Super smoothies for people over 60

Growing old is usually associated with people all around you saying that you can have less of this and that. Although this may be true in some cases, there are a few exceptions. Smoothies, unlike milkshakes, are usually made of mixtures of raw fruit and vegetables with optional added ingredients such as dairy products or nutritional supplements.

Having to constantly remember to eat your 5-a-day can put some pressure on your diet schedule. Smoothies offer you the option of getting your 5-a-day fruit and vegetables in one go, leaving you free to enjoy the rest of your meals as you please. 

Choosing the right smoothie for you

The best part of adding smoothies to your diet is that you can choose whatever you want to blend. Whether it’s your favourite fruit or vegetable, you have the opportunity to blend whatever you want, while improving your diet with all the vitamins and minerals the body require to function at their best. Finding the perfect balance of what you want and what you may need works hand in hand in the smoothie world. With the magic of blending and adding ingredients that help it get down easier (water, crushed ice, milk), there are endless possibilities in the smoothie world that you can pick from, also avoiding any allergies you may have.

Nutrition

Smoothies provide a lot of antioxidants and nutritious value that help ward off diseases and build up the immune system. The various fruits and vegetables that go into smoothies provide a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin A – Provides antioxidants and anti-inflammatory qualities, also improves vision and the immune system. Fruits and vegetables that contain this include: apricots, mangos and carrots.

Vitamin B6 – Vitamin B6 helps the body with processing carbohydrates and supporting the nervous system. It also lowers the risk of heart disease. Fruits and vegetables that contain this include: bananas, avocados, and spinach.

Vitamin B12 – This can be found in a lot of dairy products. B12 helps prevent anaemia and develops nerve cells. Not to mention it also helps process carbs, protein and fat. Since vitamin B12 is found in many dairy products you can find it in ingredients such as: milk, yogurt and cream.

Vitamin C – One of the more famous vitamins, vitamin C is known to help boost the immune system, help as an antioxidant and if not most importantly, helps protect you against cancer. Fruits and vegetables that contain this include: kiwis, oranges and strawberries.

Vitamin D – Vitamin D is an extremely essential vitamin for senior health. It helps prevent and combat heart problems, strokes, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes and specific types of cancer. It also allows for increased cognitive function in older people. Ingredients that contain vitamin D include: milk, yogurt and soy milk.

Vitamin E – This vitamin provides quite a lot of help with healthy skin, lowering the risk of prostate cancer, bladder cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Fruit and vegetables that contain this include: spinach, kale and hazelnuts. 

Smoothie recipe ideas

Smoothie making is not that difficult as you can essentially mix any of your favourite ingredients with milk or yogurt or both! We suggest you try a mixed berries smoothie. For this you will need some blackberries, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries and some low fat natural yogurt. It is antioxidant and delicious! If you want a smoothie based on vitamin C and D, then you can try mixing some mango, orange, kiwi and apple with either some yogurt or fresh milk to make it less thick. 

Making your smoothie a regular part of your diet

Smoothies make a good breakfast. They are easy to consume and don’t require too much effort to make. If you’re having more than one smoothie a day you can always use different ingredients to make sure you’re getting a wide variety of vitamins in your diet. Smoothies can be consumed at any time. Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, pre or post exercise, as a snack or for dessert. Having a smoothie before doing any of the multiple activities Barchester provides will help you keep energetic, concentrated and feeling well.

When you get into the routine of adding smoothies to your diet you’ll be helping your body get various vitamins and nutrients to fight the invisible battle our bodies face every day.