The Kendal Northern Ohio Blog

A nibble here, a nosh there—Americans love to snack! But all those little tidbits can add up to more than a few unwanted pounds if we’re not careful. Over the past half century, the number of calories the average American consumes during snack attacks has been growing steadily— along with our waistlines. According to research conducted by Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University, Americans now get 25% of their daily calories from snacks. Since the 1970s, Dr. Mattes research shows that the average American’s snack consumption has increased to about 580 calories per day, the equivalent of a full meal!

Adding vegetables to the grill is a delicious way to enjoy fresh produce and increase your veggie intake. As we learned in the previous post, vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, essential nutrients, disease-fighting antioxidants, and fiber. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that adults 60+ eat a minimum of 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day. The grill offers a great summertime option for cooking vegetables.

Luscious ripe tomatoes, buttery lettuce, crunchy snap peas, curly-leafed kale, sugar-sweet carrots, and colorful peppers—row after row of wonderful, locally grown summer vegetables have begun lining the stalls of farmers’ markets and local grocery displays. Succulent summer produce is just coming into season, offering a tempting array of nutritious veggies to punch up summer menus.

Packed with sweet, juicy flavor, fresh-picked berries are a refreshing and nutritious addition to summer meals. Berries are an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, magnesium and other nutrients. Their dark, brightly-colored skins contain pytochemcials and flavonoids that may reduce cancer risk. Blueberries and cranberries help prevent bladder infections while blueberries and raspberries contain lutein, which promotes healthy vision. Now available at farmers’ markets and grocery stores, fresh, ripe berries are a nutrient-rich choice for meals and snacks.

With so many kinds of vitamins and multiple ways to get them, it can be confusing as to what mature adults really need. A multivitamin may be a convenient way to make sure you are getting all your nutrients. But if you choose to add one to your diet, select one that provides no more than 100 percent of the Daily Values for at least most of the nutrients listed. Also, if you have recently been ill, had surgery or suffer from other health conditions, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about taking vitamin or mineral supplements.