Reinventing Senior Nutrition: Elders Become Pioneers of Healthy and Sustainable Living

As part of the launch of the project supported by the Climato Sfera Association, seniors from Niciodată Singur delved into the benefits of plant-based diets for their health and the environment. During the event, they tasted dishes they prepared themselves under the guidance of culinary blogger Andreea Grecu from Tastebazaar, and at the end of the workshop, they received a package of unique foods to experiment with at home.

At the first edition of this project, Professor Dr. Corina Zugravu, a nutritionist, explained the importance of nutrition in improving quality of life. This time, seniors had the opportunity to become familiar with the recipes chosen by Andreea for the foods in the package. Lentil soup with mangold, oatmeal energy balls, and chia pudding with plant-based milk and fruit were the star recipes of the day.

Andreea Grecu has been a culinary blogger on Tastebazaar.ro for over 10 years, inspiring over 100,000 followers with her recipes. She won the seniors’ sympathy by telling them how she started cooking in her grandparents’ kitchen as a child. The first recipe chosen for the workshop, a chia pudding, was prepared by the seniors under her guidance.

“I really enjoyed the experience. All participants were receptive, involved, and excited”; “some said it was the first time they had eaten lentil soup,” she said after the event.

Over the next three months, participants will have the opportunity to share their experience with the foods they received on a WhatsApp group, and at the end of each month, they will participate in other workshops organized at the Niciodata Singur Socialization Center, where special guests from the culinary field will be invited.

“Through the feedback received in this pilot project, we will learn to adapt the packages to the preferences of the elderly. We hope to attract new sponsors for the expansion of the project both locally and nationally,” said Romain Couderc, founding member of the Climato Sfera Association.

“We are what we eat, that is something we must understand as soon as possible. I understood it later,” said Aura Ciobanu, a 77-year-old participant.