4 Foods You Should and Shouldn't Eat as You Hit That Milestone
As you age, it can be harder to maintain a healthier weight. It's important to stay hydrated and follow a healthy diet. As you age you lose muscle mass, which slows down your metabolism and makes losing weight more difficult.
Worst Foods
Processed foods
One of the main types of foods to avoid is processed foods. You should try to eat foods as close to their natural, whole state as possible, so keep foods like hot dogs, bacon and sugary snacks in moderation.
Added sugar
The natural sugar found in fruit and other natural foods isn’t harmful to your health as long as you eat a reasonable amount.
Added sugar, on the other hand, is notorious for having negative health impacts, such as dental decay and weight gain. Plus, too much added sugar puts you at a higher risk of developing diseases such as colon cancer, liver disease, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
With this in mind, avoiding sugary treats such as cakes, doughnuts and chocolate is a must. You can certainly enjoy these snacks in moderation, but if they become part of your daily routine it’s a cause for concern.
Best Foods
Fruits
There’s a reason they say ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ Fruits contain tons of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which help to keep you healthy and stave off disease.
Vegetables
Vegetables are nutritional powerhouses. Not only are they full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, but they’re also super low in calories. If you’re trying to lose weight or simply maintain a healthy weight, focus on bulking your meal out with vegetables or legumes.
That way, you’ll still feel full but won’t be eating calorie-dense, unhealthy foods.
Healthy Fats
Fat has a bad reputation, but it’s worth remembering that not all fats are made equally. Saturated fat, like the fat you find in burgers and other processed foods, can damage your health.
Fats that you find in nuts, olive oil and avocados, on the other hand, actually have a lot of health benefits. Plus, they keep you fuller for longer after your meals.
Lean Protein
Protein is great at filling you up and helping you to build muscle mass - something you lose in middle age. Prioritize low-fat, high-quality proteins such as unprocessed chicken, pork, fish, tofu, chickpeas and beans.
Healthy Food Delivery Options for Adults Over 40
Struggle to find time to cook fresh, healthy meals from scratch using whole food ingredients? Not sure what to put on your shopping list?
You’ll likely benefit from the convenience of food deliveries, where you get pre-prepared meals or pre-prepared ingredients delivered directly to your door.
Most of these meals are quick to make, you don’t have to go shopping and source your own ingredients and you don’t have to worry about food waste because you only receive the amount needed for a given recipe. Plus, all the recipes are nutritionally balanced, so you don’t have to think too hard about where you’re getting your macro and micronutrients.
Here are some of the best meal delivery companies currently on the market.
Everyplate
Everyplate delivers ingredients for meals with only six simple steps to your home every week. There are 26 recipes to choose from, including options for vegetarians, and every recipe is nutritionally balanced. Find out more about Everyplate’s options.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh was one of the first meal delivery kits on the market, and it’s been at the forefront of this type of eating ever since. Each recipe box contains everything you need to make multiple nutritional meals, with high-quality ingredients sourced straight from the farm.
There are meaty meals, plant-based options, and quick meals that are perfect when you’re in a rush. Take a look at HelloFresh.
HomeChef
Home Chef is a meal delivery service that allows you to customize your meals to create something that truly makes your tastebuds tingle. You receive fresh, pre-portioned ingredients that take the guesswork out of cooking and make it easier than ever. Find HomeChef’s recipe boxes.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron, the winner of Good Housekeeping’s 2023 Meal Delivery Service award, promises restaurant-standard meals made by top chefs. 80% of their ingredients come directly from producers, and you can choose from a wide range of meals, including breakfasts. Find out more about Blue Apron.
Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult once you turn 40. Prioritize making healthy decisions with your food, exercising regularly and keeping stress to a minimum. You’ll soon have the results to show for it!
In Conclusion
Aging is one of the biggest risk factors for some of the most prevalent diseases in developed countries, so people over the age of 40 are more likely to develop diseases such as cancer.
That doesn’t mean your health automatically has to go downhill when you reach the age of 40. Simply by tweaking your lifestyle, you can improve your chances of staying healthy well into old age. Looking at your diet is one of the main ones.