Flexible delivery options available. See when we next deliver to youFlexible delivery options available. See when we next deliver to you

How to be fighting fit at every age

It’s a common experience that many men look after their car better than they look after their health. Research also shows that men are less likely to see their GP than women, and more likely to suffer from lifestyle-related health conditions. Here are some tips to help men protect their health at any age, and how Lite n’ Easy can help from when they’re young men, through to middle age and into their senior years.

Young men – early 20’s roller coaster

For many young men in their 20s, food choices centre around cost, level of convenience and taste, and knowledge of how to (most quickly) prepare food. These years are often less about health, and more about finding their feet in life – entering the workforce, taking up a sport or the gym, and spending late nights studying and drinking with their mates.

Protein intake is often a ‘health’ focus for men around this age to promote muscle growth. For example, smashing protein shakes, and chowing down on large steaks or a chicken schnitty at the pub is common practice. While sufficient protein is important in maintaining or growing muscle mass, healthy food forms the foundation of any good performance diet.

With Lite n’ Easy you can have your protein, without overlooking other foods that keep you healthy and performing at your best.

Our high-protein meal plan and high-protein dinners ensure you are getting plenty of protein at each meal, without sacrificing all of the other good stuff. Our standard high protein menu is a convenient and easy way to get more than 90g of protein per day plus your 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables.

The family man – 30s & 40s

Balance of work and family

Many men in their 30s and 40s may be thinking about, or have already started a family. It’s only once you have kids, that you get a sense of just how life-changing it is. Time, energy, and precious hours meant to be sleeping magically disappear, leaving little time to think about, let alone take action on your own health. It’s tough during these years to maintain a focus on good nutrition. Convenience often wins over healthy, just to get by. Coincidentally, and rather cruelly, this is also the time when lifestyle choices very much start to influence health.

Key healthy habits for this time of life include (as much as possible) making sensible food choices, doing your best to maintain good sleep habits, and keeping up regular exercise.

Stress

It’s important for men in this age group to effectively manage stress, maintain good sleeping habits and keep up the exercise. It’s common for men in this group to have competing demands from work and family, and stress can wreak havoc on how our body functions. Men’s metabolism in this age group can also start to slow down and can increase weight gain, so it’s essential to make healthy eating decisions.

Muscle mass

Most men begin to lose muscle mass after the age of 30. It’s important to participate in strength training, which helps inhibit muscle loss and helps to build bone density. It also increases the speed at which your body burns calories to help maintain a healthy weight range, and keeping a healthy weight can help you avoid lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes and many cancers.

Exercise

During your 40s, unfortunately, your body might start to tell you that you’re not as young as you used to be. It’s important to continue with healthy eating and drinking habits through this time. Incorporating exercise, particularly strength training, can help avoid the potential dad bod. A regular exercise routine will also help maintain bone mass and keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check.

Meals from Lite n’ Easy give men who are juggling family and work the opportunity to break out of the ‘same-old’ cycle and put their health first. Lite n’ Easy has a range of convenient and healthy meal options that offer men the opportunity to spend less time shopping, preparing, and cooking, leaving more time and energy for family.

Mature age – 50s & 60s

The prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease can start to rise in our 50s and 60s. Men, in particular, have higher rates of heart disease for all ages. Eating a healthy diet is not just important in preventing these conditions, but is equally important in managing them (and slowing down their progress).

General recommendations for managing heart disease and diabetes include consuming plentiful vegetables (easier said than done for most), fruit, whole grains, lean meats and legumes, nuts and seeds, and fats that improve heart health such as extra virgin olive oil, and avocado.

So with chronic disease on the horizon and a transition to life outside of the workforce, making the change to healthier food choices is crucial in seeing an improvement in a man’s health.

By providing the right balance of nutritious foods across the day and having appropriate portion sizes, Lite n’ Easy can help men to shift those die-hard habits, lose weight and make a change for the better.

Designed in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines, our popular meal plan helps our customers to consume the recommended 5 veg and 2 fruit and a minimum of 25g of fibre per day. Not just that, our meal plans look after your heart health too. We use wholegrain cereals and bread, healthy fats from nuts and avocado, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, minimal added sugar, and limited sodium in our meals.

70s and beyond

Appetite in the years beyond 70 can start to wane, and due to a range of factors, people can often start to lose interest in preparing food. Not only that, the requirement for some nutrients such as protein and calcium goes up, while the requirement for energy often goes down. Combine all of these factors, and you have a recipe for poor nutritional intake.

Not being able to consume enough of the food that your body needs can lead to gradual weight loss, much of which is from muscle. Strength and energy are greatly affected by this, as well as immune health and recovery from illness. To maintain your strength, energy, and resilience to illness, it’s so important during this time to keep a close eye on your food intake.

Lite n’ Easy has developed a special range of healthy and delicious meals for seniors who aren’t able to eat as much as they used to. My Choice provides extra protein and energy per mouthful, making it easier to eat well with a small appetite.