Thursday Thoughts about Healthy Eating

When our daughter was a teenager, we had a standing rule at our house. We ate spaghetti every Friday night for dinner. We didn’t do that because we especially loved spaghetti. We did that because I used plenty of garlic in my homemade red sauce. My husband was sure that if we sent our daughter out on a date with garlic on her breath, her boyfriend wouldn’t kiss her as often! It is true that I used plenty of garlic in my pasta sauces, especially in the wintertime, because I believed that the allicin in garlic would help prevent colds.

At Integrity Healthcare Communities, we make every effort to prepare nutritious meals, which are also appealing through the aromas of food cooking and through the way the food looks. We understand how important it is to plan menus that have “smell appeal” and “eye appeal”. We do our best to stimulate the senses in every way possible.

We monitor each resident as an individual. If weights are going up and down, our care teams begin to monitor food intake and adjust each diet accordingly. If our loved ones complain about a food product, we pay close attention and resolve that problem. If a resident requests something special and it is allowed in their diet, they will get that special treat. We know that food is an important part of keeping our family members healthy and happy.

As you grocery shop this winter, you should be thinking about putting some special foods in your diet, too. Citrus fruits are loaded with vitamin C. If you eat just one medium sized orange each day, you will get more than 100% of your needed daily dose of vitamin C. That’s easy to do for most of us!

Dark leafy greens are extremely good for us. Don’t turn your nose up at kale! Kale provides plenty of vitamin K. If you eat just 1 cup of kale, you’ll have obtained 1180% of the amount you need each day. Vitamin K helps our blood clot and keeps our bones strong. Kale is so loaded with vitamin K, just a sprinkle of chopped kale in your salad has lots of benefits!

Winter squash is low in calories but high in vitamin content. Squash is filled with potassium, too. Don’t overlook potatoes. Potatoes, although a starch, contain plenty of vitamin C and vitamin B6, both of which are important immunity boosters.

As we work to keep our residents well nourished, we want all our readers to do the same thing in your households. If you have teenagers, I wouldn’t bet on the value of garlic before Friday night dates! My son-in-law really loves my homemade pasta sauce, so I’m pretty sure garlic never bothered him!