Quick Anti-Aging Recipes for Weeknights

Your life is a non-stop rush where you go from task to task hoping to complete everything you need to get done in a day. Most times the last thing you want to do when you get in your door is spend hours hovered in front of your stove preparing a healthy and great tasting meal. We’ve got you covered. Not only are the following recipes quick to prepare, but they also go far beyond healthy. These recipes from Resveralife also provide anti-aging benefits to your skin by using superfoods that possess anti-aging properties.

 

Vitamin C
Vitamin C really is a powerhouse when it comes to your health. Not only does this ingredient help repair and regenerate tissue and fight against damaging free radicals. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, also helps protect you from heart disease, supports healthy immune function, decreases your LDL (or bad cholesterol) levels and may also aid in the prevention of a variety of cancers.

Boost your vitamin C levels by preparing this quick (under 30 minutes from prep to eating) pasta salad. Though there are a decent amount of ingredients, it’s a super simple dish that you can throw together. Here’s the recipe and directions:

Pasta Salad with Peppers

  • 3 red peppers (or throw in an orange pepper for color variety)
  • 1 can of black olives
  • 1 medium tomato (optional)
  • 1 16 oz package of your favorite pasta (we love whole grain rotini)
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 2/3 cup of olive oil
  • 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • cracked black pepper to taste

Begin by either dicing your peppers or cutting them julienne style. Dice your tomato and drain your black olives. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add pasta and cook according to directions. In a food processor or blender, combine white wine vinegar, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, basil and salt and pepper. Blend until until smooth. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle dressing and add vegetables to the bowl. Toss together and top with cubed or grated mozzarella cheese. Serve warm or allow to cool to room temperature.

Avocado and Strawberry Salad.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that improves your body as well as your skin. This antioxidant is required for proper structural and functional maintenance of your skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscles. When it comes to your skin, vitamin E is excellent for dehydrated skin. It also provides UV protection and reduces damage done by free radicals. Add some vitamin E to your diet with this easy weeknight recipe.

Avocado and Strawberry Salad

  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 avocado (pitted, peeled and sliced)
  • 10 strawberries washed and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar (or sugar substitute)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 teaspoons raw honey
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (fresh is best if you have a lemon on hand)

Grab a small bowl and whisk together the sugar, olive oil, honey, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Add cracked black pepper for an added kick. Set that bowl aside and place spinach in a larger bowl. Top with sliced avocado and strawberries then drizzle the dressing on top. If you want you can also add sliced pecans, walnuts or almonds for added flavor.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Vitamin A
Vitamin A comes from both plant and animal sources. When an animal source is used, vitamin A is referred to as a retinoid, when a plant is used it’s beta-carotene. Either way, this is an anti-aging superstar. Vitamin A increases cell turnover encouraging new, healthy skin cells to grow and aids the skin in it’s barrier function. Vitamin A is also good for your vision and immune health. Add a little sweetness to a weeknight meal with this quick and easy recipe for mashed sweet potatoes.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

  • 6 sweet potatoes washed, peeled and cubed
  • 3/4 milk or milk substitute (such as soy or almond milk)
  • 1/2 butter
  • 3/4 organic maple syrup

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add sweet potatoes. Cook sweet potatoes until tender, or 20-30 minutes. Drain potatoes and add to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend potatoes and gradually add your milk. If you find your sweet potatoes are too thick, add a bit more milk until you achieve the desired consistency. Finally add butter and maple syrup then blend until smooth.

You don’t need extra hours in the day to eat for your health and for anti-aging skin benefits, you just need a little bit of creativity in the kitchen.