6 Shopping Tips for a Healthy Heart
February is Heart Month. We are not just talking about Valentine’s Day! Here are six great grocery shopping tips for seniors that will help keep their hearts both healthy and strong, from the team at our assisted living community in Camden County, NJ:
- Plan Your Meals – Meal plans make not only healthy eating easier, but they are also great for your budget. If you are looking to create a week’s worth of heart-healthy recipes, look at the American Heart Association, Eating Well, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation for some great meal inspiration. You can also use the menu planner from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help stay organized.
- Categorize Your Grocery List – To navigate a grocery store and not miss anything, organize your grocery list according to store and aisle. If you like to bulk order or if transport is a challenge, you can also order online from many stores — they deliver everything right to your door.
- Fresh Is Best – But It’s Not Your Only Option – Fresh fruits and vegetables are always the best choices for a heart-healthy diet, but it can be difficult to get fresh produce easily in the winter or if you bulk buy. In those cases, choose frozen fruits and vegetables. Look for brands that flash-freeze their produce without adding extra salt and sugar.
- Read Nutrition Labels – Certain foods often look like a healthy choice, but the nutrition labels show a different story! Use the labels on the foods you buy to reach your daily heart health targets. Keep cholesterol to 300 mg per day and limit sodium to 1500 mg.
- Stay Away From Processed Foods – These are often very high in cholesterol, trans-fats, sodium, sugar, and preservatives. Worse, they are (more often than not) low in nutritional value. Processed foods to avoid include most breakfast cereals, canned meat and vegetables, potato chips, frozen dinners, and flavored snacks.
- Eat the Rainbow – Aim for meals, fresh foods, and snacks that offer lots of bright colors, as this helps ensure you’re getting enough fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Prioritize dark leafy greens, berries, tomatoes, zucchini, avocados, squash, oranges, bell peppers, raw nuts, and more.
Looking for High-Quality Assisted Living in Camden County, NJ? We Can Help
Collingswood is part of the United Methodist Communities network of high quality, non-profit assisted living communities. With an experienced care and assistance team, scalable services customized to each resident’s needs, and a lively social calendar, we focus our community to provide essential resources that promote independence and quality of life. We know how important a healthy and delicious diet is, which is why our community offers some of the best dining for seniors in town!
To find out more about living options at our assisted living community in Camden County, NJ, please visit our website at https://umcommunities.org/collingswood/ or contact us today to organize your visit.
