5 Fun Summer Recipes That Support Bone and Joint Health

You are what you eat. So when you want to build healthy bones and joints, it's important to eat foods that have the building blocks that bones and joints need. For seniors planning on a long and healthy retirement, the right summer recipes can help you stay fit and active all summer and lean into next fall with physical strength and vitality. Fortunately, recipes for bone and joint health are diverse, delicious, and can be easy to cook.

Bone Broth Soups 

• Sections of bones from the butcher
• Aromatic vegetables

Bone broth is one of the best sources of collagen and vitamins A, B2, B12, and E. You'll find Omega 3 and Omega 6, calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc. The connective tissue from bones can also promote joint health, because eating what you want to build often works in principle.

To make bone broth, first roast your bone sections at 400 for about half an hour. Then boil them in broth with your favorite aromatic vegetables until you have a gelatinous soup broth rich in nutrients. Remove the bones and make your favorite soup recipe using bone broth as the base.

Yogurt and Berry Smoothie 

• Yogurt
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries

Smoothies are one of the easiest and healthiest recipes in the books. You can make a smoothie out of just about anything, including cool green smoothies with "hidden" vegetables. For bone and joint health, yogurt smoothies are an excellent choice paired with mixed berries. The different dark colors in the berries represent each berry's unique mix of valuable and often rare nutrients.

Dark Green Salads

• Spinach
• Greens
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes

Salads made from dark, leafy greens and a colorful mix of vegetables are great for bone and joint health. Spinach, kale, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, artichokes, lima beans, and chard. Greens including collard greens, dandelion greens, mustard, greens, and turnip greens are all on the approved list. Tomatoes are also a great addition to your bone and joint salad mix.

Toss your favorite dark green and colorful salad vegetables. Pair with shrimp, salmon, white fish, or lean chicken.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

• 6 large eggs
• 8 cups chopped spinach
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• garlic and onion
• 1/4 cup whole milk and half & half
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

If you like a warm quiche, you can bake one with spinach and mushroom to enhance the benefit to your bone and joint health. Quiche is a great way to combine healthy ingredients in a warm, savory meal that could be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Hadding meat makes it a dinner dish while a little bacon may make it a better breakfast recipe.

Spinach Salmon Pasta

• Salmon fillet
• Pasta of choice
• 2-6 cups of chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup diced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Spices

Pasta makes a lovely and easy-to-make dish. Combine your pasta with two ingredients that are great for bone and joint health; spinach and salmon and spinach. You can make a light lemon sauce with just spinach, lemon, butter, and mushrooms, or you can add spinach to a classic pasta sauce.

Healthy Recipes

Staying healthy and maintaining good bone and joint health is not hard to do. With a few simple recipes added to your summer menu, you can stay strong, and active. Senior Helpers of Alle-Kiski Valley are here to help seniors maintain a healthy diet with cooking and smart recipe choices. To talk about your ideal senior home care and how Senior Helpers can help seniors stay healthy with bone and joint healthy meals, contact us today.