meals on wheels

When you’re keeping an eye on everyday spending, you don’t want to needlessly throw food away too soon. But at the same time, you don’t want to risk eating something that might have gone off. One of the main problems is, we’ve become so reliant on ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ dates on packaging, that we’re less confident about relying on our own judgement on whether food is fresh or not. Older people’s immune systems also tend to be less able to recover from food poisoning. This makes knowing how to store food safely and for longer vital to avoid becoming ill. 

Our rich history has had a great impact on the food we eat - there are recipes dating back hundreds of years that have graced family tables for generations often influenced by visitors from far flung places.  Here’s our pick of the best British dishes and some of the traditions that go with them.

For many of us, healthy eating is about keeping our bodies strong and feeling good – especially as we age. What’s more, enjoying a balanced diet can actually help us look and feel younger, too. Whether by giving us the energy we need to get out and about, or by keeping our skin in tip-top condition, a healthy diet packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients can help keep us young – inside and out. Even making small changes to your day-to-day diet can give your health and energy levels a boost, and help take care of your appearance.

The Oakhouse Extra Mile Award Winner During the month of September we asked you to nominate your local driver if they had gone above and beyond for the Oakhouse Foods Extra Mile Award - we are very pleased to announce that the winner was Tracy Mann from our Reading branch! We had an overwhelming response with over

  We are delighted and proud to share our latest autumn winter brochure, with 27 great new dishes on the menu. This season we have some fantastic comforting dishes for when the evenings start drawing in. We have all your favourites and have added a fantastic range of pies perfect for sharing as well as an exciting range of desserts

The Oakhouse - Extra Mile Award During the month of September on the back of your delivery notes we are asking you to nominate one of our lovely drivers for the 'Extra Mile Award'! There is a small slip on the back of the delivery note to send back to Head Office as well as an online en

We all appreciate how important good nutrition is for our overall health and wellbeing. But in later life, when our bodies go through a number of physical changes, this can affect how well we eat and how much nourishment we’re able to get from food. The senses of taste and smell become less sensitive as the years pass by, so sitting down to a meal might not give us the same pleasure that it used to. And the body isn’t able to absorb nutrients as efficiently. Older people also tend to eat less as their energy levels naturally dip due to being less active, and because the amount of lean muscle decreases in proportion to fat tissue.

With long, dark evenings and cold, wet weather ahead, the winter months can leave many of us feeling down in the dumps. But from eating a balanced diet to doing some gentle exercise, there are simple measures you can take that will help see you through to spring with a smile. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during winter – more commonly known as the ‘winter blues’. Doctors think that a lack of sunlight can cause some people’s bodies to produce more of the sleep hormone, melatonin, making you feel tired and irritable throughout the day. Cold weather and short days can also make some people depressed, and cause them to want to shut themselves away indoors, and sometimes overeat.

  With recent newspaper stories citing processed meat as a cause of cancer, anyone might have thought twice about taking another bite of their bacon butty. But look behind the scary headlines, and you’ll see you can still enjoy eating meat as part of a balanced diet. October’s biggest health story was the news that a World Health Organisation study had labelled processed meat such as bacon, salami and sausages a Group 1 carcinogen – placing it alongside smoking as a definite cause of cancer. This has made lots of people worried, but it’s important to understand that enjoying sausage and mash or a full English breakfast every now and then is nowhere near as bad for you as smoking – and as well as providing protein and other essential nutrients, will actually do you little harm at all.

Diabetes is one of the most common health problems in the UK, affecting over 2.5 million people. And, as we age, the more likely we are to get it. But the good news is, by making some simple diet and lifestyle changes you can reduce your risk – without missing out on your favourite meals. Diabetes is caused when your body stops being able to produce insulin – a natural chemical that helps glucose move from your blood into your body cells, which then convert it into energy. There are two different types, with Type 2 being the most common, particularly among older people. Fortunately, unlike Type 1 diabetes, which cannot be prevented (and usually affects children or young adults), Type 2 diabetes is tied to conditions such as high blood pressure and obesity, which may be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle.