Easy and healthy recipes for older people

Eating healthily is incredibly important and even more so as you grow older. By eating a balanced diet, risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and strokes are reduced, and maintaining a healthy weight is often easier. It can also help to increase energy levels and improve general wellbeing, especially in those who rely on home adaptations such as stairlifts due to conditions such as arthritis.

However, one of the main reasons why people fail to eat healthily is due to the effort that is often associated with cooking, and the idea that fruit and vegetables are more costly. These are in fact misconceptions, and with the help of some knowledgeable food bloggers we’ve put together a variety of top tips and recipes to help you get healthy in the kitchen.

Getting started

Penny from Penny’s Recipes recommends a variety of dishes which are sure to encourage people to get cooking again, including Easy Bean Stew, Sausage and Lentil Casserole, Savoury Beef Mince, and Meatloaf – for a low cost Sunday Roast. Here are a few of her useful tips for making the preparation of meals much simpler, while also ensuring that you still get your recommended daily portions of fruit and vegetables.

1. Cook casseroles or stews using a recipe for four and divide into portions to freeze for easy meals. Before long you will have a well-stocked freezer full of nutritious meals to defrost and reheat. However, don't forget to label them well with the contents and the date they were frozen.

2. Buy vegetables in season - they are tasty and lower cost. Check out your local market if you have one nearby, or try the lower cost supermarkets for some good veg.

3. Use seasonal vegetables to make soup. Make a big batch and it will last a few days. Great for lunch with friends too. If you feel inspired take a look at some soup ideas here.

4. For breakfast - try the old favourites like scrambled egg or porridge. You might have forgotten how good they taste. Easy to prepare, nutritious and filling, they will keep you going until lunchtime.

-          Penny at Penny’s Recipes

Using leftovers

This turkey taquitos recipe from Just a Pinch is a great way to use up any leftover meat that you may have after cooking another dish. Requiring very few ingredients and taking just 20 minutes to prep, it’s a quick and easy meal, which will also help save the pennies and reduce waste. You can also serve these how you like, such as alongside a healthy salad or with something more filling such as sweet potato fries.

One to cook when the family visit

If you still enjoy having the children and grandchildren to visit, there are some great recipes which will taste delicious, but not prove too difficult to cook. Carrian from Oh Sweet Basil! has put together a wonderful recipe for her own take on a stew, which serves up to eight people.

“This Taco Stew is an old favourite that my grandma still enjoys making. A few tips would be, you can substitute ground turkey and low fat cheese for a healthier dinner, the soup easily freezes just make sure to add the cheese upon serving, and finally you can always throw in extra vegetables like zucchini etc.”

-          Carrian at Oh Sweet Basil!

Treat yourself

Rachel at Well Worn Whisk provides a delicious recipe for a low sugar banana bread, which is perfect for those who enjoy baking, and also those who need to reduce their sugar intake as part of a diet plan. The recipe also uses wholemeal flour, which has a nutritional advantage to its white relative and also contributes to your recommended daily servings of grains. What’s more, it makes the perfect sweet treat to satisfy your cravings, but with less of the naughty bits, and lasts nicely for around 5 days.

Image Credit: Garry Knight (Flickr.com), Penny’s Recipes, Just a Pinch, Oh Sweet Basil!, Well Worn Whisk