificial flavors, trans fats and refined grains – or whatever else your doctors have told you to stay away from.
Another issue for seniors, who are often on fixed incomes, is the expense of fresh foods. Buying in bulk and then preserving whatever isn’t used immediately is a good option, Antol says.
“If you eat meat, I suggest a vacuum sealer to portion meat and freeze it or buy single pieces from the meat case,” says Antol. “Buying from the meat case has its own issues with some items, as they are cut into larger portions to look pretty sitting in the case. But not many people can sit down and eat a 12-oz. steak themselves.”
Similarly, with vegetables, cook only what you will eat in the next few days.
“Something in a bag or bunch typically has four portions’ worth,” Antol says. “It is easier to cook two portions than just one and (eat) one for lunch the next day so you are not eating out. You’ll save money and control the ingredients and health of the food.”
To keep favorite meals that may have more servings than you need, Ford has a similar suggestion.
“A good way of doing this is to halve the recipe and eat it over a few days or to freeze pre-portioned meals that can be easily defrosted and microwaved or heated up on the stovetop,” she says.
For recipe ideas, you can turn to the Internet, which has a wealth of recipes, or to the Upper Arlington or Grandview Heights libraries, which both have cookbooks.
Antol offers suggestions for those searching the Web.
“Pinterest is good if you like to find a recipe by a great picture,” he says. “Foodnetwork.com is my favorite place for recipes. Usually any recipes by (chefs) Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay (or) Alton Brown are top notch. Always look for recipes that have at least four out of five stars, and if it has four stars, read the reviews, find out why and fix it.”
For those without much experience in the kitchen – perhaps your spouse was the one who cooked all your meals in the past and now he or she is unable to – Antol teaches cooking classes.
“It is very easy. I offer classes for the beginner (those who don’t even know how to boil water), to the advanced (people cooking lamb and duck for fun).”
In addition to cooking techniques, he can also guide seniors in their exploration of the kitchen or the grocery store.
“I can also teach them about culinary tools, techniques, how to read labels and a basic tour of a grocery store,” he says. “Many people don’t know what to do with the wide selection of vegetables, different cuts of meat and ethnic foods in the stores. I will come to you and teach you on your (own) equipment.”
One benefit of cooking only for yourself: You get to make only your own favorite foods, or try new dishes your children or spouse may have avoided.
“It’s fun; you learn and try new things, you can experiment, and you don’t have to go anywhere to do it,” Antol says.
David Allen is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
