Healthy eating for older adults

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“To stay healthy as you get older, it is important to eat well. You may have a smaller appetite than when you were younger, so you need to choose healthy food to get the best nutritional value.”

- New Zealand Ministry of Health.

A healthy diet and keeping active continue to be important as we grow older, keeping us in the best health possible and delaying, or even reversing, some of the health issues associated with aging. Staying healthy means older adults can maintain a good quality of life and continue to live independently.

Dietary and activity advice for older adults includes:

Eat a variety of foods. Have at least three meals every day. Include plenty of different vegetables and fruits and protein foods such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, pulses & legumes.
Maintain a healthy weight. If underweight try to include more snacks.
Include 6-8 glasses of fluid each day, this can include hot drinks.
Include milk and dairy products or calcium fortified alternatives.
Try and be active every day.

Important nutrients for older adults:

Calcium – is an essential nutrient as we grow older. A good intake of calcium can help keep bones and muscles healthy and prevent osteoporosis and fractures.. Sources of calcium include dairy, green leafy vegetables and tofu.
Vitamin D – is also important for bone health and mainly comes from exposure to the sun. Older adults can often be low in vitamin D and should discuss taking a supplement with their doctor if they do not get outside often. Grass-fed New Zealand lean beef and lamb contains small amounts of vitamin D.
B Vitamins – especially B12, B6 and Folate which are needed for normal blood and brain function. Lean beef and lamb is a good source of vitamin B12 and B6. Whereas folate can be found in fortified grains, leafy green vegetables and lambs liver.
Protein - provides energy and is also essential for the repair and maintenance of body tissues. However, with aging, fat mass often increases and muscle mass declines. It is estimated that adults lose 20-25% of their lean body mass from 35-70 years. Loss of lean body mass can result in conditions such as sarcopenia and loss of muscle strength and function. Increasing protein intake by eating protein at each meal and making choices to include high quality protein (link to protein URL) such as meat, eggs, dairy, poultry, fish and soy products ensures your body is absorbing a lot of protein without needing to eat large amounts.

Keeping on cooking:

It’s likely that your home is bit quieter these days. Of course, there are busy times during the year when you’re entertaining friends or maybe caring for grandchildren but for the most part, you may find you’re only cooking for yourself or one other person during the week. Instead of resorting to tea and toast why don’t you:
Cook a big meal a few times a week and freeze the extra portions for nights you don’t feel like cooking.
Treat yourself to dinner at a local restaurant once or twice a month and try the latest special or new dish.
Eat socially with friends or family as often as possible
Community cooking classes for older adults can provide opportunities to upskill and learn new recipes. Check out Just Cook for healthy aging.
You might like to try a new cuisine or cooking technique to keep your meals tasty and exciting. Take a look at some of these simple recipes: