When people age, their appetites tend to shrink in direct proportion to their activities. Light exercises to keep bodies limber don’t require as much food to maintain one’s health. And after decades of cooking and eating, taste buds are often dulled and recipes appear bland, begging for a punch to perk up the dish.
Given reduced or limited sodium requirements as we age, adding salt is an easy fix, but it’s definitely not the best option. The trick is to make recipes with more visual appeal and pungent flavours that don’t require a salt shaker. What can you do to turn a mediocre recipe from ho-hum to wow?
One thing’s for certain: serving smaller portions holds greater appeal. There’s nothing more off-putting than being served an oversized meal when your appetite is decidedly undersized. Colourful ingredients are another key to stimulating a lacklustre appetite, while enhancing flavours by adding robust key seasonings might help to satisfy moribund taste buds.
We’ve assembled recipes and tips for creating healthy small meals with a cornucopia of colour and full-bodied flavours that will turn your mediocre meals into knockout sensations.

Tomato, Turkey, and Kale Soup with Parmesan

Thai Chicken Slaw

Spicy Chipotle Veggie Sliders

Juicy Mini Meatloaves with Red Wine Glaze and Whipped Yams

Lemony Seared Smoky Scallops with Shaved Asparagus Salad

Irene McGuinness is a passionate food writer, editor, and food stylist living on a small farm outside of Vancouver. When not writing, she is nurturing animals and tending to her extensive garden. Her work appears in a variety of Canadian, US, and Australian magazines.