"You'll never guess what we had with our dinner last night," rejoiced Sarah
Murphy.* "The very first lettuce of the season from my garden. It was exquisite!
Soon the first of the baby carrots will be ready. We can't wait!"
Without a doubt, summer is Sarah's favourite cooking season of all. With produce
in its glory, Sarah makes fresh fruits and vegetables a focal point of most
meals, growing some in her garden and buying the rest. Sarah appreciates that
Eating
well with Canada’s food guide recommends 7 servings of Vegetables and
Fruit every day for men and women over aged 51, but that's not her prime motivation.
"Mostly, we just love the stuff," she says. "Fruits and vegetables are so loaded
with flavour in the summertime that they're a cinch to prepare. Even on busy
days, Joe and I can still eat well."
Every day seems to be a busy day for Sarah. She and Joe, who are both in their
mid-seventies, live on a hobby farm in eastern Ontario. Joe has been ill for
several years and caring for him takes up a lot of Sarah's time and energy.
But good food still lifts their spirits and Sarah has come up with cooking strategies
that allow her to put nice meals on the table, under difficult circumstances.
Leftovers again? Hurray!
"Cooking extra is my 'ace in the hole'," Sarah says. "That's
especially easy in the summer. If I'm steaming green beans or asparagus for
dinner, for example, I'll steam extra and drizzle the leftovers with vinaigrette.
Then I put them in the fridge for the next day. The marinated vegetables taste
great and I always relax a bit knowing that I've got another meal partly ready."
Sarah will also cook extra portions of meat. "We'll have chicken pieces
hot off the barbeque for dinner and I'll slice the leftovers very thinly before
I refrigerate them. Sliced grilled or roasted meat is wonderful on top of a
salad. Add some crusty bread and berries for dessert and you've got the perfect,
hot weather meal."
Making food fun
Across the country in Vancouver, 83-year-old Shirley celebrates summer dining
in her own way. Widowed in 2000 after 57 years of marriage, with her only daughter
living hundreds of miles away, eating well presented a real challenge for Shirley.
"To be honest," she recalls. "I never was much of a cook. But
cooking for one seemed almost pointless."
On the advice of her doctor, Shirley met with a dietitian. "That was a
great move," says Shirley. "She gave me recipes and shopping advice.
And most of all, she gave me ideas on how to make food fun. In the summertime,
for example, my friends and I often pack picnic lunches and eat in the park.
Just walking to the park in the nice weather improves my appetite."
Shirley also grocery shops with a friend. "We enjoy ourselves and we can
buy larger amounts of produce and meat and share them. She also gets me to try
foods I've never tried before. Cantaloupe is delicious!" Shirley laughs.
"Who knew?"
Eat, drink and be healthy
Eating well is vital all year-round, but getting enough fluids takes on new
importance in the summer's heat. Also, as we age, we have a reduced thirst sensation.
Dietitian Donna Andersen advises drinking at least eight, eight-ounce cups of
fluid every day, including milk, juices, soups and water.
Like many seniors, Shirley takes a diuretic every day, increasing her risk
of dehydration. "Since I started taking more fluids," says Shirley, "I seem
to have more energy. Now it's become a habit for me to drink a glass of water
with lemon before and after every meal, and two or three small glasses of juice
or milk between meals. It's much easier to increase fluids than I thought."
I'm worth it!
"I still miss my husband every day," Shirley admits, "and cooking
will never be my favourite pastime. But I find that I get a lot of comfort from
eating well without going to much trouble. If I'm feeling a little blue at lunchtime
one day, I'll make myself a sandwich and cut it in corners, like a party sandwich.
I'll toss together a salad using pre-washed lettuce and pre-cut vegetables I
buy at the store. Then I'll dine on my balcony and take in the summer day. I'll
even use my best plates. I'm finally pampering myself, I guess," Shirley
laughs. "My daughter always says I'm worth it, and you know what? I am."
(*All names are fictitious.)
Our top 10 secrets for fun and healthy summer
eating
- Too hot to cook? Order Meals on Wheels and have a salad and fresh
fruit along side.
- Keep fresh berries in the fridge to have with cereal or a scoop of
ice cream or yogurt.
- Stir-fry fresh vegetables; toss them with hot pasta and minced herbs.
Top with leftover sliced chicken, beef or pork tenderloin and grated
Parmesan.
- Make a quick garbanzo or kidney bean salad. Store in the fridge for
up to three days and use for snacks or a side dish.
- Munch on a snack of washed fresh green beans, dipped in yogurt or
low-fat cottage cheese. Delicious!
- Do most of your cooking in the morning, before the day gets too warm,
and refrigerate for later use.
- Protect your food and yourself from harmful bacteria.
- Make a fruit smoothie by whirling fresh fruit, flavoured yogurt and
milk in your blender.
- When chopping vegetables for a salad, chop enough for the next day's
use.
- Experiment with whole grains such as bulgur wheat, wheat berries
and quinoa. They're delicious as the basis of salads and, when prepared
that way, will keep up to three days in the fridge.
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Resources/References
Cooking
for one or two …
From the Dietitians of Canada
(downloadable PDF)
Fight Bac! Keep Food Safe
from Bacteria
Does
eating alone get you down?
From the National Institute of Nutrition
Planning
Healthy, Simple Meals
From the American Association of Retired People
Senior-Friendly
Fact Sheets
From the Dietitians of Canada
Bringing
Nutrition Screening to Seniors
From the Dietitians of Canada
Hydration Information
Why
is water so important for my body? How do I know when I am dehydrated?
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This article was written for the Canadian Health Network's 
