Spring gives us every reason to want to refresh areas of our lives, homes, habits, and health. We can see so much new life in nature, feel the warmer weather, and look forward to the sunny months ahead. This is why spring is also a great time to add some fresh variety to your nutrition.

Try new snack ideas are also a great activity to enjoy with friends and family. It’s fun to discover a new recipe together, which also keeps you mentally sharp and uses fine motor skills. No matter your personal taste, dietary restrictions, or physical limitations, there are so many types of snack ideas out there that are sure to get you inspired. Pinterest is a great place to start. Keep reading for some healthy, tasty spring snacks that are easy to try!

Flower Pretzel Bites

Who doesn’t love a sweet and salty combo? This snack is easy to make and comes mostly prepared for you. All you have to do is assemble and heat. Start with your choice of small pretzels – anything with a shape or circle works best. Next, grab a bag of spring-colored chocolate candies, like M&Ms. You can get creative with your design and color combination to create a beautiful springtime snack that is as pretty as it is delicious. Click the link above to learn how to get started.

Spring Chex Mix

Sticking with the sweet and salty kick, this recipe puts a springtime twist on a tried-and-true favorite. Best of all, it can be fully customized to what you like! Mix a variety of small pretzels, crackers, and nuts with dried fruit and candies to create the perfect snack you can have out whenever guests come and visit. You can also easily package this snack to give out as small gifts to neighbors and friends. No baking required! Click above to see the recipe.

Fruit Pizza Crackers

Fruit pizza crackers can be made in infinitely different ways, all based on your personal preference and the ingredients you already have on hand. Check your pantry and fridge and decide what type of “pizza” you want to try today. The fine chopping and placement of fruit on the crackers is great for chefs young and old, to help refine their skills. It’s also a great activity to enjoy while sharing stories and memories! Click the link above to learn how to make this fun spring snack.

Lemon Raspberry Bars

What’s more spring than lemon and raspberry? This treat takes a little over an hour to prepare, making it a great activity when family visits. Gather everyone in the kitchen and assign duties! Best of all, you can experiment with new varieties, replacing the lemon and raspberry with alternatives like chocolate and peanut butter, strawberry and vanilla, or blueberry and lemon. You might just stumble upon a new favorite that becomes your family’s go-to recipe. Click the link above to see how this treat is made.

Fruit Salsa

Who doesn’t love salsa! Now, this great snack is made into a sweet treat by swapping in fruit. Similar to the fruit pizza, you can use what you already have on hand and try new varieties each time to make this recipe. What makes fruit salsa so fun is how small the fruit is chopped, so it’s unique from a traditional fruit salad. You can use graham crackers instead of chips or eat it with yogurt. It’s completely up to you! Click the link above to learn more.

Carrot Cake Bites (Gluten Free)

With just five ingredients you can make delicious carrot cake balls that are as nutritious as they are delicious. Best of all they are gluten-free and vegan, in case you or your loved one has dietary restrictions. No baking is required. Once you have all the ingredients mixed, it’s a great stress-relieving and finger strengthening activity to roll the balls. Simply freeze and enjoy! Click the link above for the full recipe and instructions.

What snack idea is your favorite? Do you have another recipe to share? Let’s get the ideas flowing – leave a comment below!

Social media is a whole new universe – or should we say Metaverse – for keeping people connected and entertained. But it also comes with increased risks and triggers that can make it especially dangerous for senior adults. At worst, it can be a place where scams and false information runs rampant. People may try to obtain private information in deceptive ways. At a minimum, too much time spent on social media can be linked to stress, depression, and a disconnect from reality. For senior adults who may already be at risk for isolation, social media may seem like a great way to stay connected from the comfort of home. But like any technology, it must be used carefully and correctly to remain a positive influence in our lives. Keep reading for simple tips to encourage aging loved ones to follow when using social media.

Limit your screen time.

This advice is applicable to everyone of all ages! We must limit our screen time. Not only do we consume media and entertainment from television and computers, but we also then spend much of our free time glued to our phones. When are we not looking at screens? If you don’t have a clear answer to this question, it’s time to put some limits on your screen time. Make it a goal to spend equal parts away from a screen as in front of one – and sleeping hours don’t count! This is harder than it seems and will quickly put into perspective the time you’re spending on social media or other screen-based technology.

Know how to assess information.

