Caregivers in Northbrook, IL – September is Fruit and Veggies More Matters month

By Jamie Shapiro | September 4, 2014 | Comments Off on Caregivers in Northbrook, IL – September is Fruit and Veggies More Matters month

September is the perfect time to try and add more fruit and veggies to your weekly menu; there is so much fresh bounty available this month! Even if you just add one more. If you eat lots of ripe tomatoes already, try adding an eggplant recipe one week, asparagus the next, pears the next and then boysenberries. Just change it up. If you are up to the challenge, add more than one new vegetable per week.

In America, less than 10% of the population doesn’t eat the amount of vegetables and fruit recommended by Dietary Guidelines for Americans or the My Plate nutrition guide. This is an alarming statistic. Research shows we need generous amounts of fruits and vegetables for good nutrition and optimum health. You can eat them in many forms to count toward these requirements – fresh, canned, frozen, dried or 100% juice.

Here’s a general guideline to start following: when you fill your plate at every meal or snack, make sure half the plate is veggies and fruit. The other half can be divided between grains, proteins and other foods.

We are trying to fight the obesity trend, and it starts with every individual. Obesity rates have tripled over the last 2-3 decades, resulting in the younger generations having shorter expected lifespans than their parents. We can change this. We need to make sure every person is educated and is willing to change their eating habits for the better. School and local events in the community will be popping up during this month.

Every positive step you take helps to increase the health of you and your family. You could start by eliminating snack foods and serving fresh fruits or veggies for snacks. Instead of cookies at snack time, try a bowl of blueberries.

What’s in season?

Here are just a few fall season fruits and vegetables:

  • Acorn squash
  • Belgian endive
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cauliflower
  • Cranberries
  • Date plum
  • Daikon radish
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Grapes
  • Mushrooms
  • Pineapple
  • Radicchio
  • Sunflower kernels
  • Swiss chard
  • Turnips

There are many more fall season fruit and vegetables you will see in the marketplace. Find a local farmer’s market and you can enjoy some of these delicious foods fresh, but you can also find almost any fruit or veggie in canned, frozen and dried form as well.

If you are concerned about your elderly loved one eating enough of these healthy food choices, hire a home care provider to come into their home once a day for a few hours to help them with meal planning, grocery shopping, meal preparation and a little companionship. Sometimes just having the company of someone else is enough to perk up the emotional state of your loved one and give them a healthy appetite so they regain their interest in eating well.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring caregiving services in Northbrook   IL -contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our senior care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

 

Jamie Shapiro
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