Good Nutrition Tips for Older Adults

by National Institute on Aging

"I have trouble chewing."
"Food just doesn't taste the same anymore."
"I don't have a car to go shopping."
"It's hard to cook for one person."
"I'm just not that hungry anymore."

Sound familiar? These are some of the common reasons older people stop eating right. And that's a problem because food provides energy and nutrients everyone needs to stay healthy. Nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. As you grow older, you may need less energy from what you eat. But, you still need just as many of the nutrients in food.

What Should I Eat?

Choose many different healthy foods. Pick those that are lower in cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat (mostly in foods that come from animals) and trans fatty acids (found in some processed foods, margarines, and shortenings). Avoid "empty calories" as much as you can. These are foods and drinks with a lot of calories, but not many nutrients - for example, chips, cookies, sodas, and alcohol.

Calories are a way to measure the energy you get from food. If you eat more calories than your body needs, you could gain weight. Most packaged foods have the calorie counts listed on the labels.

The more physically active you are, the more you might be able to eat without gaining weight. Most people should have at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. Regular physical activity will help all areas of your life as you grow older.

How Much Should I Eat?

The Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourage people to eat a suggested amount from five major food groups every day. If you can't do that, at least try to eat something from each group each day. Lower fat choices are best. Make sure you include vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods. Eating the smallest amount suggested will give you about 1,600 calories a day, the largest number has about 2,800 calories.

The Dietary Guidelines suggest:

Grains - 5-10 ounces; some choices are: one roll, slice of bread, or small muffin, ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta, or about 1 cup (1 oz.) of ready-to-eat cereal

Vegetables - 2 to 3½ cups with a variety of colors and types of vegetables

Fruits - 1½ to 2½ cups

Milk, yogurt, and cheese - 3 cups of milk: 1 cup of yogurt equals one cup of milk, 1½ to 2 ounces of cheese equals one cup of milk, 1 cup of cottage cheese equals ½ cup of milk.

Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts - 5 to 7 ounces of lean meat, poultry, or fish: ¼ cup of cooked beans or tofu, 1 egg, ½ ounce of nuts or seeds, or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter - each can count as one ounce of meat.

Some other tips: Each day eat only small amounts of fats, oils, and sweets. When eating foods from the grains group, try to include at least 3 ounces from whole grains. Sometimes manufacturers put more than one serving in a package or bottle.

Another eating plan suggested by the Dietary Guidelines is called the DASH Eating Plan. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. See the resources at the end of this Age Page for more information on DASH.

Are You Less Interested in Food?

Does your favorite chicken dish taste different? Does Aunt Molly's pea soup suddenly seem to need salt? The flavor of the food is probably the same as always. With age your sense of taste and sense of smell may change. This affects how foods taste. They may seem to have lost flavor.

There are other reasons food may not taste the same. Some medicines can change your sense of taste or make you feel less hungry. Maybe you have slowed down a bit, so your body needs fewer calories. Maybe chewing is difficult because your dentures need to be adjusted or your teeth or gums need to be checked. You might want to pick softer foods to eat.

Do I Need to Drink Water?

Not just water. You need to drink plenty of liquids like water, juice, milk, and soup. You have to replace the fluids you lose every day. But check with your doctor if he or she has told you to limit how much you drink.

Don't wait until you feel thirsty to start drinking. With age you may lose some of your sense of thirst. In addition, medicine can sometimes cause you to lose fluids. If you are drinking enough, your urine will be pale yellow. If it is a bright or dark yellow, you need to drink more liquids.

Do you have a urinary control problem? If your answer is yes, don't stop drinking a lot of liquid. But, talk to your doctor for help with your urinary control problem.

What About Fiber?

Dietary fiber is found in foods that come from plants - fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, brown rice, and whole grains. It is the part of plant foods that your body cannot digest. Eating more fiber might help you avoid intestinal problems like constipation, diverticulosis, and diverticulitis. It might also lower cholesterol and blood sugar and help you have regular bowel movements.

If you are not used to eating a lot of fiber, add more fiber to your diet slowly to avoid stomach problems. The best source of this fiber is food, rather than dietary supplements. When adding fiber, remember: Eat cooked dry beans, peas, and lentils often. Leave skins on your fruit and vegetables if possible. Choose whole fruit over fruit juice. Eat whole-grain breads and cereals. Drink lots of fluids to help the fiber move through your intestines.

About the Author

www.nia.nih.gov
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.