A Vision Recommendation, or Mom’s Mealtime Trick?

October 15th, 2020

Do you eat your veggies? Did your parents’ tricks work during your formative years to help you eat right later on? As our eating habits develop, often our meal planning includes the foods we enjoy but leaves a few holes in our nutrition. Since our eyes rely on the rest of our bodies to keep them healthy, adding a few key ingredients to our diets can provide essential vision support. While eating foods like carrots might not instantly give us a rabbit’s eyesight as we were told as kids, these important foods will aid both our bodies’ overall health and the function and condition of our eyes.

What’s on the Eye Health Menu?

When you visit the best eye doctors in Colorado at ICON Eye Care for your annual eye exam, ask us what we eat to keep our eyes healthy. You’ll probably get a list of tasty foods from this list, with sources of Omega-3s, Zinc, and vitamins C and E for eye health plus cataract and macular degeneration prevention.

  1. Carrots — They make a great snack, and offer beta-carotene and Vitamin A.
  2. Leafy Greens — Not everybody’s favorite, spinach, collard greens, and kale (have you tried kale chips?) contain lutein and zeaxanthin.
  3. Fish and Fish Oil — Along with flaxseed oil, black currant seed oil, and some others, these sources of omega-3 fatty acids have many eye health benefits.
  4. Eggs — A source of lutein and vitamin A among other benefits, if you’re not eating your veggies they can help make up for it.
  5. Whole Grains — Zinc, niacin, and vitamin E are a few of the benefits of healthy grains like quinoa, whole oats, and brown rice.
  6. Berries and Citrus Fruits — Vitamin C sources that help eye health in multiple ways.
  7. Nuts — Sources of vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, enjoy pistachios, almonds, and walnuts.
  8. Peas, Lentils, and Other Legumes — Soups, stews, and chili are great vehicles for these healthy ingredients that include bioflavonoids and zinc.
  9. Sunflower Seeds — A popular snack these days, available in many flavors and containing lots of zinc and vitamin E.
  10. Beef — Lean and mixed in is best for moderation, supplying zinc and contributing to overall eye health and vitamin functions.

Eat Your Veggies and See Your Eye Doctor

While your diet and overall health are key elements for your eye health, an annual eye exam is the best way to make sure your eyes are in great shape. While you’re visiting the best eye doctors in Colorado at ICON Eyecare, we can also help with any vision correction that you may need. When carrots aren’t enough, we can measure you for glasses, contact lenses, or a variety of other methods of giving you sharp eyesight to enjoy. With good medical care for your eyes, they can give you a lifetime of quality vision. Call us today for an appointment.