Does your aging loved one know how to assess the information coming across their social media newsfeed as real or fake? Being “news literate” is so important in our society – now more than ever. If you worry that opinionated or altered news and facts are being taken as the truth, it could be time to deliver your own crash course on how to test and trust the news we see on social media. Consider the source, consider their possible motives, and test it against what else you’re finding on the internet. These are just some places to start, but there’s much more advice available from a simple Google search.

Be aware of common scams.

Next, be sure your senior family member or friend is aware of common scams and how they work. Even if it’s something fairly harmless, like a fake account trying to engage with them, it can lead to more troubling scenarios quickly. Teach them to be skeptical, cautious, and when in doubt, stop engaging with a person or business who feels fishy. You must be your own best advocate and protect your privacy and security at every turn. The more you know how common scams work, the better you can protect yourself.

Understand basic etiquette.

Social media has also blurred a lot of lines when it comes to basic etiquette. How we engage with one another, the types of things we say in response to content other people share (even people we call friends!) and the opinions freely shared can do more harm than good. We come to social media to feel connected, not judged and isolated. It’s important to learn basic etiquette, which looks a lot like the etiquette you’d use in person. If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it online.

Have a trusted contact you can turn to for advice.

And most importantly, be sure any older adult using social media has someone they can turn to when they run into a question or concern. This could be as basic as getting locked out of an account, or as complex as feeling like you may be involved in a scam. It’s so important to have someone you trust who will quickly jump in, answer questions, find a solution, and never make you feel embarrassed for asking. Often, older adults feel embarrassed when it comes to technology. But it’s far more important to be safe! We should encourage one another to always speak up and seek advice when we feel like we’re in over our heads. That’s solid advice for every age and application!

Does this advice help shine a light on some areas you can improve in your own life? Which will be most beneficial for you or someone else you know? Let’s start a conversation on this important topic!

When the season turns to spring and the warmer weather becomes more frequent, this is the time of year when most of us start to feel re-energized to spend time outside. For our aging population, it can be challenging to find the right variety of outdoor activities that are accessible to various abilities, while also keeping things fun and fresh. We have some ideas to share to help overcome this challenge! Keep reading to get inspired by warmer weather activities you can enjoy at any age.

Fresh Air Stretching

Stretching is an activity that can and should be enjoyed regularly and at every age. Even the younger athlete would do well to add more stretching into his or her routine! This makes it the perfect warmer weather activity to enjoy across multiple generations. Everyone can stretch at their own comfort level, and possibly teach one another a thing or two. As the spring weather brings warm sunshine and a cool breeze, look for a partially sunny spot to set up a mat or blanket. Depending upon your ability you might look for a bench or bring a chair. Set a timer and switch positions at a pace that is comfortable for you. Make it a goal to stretch for 10 minutes each day to get fresh air while doing something good for your body. You’ll be amazed by how quickly you gain strength and flexibility!

Sketching Nature

Mother nature has so much to offer in way of fresh views in the springtime. Take advantage of this inspiration by setting up “shop” outside in a comfortable seat with a sketching pad and pencils. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like you’re an artist – it’s all in the eye of the beholder! Simply look around and get inspired by the shapes and colors of nature. Allow yourself time to observe animals and their behaviors, the shape of a flower, or the pattern of clouds. All of these are sure to offer ideas for sketching. The goal isn’t to produce something worthy of a museum, but rather to let the pen and paper be an outlet for your thoughts and emotions.

Sunshine Meditation

Like stretching, meditation is one of those activities that is proven to yield so many health benefits. Even just 10 minutes a day of meditation (bonus: add this on to your daily stretching) can strengthen the mind, improve the mood, and lower stress. Coming out of a long, cold winter, combine meditation with being outside. Look for a quiet spot so you won’t be distracted. If you can find a spot near water or other soothing sounds of nature, that’s great! Even your porch can be a quiet and peaceful spot to meditate while getting some fresh air.

Journaling

And finally, grab a blank journal and make it a goal to fill a page each day this spring. Each day will bring a unique approach to what you choose to write. Some days it might be creative, even poetic. On other days it might be a problem you want to talk through or simply acknowledge. The journal is for you and you alone. Sit in nature, take in the fresh air, and let the thoughts flow. No matter your age or ability, journaling will keep your mind sharp and young while keeping you in touch with your thoughts and emotions.

Which idea shared is your favorite? Or do you have something else to add to this list? Leave a comment or reach out to us to start a conversation! We’d love to hear from you.