Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is important at any age, but especially necessary for the well being of senior adults. A healthy diet plan for seniors needs to incorporate their special needs, while emphasizing all the benefits of nutrition healthy eating can provide. Benefits of a healthy diet include mental acuity, improved immunity, better digestive health, more energy and better mental well being.

Seniors often experience a decrease in needed calories as their physical activity changes. Combined with that is the slower metabolism of the older person, which doesn’t burn calories as efficiently. Seniors have other issues that can complicate healthy eating such as the challenges of cooking for one or limitations in getting around in the kitchen and out to stores.

How to eat healthy when your tastes, food needs and appetite have changed can be a hard obstacle for seniors to overcome. Depression and loneliness can affect appetite and the types of food people eat at any age, but this is particularly true for senior adults. Digestion problems can cause seniors to choose a blander, less nutrient rich diet

Healthy Eating Guide

A good place to start for guidance when it comes to healthy eating for seniors is the food pyramid designed by the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA). A healthy diet includes a combination of grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans and oils. Some of the suggestions offered by the USDA food pyramid program are eat whole grains, keep your protein lean and vary your fruits and vegetables.

Calcium and Vitamin D intake are particularly important to the bone health of seniors. Some calcium-rich foods include low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt. Green leafy vegetables including kale, spinach and collard greens are an excellent non-dairy source of calcium. Also calcium can be found in canned fish, like sardines or salmon, calcium-fortified juices and breads, as well as supplements.

Eating healthy foods doesn’t have to be complicated. Seniors should increase their water intake, try to spend half their grocery money in the produce section and keep recipes simple. Easy changes like using olive oil instead of butter for cooking and having fruit for dessert can make big differences in your overall health. Regular exercise can help with appetite, weight control and even digestion.