
Having fun and eating healthy after 60
There are many things to consider for you to eat healthy when you get older, especially when you are over 60.
My organic veggies
I just returned from a private nutrition class with Manuela Meissner (in Lisbon). We spent part of the morning going up and down the organic supermarket aisles, discussing and choosing the vegetables I should purchase.
During our supermarket chat, we discussed the best foods to avoid according to what I wanted to accomplish and focused on all the goodies I should eat. I was happy to walk out of there with two types of chocolates!
Organic veggies as per Manuela’s suggestions
Manuela helped me choose the best teas to drink in the afternoon- the ones that will help me wind down but still give me a satisfying feeling, and one of them is especially tasty and a great one for summer.
I spent a few hours talking to Manuela before the supermarket visit. She had a list of questions that helped her prepare a personal food guide, and our lunch was a sample of the type of food I could make at home.
We went through some of my more serious issues; I told her I wanted to eat more vegetarian dishes but would not stop eating meat and fish- I just wanted to eat less. My other aim is to maybe lose a few kilos.
Veggie-tofu curry
Our cooking class was at Manuela’s apartment, surrounded by gorgeous views of Lisbon and the Tejo, and we could even see Sintra. The serene surroundings put me in the mood for our foodie adventure.
We unpacked the lunch ingredients while Manuela talked about how she cooked and showed me her colorful spices and containers filled with magical little things to enhance different foods.
I chopped the sweet onions and the scallion while Manuela prepared the rice and pulled out more colorful things from her cabinet.
Crispy organic lettuce, pickles with tahini dressing
We were going to make tofu-veggie curry accompanied by rice. We made a sesame tahini salad dressing for our crispy and gorgeous organic lettuce, and for dessert, we had freshly-made almond milk with chocolate, and a dash of pepper- that pepper was magical!
Manuela explained how we could get different minerals from certain salts, so she created beautiful salt concoctions with all sorts of herbs to bring out the unique taste of food. Each dish will have its salt!
Salt, herbs and lemon zest (such a simple and fantastic tip!)
The lunch was deliciously light and full of exquisite aromas, texture, and taste!
Manuela and I discussed the best types of food I should eat as per our questionnaire before our supermarket visit. I asked her how to prepare some things, and she gave me excellent tips on making certain veggies more exciting. Our conversation flowed, and lunch was relaxing and fun.
1. Learn how to enjoy unique sauces! Vegetarian dishes don’t have to be boring.
2. When you cook too much, save it for another day but turn it into something else. A veggie-tofu curry (like the one we made) can become an excellent soup; rice can be part of a salad, and so on.
3. Don’t eat the same dish for two days- re-purpose everything.
4. Buy fresh and organic whenever possible.
5. Don’t stop eating what you love; eat less of it- for example, chocolate!
6. Try not to use plastic containers- glass is best.
7. Eat with a friend whenever you can.
8. Save things carefully in the fridge: paper bags are great, and there are unique veggie bags that let them breathe and last longer.
9. Try to add different tastes and aromas to all your dishes. Think about how you will add something sweet, sour, peppery, salty, and aromatic so that you will enjoy your meal.
10. Enjoy your meal!
I liked working with Manuela because she helped me get out of my comfort zone and introduced me to new recipes and ideas. I think it was helpful to chat with someone enthusiastic, a good listener, and ready to work with my issues and resistances!
Homemade almond milk , chocolate with a dash of pepper
Changing habits is a challenge, and let’s face it- being too healthy can be tedious. Still, Manuela was brilliant about turning this class into an exciting food adventure, and I left her house happy with my shopping bags and excited to try out new dishes.
Manuela’s teaching methods are great because she is a hands-on teacher who shares her nutritional experiences while she gives you differnet ideas on how to cook certain things. It was more like having lunch with an experienced friend who is curious, generous, and excited about healthy eating.
So, why go to a cooking class when you can purchase a book? A supermarket visit is so much more fun when someone guides you through the aisles, and there is nothing better than a great cooking class! You can get specific help when you work with a knowledgeable person and ask loads of questions that get answered in real-time, which is priceless!
I suggest getting several different cooking books to help you make tasty dishes. There is nothing worst than repeating dishes- it’s boring. It’s fun to choose healthy meals from different countries like Italy, Turkey, Greece, and France and mix and match and create your own crazy meals.
I hope you enjoyed this post, and now, I’m off to prepare some dishes for this coming week.
I can hardly wait to implement some of the things I learned with Manuela today.
About food
Main Photo by Manuela Meissner
Marguerite Beaty, Blogger, Photographer & Artist
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