[manaboutown]

IMHO we are what we eat!

When I eat freshly picked fruit and vegetables I just feel better. I cannot explain why but I notice the difference. Although I avoid manufactured and processed food like the plague I do eat frozen vegetables and fruit as well as some dried fruit. I try to eat a small handful of assorted unsalted nuts each day. I avoid soda pop except perhaps a small can of Coca Cola now and then in France where it is still made with real sugar, not a corn based sweetener as I assiduously avoid them.

My belief is "the longer the shelf life the shorter your life". Today's processed food is loaded with sodium, many preservatives which do not exist in nature, corn sweeteners and the 'bad' fats. Processed foods may be necessary to have on hand for emergencies such as earthquakes and hurricanes so they do serve a purpose.

It would be nice if restaurants were required to disclose more about their ingredients. Many do used prepackaged salad mixes and mixed vegetable packets. The veggies are obviously machine cut.

I try to go to restaurants that advertise fresh, never frozen food. I know never frozen steaks and other red meat tastes better to me,

IMHO the high end, quality restaurant industry does not view retirement communities as viable venues. Their market as they see it is to big spenders, expense accounts and luxury tourism. That is where the big dollars are. Although The Villages is large and its median income relatively high, few retirees are willing to spend large on expensive dining out.