Make This Season The Most Delicious By Incorporating These Fruits and Vegetables Into Your Diet!

The warm weather is still hanging around, and with it comes an abundance of delicious in-season fruits and vegetables. Not only are seasonal vegetables great for adding flavor and color to you and your loved one’s diet over the summer, but they also provide wonderful benefits for both mental and physical health.

Here at Juniper Glen Memory Care Assisted Living, we prioritize delicious food that incorporates recommendations from the MIND Diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). We have compiled a list of the benefits of the MIND Diet along with meal ideas to try.

Cognitive Benefits Of The MIND Diet:

• Helps to slow neurodegeneration
• Works to slow the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Research suggests it can help ward off depression and boost mood
• Research suggests it helps prevent Parkinson’s disease

Physical Benefits

• Nutrient-dense foods promote a healthy weight
• Reduces Inflammation
• Plant-based foods help prevent cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses

Foods To Focus On

While tackling a new diet can feel overwhelming at first, our expert chefs here at Juniper Glen use the MIND Diet as a basis for the meals they prepare, meaning that your loved one will have the option to focus their food choices on nutrient-dense and delicious foods. If you are looking to incorporate the MIND Diet into your everyday routine, consider trying one of the following meals that incorporate its recommendations:

• Leafy green vegetables
• Antioxidant-rich berries
• Whole grains
• Legumes
• Nuts and seeds
• Olive oil
• Fish
• Omega-3 fatty acids

MIND Diet Meal Ideas

Now that you understand the benefits of the MIND Diet as well as the foods it includes, here’s a look at a day’s worth of eating following this diet.

• Breakfast: Steel-cut oats with strawberries and blueberries. Add a hard-boiled egg on the side. This fiber and antioxidant-packed meal can kick-start your day with long-lasting satisfaction. The hard-boiled egg provides healthy proteins and fats!
• Lunch: Mediterranean greek salad with a base of dense leafy greens and topped with grilled chicken and dressing with an olive oil base. A satisfying and hearty lunch, this provides lean proteins and healthy fats from olive oil. Pair it with a side of whole wheat pita bread and top it with yummy ingredients: nuts, seeds and feta cheese for a meal that will satisfy all your lunchtime hunger.
• Dinner: For dinner, try a burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, grilled fajita vegetables, grilled chicken, a veggie-packed salsa, and guacamole. The avocados in the guacamole are a great source of healthy fats, while the brown rice provides whole grains, and the grilled chicken serves as a lean protein. The grilled vegetables add extra nutrients and great flavor! You could even add a leafy green in there for additional nutritional benefits and crunch.
• Snack: If you need something in between any of these meals, try munching on a handful of nuts, spicing up a delicious greek yogurt based parfait with berries and oats, or even make yourself a small side salad with an olive oil based dressing, and a top it with avocado and other MIND Diet-friendly toppings!

There are so many ways to create meals that follow the MIND Diet’s recommendations–learn more about the diet and find delicious meal ideas here.

Here at Juniper Glen Transitional Assisted Living and Memory Care, we pride ourselves on providing your loved ones with the best possible care, and we truly believe that involves keeping their minds and bodies fueled with a healthy diet. We look forward to serving you or your loved ones delicious and nutritious meals during their residency here.

For more information or to schedule a tour of Juniper Glen, contact our friendly team today!

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