Spring is such a wonderful time of year, especially if you’re retired. If you live in a Northern climate, you may find yourself coming out of a long, cold winter into a season of new life, growth, and energy. Plants come back to life, the days get a little longer, and sunshine and warmth start to creep back into the world. It’s also a great time to focus your diet on more nutritious foods and increasing your energy. “Superfoods” provide essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that will fuel your body, perfect for boosting health and vitality. These nutritious and energy-enhancing spring superfoods for seniors will have you feeling your best and able to do all the things you love most.
What Are Superfoods?
A “superfood”–now officially a word, according to the Oxford English Dictionary–is “a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being” (1). Believe it or not, this popular term actually dates all the way back to the 1910s, where it began as a marketing term.
Now, people typically use the word “superfood” to describe a food that is a nutritional powerhouse. Legally, anyone can use this term to mean anything, so don’t be duped by clever marketing strategies selling you “superfood” blends or powders. True superfoods tend to come from nature, not companies, and are minimally or entirely unprocessed. True superfoods have also been studied by scientists, and there is a body of data establishing how beneficial they are for most people’s health.
Nutritious & Energy-Enhancing Spring Superfoods for Seniors
Now that we’ve established what a superfood is, it’s time to find these nutritional powerhouses! Here are a few easily-accessible spring superfoods for seniors to boost your energy and health.
Spinach
Spinach has long been lauded for its nutritional density. For a little green leaf, it sure packs a nutrient punch! A 1-cup serving of spinach contains only 7 calories, but it’ll give you protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and folate! As a green vegetable, it also contains chlorophyll, which could even have anticancer effects (source). Cooking spinach does reduce some of these nutrients, but it also makes other nutrients more available to your body. This means that spinach is equally healthy cooked or raw. Frozen spinach is also just as good for you as fresh, so use spinach however you like best and reap the benefits!
Strawberries
Strawberries are delicious and available year-round in supermarkets and grocery stores, but they’re especially flavorful in the spring and summer months. They are also high in vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. Strawberries contain polyphenols and anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that can protect you from some diseases and are beneficial for your visual and neurological health (source). This is particularly great news for seniors! Polyphenols could also improve insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic adults, and could decrease inflammation in your body, which may help with conditions like osteoarthritis (source). And strawberries could even lower your cholesterol! Who knew a little fruit could do so much good?
Blueberries
Another easily-accessible little berry, blueberries have tons of superfood properties. A one-cup serving of blueberries provides 13% of your daily recommended fiber intake, 14% of your vitamin C, and 24% of your vitamin K! All this in only 84 calories. Like strawberries, they also contain polyphenol antioxidants, with the same benefits. Some studies have suggested that eating blueberries daily could even reduce your blood pressure, making them a great heart-healthy choice. Frozen blueberries have also been shown to have the same nutritional value–or potentially even more nutrients, because they are frozen so soon after being picked. So enjoy them in whatever form you prefer–fresh, cooked, or frozen.
Salmon
Salmon is a great choice for seniors who are concerned about their heart health. This fantastic fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for heart health, brain health, and could even treat or prevent cancer, too. Salmon’s high protein content helps you heal, build muscle, and protects bone and tissue health. The entire Vitamin B group is present in salmon as well, which helps with energy and metabolism. Salmon is also high in selenium, an essential mineral that helps your thyroid function and works as an antioxidant.
Walnuts
Walnuts, the fruit of the walnut tree, are another great and easy-to-find superfood. They are one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids out there. Just one ounce of walnuts provides 100% of the daily recommended amount of ALA, an essential fat that could reduce your risk of heart disease. Walnuts also have more antioxidant properties than any other nut. One study showed that eating more walnuts can reduce your LDL (bad) cholesterol, and may even have anti-cancer properties as well.
Easy Superfood Recipes
Stumped on how to include these superfoods into your diet? Unfortunately, getting all of these superfood benefits doesn’t happen unless you regularly eat these foods. Eating a meal with superfoods just once won’t give you long-term benefits. So, the best way to reap these benefits is to regularly eat meals containing these superfoods. These easy superfood recipes will help make them an easy and delicious part of your everyday life!
Spinach & Berry Salad
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped raw or candied walnuts or pecans
- 2 tbsp feta cheese or blue cheese crumbles
- 2 tbsp to 1/4 cup salad dressing (to taste; try poppyseed dressing, a balsamic vinaigrette, or a raspberry vinaigrette)
For this delicious spring salad, simply throw all the ingredients together, mix, and enjoy!
Green Smoothie
- ½ cup milk, almond milk, or coconut milk
- 1 cup fresh spinach (packed)
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (for protein and creaminess, optional)
- ½ banana (for natural sweetness and creaminess)
- ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- ½ cup ice cubes (optional, for a thicker texture)
Add all ingredients in this order to a powerful blender, and blend to your desired consistency. This is a delicious balanced breakfast or snack that incorporates lots of superfoods.
Healthy Blueberry Walnut Muffins
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour (or oat flour for a gluten-free option)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (or mashed banana)
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk of choice)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Then, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk honey or maple syrup, applesauce, Greek yogurt, egg, vanilla, and milk in a separate bowl.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients, blueberries, and walnuts into the dry ingredients until just combined (don’t over-mix or your muffins will be tough and dry). Fill each muffin cup about ¾ full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Easy Garlic Lemon Baked Salmon
- 1 salmon fillet (about 6 oz)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil or melted butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano (or dill)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon slice (for garnish)
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or greased aluminum foil.
- Place the salmon fillet on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil or butter.
- Rub minced garlic, lemon juice, oregano (or dill), salt, and pepper over the salmon. Place a lemon slice on top.
- Cook for 12–15 minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork. Pair with steamed veggies, rice, or a fresh salad.
Superfoods Fuel Your Best Life!
As you can see, superfoods like blueberries, strawberries, walnuts, salmon, and spinach have so many health benefits. Eating these nutritious & energy-enhancing spring superfoods for seniors will help you look and feel your best.
Tired of cooking for yourself and trying to track and meet all of your nutrition and dietary needs? Stellar Senior Living Communities serve delicious, balanced, chef-prepared meals every day full of superfoods, with advice and recipes from on-staff registered dietitians. Tour a community near you today!
