Healthy Cooking in Retirement
We all want to be healthy in retirement but not lose our love for food or remove any pleasure from day-to-day living. The solution is to find exercise that’s fun and healthy meals that you enjoy. Healthy cooking in retirement is an activity that can unlock a whole new area of enjoyment. That may sound like a bit of overselling but it’s really not. There are so many benefits that come from eating healthier and making those foods yourself that it’s something every retiree should consider.
Yes, there are restaurants that cater to heathier eating but being able to master those techniques yourself does a few things for you. The most obvious one is saving you money. Eating at home is always cheaper than eating out and, if money is tight, you’ll see the savings in your finances quickly. Healthy cooking in retirement does not have to be expensive or boring. Plus, the second big benefit is that you can find healthy foods and prepare them in a way that you enjoy. Exploring different cuisines is half the fun anyway. I’m a very fussy eater but even I have learned to really enjoy things like seaweed salad, beets (especially pickled) and more fish if it’s mild and seasoned correctly. Learning about seasoning has helped me use less salt and butter which has shown to be healthier. The good news is that it doesn't have to be less tasty and enjoyable.
Healthy Cooking in Retirement has Many Benefits
A quick search on the internet for “healthy food recipes” will bring up resources that will keep you busy for months and much of it is free. Leveraging the internet is something every retiree should do. You can even find videos that will take you step by step through a recipe preparation. If you’re like me, you never stick to a recipe completely. That’s part of the fun of healthy cooking in retirement. By making this a new way of life you do a few other things that are very beneficial. You’re learning and engaging in something new and that will stimulate your brain which, as we know, is important in maintaining your mental health in retirement. You’ll also become a little more active, which is another key to staying healthy. While it isn’t weightlifting or running a marathon, you’ll be surprised at the amount of walking you do in a store to find the right ingredients. It takes even more of an effort to be on your feet in the kitchen chopping and dicing and then stirring and cooking. That sounds crazy but, whenever I cook a big meal, I’m surprised at how tired I get after a whole day in the kitchen, and I am a fairly disciplined walker who covers about ten miles a week at a pretty quick pace. There’s no doubt that healthy cooking in retirement can be a good tune up for an eventual exercise program. Many people give up on exercise because they take on too much activity too quickly. This “kitchen workout” is good first step if exercise is not part of your daily routine.
The bottom line is that healthy cooking in retirement is just plain fun for a lot of reasons and, once you take the plunge, you’ll come across other people who enjoy this activity as well. Recipe sharing and insider tips become part of your social activity and, of course, there are cooking classes for those who really get serious about bringing good health into their lives. There are small fortunes being made by culinary stars who can create healthy recipes that sometimes taste better than the unhealthy, grease dripping cheeseburgers or barbecued ribs that seem to dominate restaurants and bars. There’s a way to eat healthy and not sacrifice on taste.
Believe me, if you master the art of healthy cooking in retirement and turn out meals that taste good, you’ll have people knocking on your door to get your latest creation. Don’t overlook the money-making possibilities that exist in this field from your own recipe books to your own website or YouTube channel. Even simple reviews and recommendations for kitchen tools can generate a nice income. It's called Affiliate Marketing and it's a growing field. People are doing this every day and many of them are retired and creating an online income. In fact, in the community where we live, I can see a house from my office where a recently retired lady is doing exactly that. Her kitchen has lighting for her videos, and you can see the cell phone mounted on a tripod that serves as a camera. I am a strong believer in leveraging technology and that includes retirees who may actually be an age group that can benefit the most from this new age that we live in. If you knew how many retirees were embarking on a new career with a website, you’d be amazed. Why can't you be one of them?
Why couldn’t you decide to make healthy cooking in retirement a new way of life and reap the benefits from that decision? Not only benefits for your own health and those around you, but possibly for your finances as well. Start with a blog and then recommend some recipes or cooking techniques and then, if you have that desire to be the next Julia Child or Rachel Ray, start your own little podcast. You may find you’re having the time of your life. Go on, give it a try and start something new. It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!
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