Nutrition for Seniors

Nutrition for seniors still means making healthy food choices from among the basic four food groups outlined in a revised Food Pyramid - MyPyramid However, there are some considerations that need to be factored in. Our digestive system isn't as robust as it once was. Some nutrients aren't absorbed completely. Hormonal imbalance may be present. Metabolism often slows down requiring less consumption to maintain the same weight. We may become less active, meaning we'll burn fewer calories and without a change in calorie consumption we'll start to gain weight. Taste and smell often diminish. So there's a tendency to either over season food or just lose in eating. The medications we take may interfere with appetite, making it difficult to eat. Finally, we may suddenly find ourselves eating for one and just don't have the knowledge or motivation to prepare a meal for one.

General Nutritional Guidelines for Seniors

• Make sure you get the recommended vitamins and minerals, especially but not limited to iron, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and folic acid.
• Consume more calcium and vitamin D for bone health. Milk, cheese and yogurt retain their calcium content. Cream cheese, cream and butter don't. Choose fat-free or low fat dairy products. If you're lactose intolerant, consider lactose-free or lower-lactose products such as hard cheeses or yogurt. Or, a calcium supplement may be a good way for you to get your calcium requirements.
• Eat more fiber rich foods to prevent constipation. Add bran to cereals and healthy muffins to supplement your fiber intake. Raw fruit and vegetables are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and minerals and will help both digestion and preventing constipation.
• Choose lean protein foods such as fish, poultry (without skin), beans, eggs, nuts and tofu. Bake, steam, broil or grill rather than fry. Go easy on red meat.
• Reduce salt to help prevent water retention and high blood pressure.
• Cut back on sugar and dry foods.
• Monitor fat intake to help keep cholesterol level down. Get your "good" fats (mono- and poly-saturated) from oils such as olive oil and sunflower oil, avocados and avocado oil, nuts and seeds. Keep calories from fat to no more than 30% of total fat content. Limit fats (saturated and trans).
• Take a daily multivitamin to ensure that you're getting the recommended daily allowance.
• Increase water intake. Also, try to consume foods with high water content. We dehydrate more quickly with age.

The information listed above is only a summary on nutrition for seniors. Click nutrition for seniors - A Guide to Healthy Eating to view more information about good nutrition for seniors. The more you know about what your body needs, the quicker you can start to develop a plan for improving your nutritional health which in turn will help you improve other areas of your health as well. You might also want to use a nifty tool for finding healthy recipes that you can customize for your special needs. Click Recipe Locator to use the tool.

Use the sample plan below to learn how, in three steps, you can start new eating habits that will benefit your nutritional health. If you have not reviewed the three step plan, you might want to do so now: Awareness, Skills and Motivation