"You'll never guess what we had with our dinner last night," rejoiced Mary Brown. "The very first lettuce of the season from my garden. It was exquisite! Soon the first of the baby carrots will be ready. We can't wait!"

Without a doubt, summer is Mary's favourite cooking season of all. With produce in its glory, Mary makes fresh fruits and vegetables a focal point of most meals, growing some in her garden and buying the rest. Mary appreciates that Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends five to ten servings of produce a day, but that's not her prime motivation. "Mostly, we just love the stuff," she says. "Fruits and vegetables are so loaded with flavour in the summertime that they're a cinch to prepare. Even on busy days, Joe and I can still eat well."

Every day seems to be a busy day for Mary. She and Arnold, who are both in their mid-seventies, live on a hobby farm in eastern Ontario. Joe has been ill for several years and caring for him takes up a lot of Mary's time and energy. But good food still lifts their spirits and Sarah has come up with cooking strategies that allow her to put nice meals on the table, under difficult circumstances.

Leftovers again? Hurray!

"Cooking extra is my 'ace in the hole'," Mary says. "That's especially easy in the summer. If I'm steaming green beans or asparagus for dinner, for example, I'll steam extra and drizzle the leftovers with vinaigrette. Then I put them in the fridge for the next day. The marinated vegetables taste great and I always relax a bit knowing that I've got another meal partly ready."

Making food fun

Across the country in Vancouver, 83-year-old Ashley celebrates summer dining in her own way. Widowed in 2000 after 57 years of marriage, with her only daughter living hundreds of miles away, eating well presented a real challenge for Ashley. "To be honest," she recalls. "I never was much of a cook. But cooking for one seemed almost pointless."

On the advice of her doctor, Ashley met with a dietitian.

"That was a great move," says Shirley. "She gave me recipes and shopping advice. And most of all, she gave me ideas on how to make food fun. In the summertime, for example, my friends and I often pack picnic lunches and eat in the park. Just walking to the park in the nice weather improves my appetite."

Ashley also grocery shops with a friend. "We enjoy ourselves and we can buy larger amounts of produce and meat and share them. She also gets me to try foods I've never tried before. Cantaloupe is delicious!" Shirley laughs. "Who knew?"

Eat, drink and be healthy

Eating well is vital all year-round, but getting enough fluids takes on new importance in the summer's heat. Also, as we age, we have a reduced thirst sensation. Dietitian Donna Andersen advises drinking at least eight, eight-ounce cups of fluid every day, including milk, juices, soups and water. Regular coffee, tea and cola are not the best sources of fluids because they contain caffeine, which dehydrates.

Like many seniors, Ashley takes a diuretic every day, increasing her risk of dehydration. "Since I started taking more fluids," says Shirley, "I seem to have more energy. Now it's become a habit for me to drink a glass of water with lemon before and after every meal, and two or three small glasses of juice or milk between meals. It's much easier to increase fluids than I thought."

I'm worth it!

"I still miss my husband every day," Ashley admits, "and cooking will never be my favourite pastime. But I find that I get a lot of comfort from eating well without going to much trouble. If I'm feeling a little blue at lunchtime one day, I'll make myself a sandwich and cut it in corners, like a party sandwich. I'll toss together a salad using pre-washed lettuce and pre-cut vegetables I buy at the store. Then I'll dine on my balcony and take in the summer day. I'll even use my best plates. I'm finally pampering myself, I guess," Shirley laughs. "My daughter always says I'm worth it, and you know what? I am."

(All names are fictitious.)

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Edition No. 21
Insight EFAP International