Healthy Eating Helps Seniors Stay Stronger and Live Longer

Sometimes getting older loved ones to eat balanced, nutritious meals can be challenging. For seniors who live in a setting where they receive meals prepared by an on-site team that provides healthy foods, it’s easier to manage. But for seniors living alone, healthy eating can be something they don’t pay much attention to.

Experts agree that a Mediterranean-style diet, with lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains combined with reduced sugars and red meat, can actually help stave off cognitive decline. It can also have other health benefits, and according to Medicalnewstoday.com, many studies have been conducted that point to the long-term benefits of such a diet. An eight-year study of more than 5,200 adults aged 65 and older, combined with other similar studies for a total of 11,738 participants, showed that adherence to a Mediterranean diet showed a definitive improvement in life expectancy, even for those over age 65, according to the results published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Despite the benefits of a healthy diet, there are many reasons why seniors may not get as much nutrition as they need:

• If they live alone and feel isolated, they may suffer from depression that leads to a lack of interest in things they used to enjoy, like food.
• They may be on a tight budget and foods like fresh produce are too expensive, so they rely on cheaper, starch-filled foods that are easy to prepare.
• They may have lost some of their sense of taste as they age, leading to loss of appetite if foods taste the same.
• They may have more cognitive issues than they realize, and shopping for and preparing foods have become too difficult for their abilities.
• There may be something medically wrong, and a visit to their primary care physician could help pinpoint why they are not interested in food.

While seniors who are less active need to eat fewer calories than they did when they were more active, getting the right nutrients in the right proportions makes a big difference. If you are a care provider for an older loved one, here are some tips on how you can help make sure they are getting nutritionally-balanced meals. (Make sure to check with their primary care physician and discuss any dietary changes before implementing.)

1. Create nutritionally balanced meals. Most Mediterranean diet websites suggest two to three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. They can be spread out or served as side dishes. For protein, try for three servings of fish or seafood and three servings of legumes each week. One weekly serving of nuts or seeds rounds it out, but these are high in calories, so keep that in mind. Add some pasta and red tomato sauces twice a week with olive oil and garlic. Try eating just two main meals a day while seated at a table, and snack according to the plan.
2. Make sure seniors are provided with colorful vegetables. The more color the better, and by offering different colors, seniors may be more inclined to try them in order to vary their diet. Taste buds change over time, so it might be the perfect time to add something different into a typical green bean or salad green side dish.
3. Remember not to overcook vegetables for better taste. Sometimes people overcook vegetables to make them easier to chew for seniors, but overcooking also makes vegetables lose nutritional value, mutes their taste and makes vegetables mushy and less palatable.
4. Introduce colorful fruits that are easy to eat. Cut up papaya, mango, orange slices, grapes, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and other colorful fruits into small enough pieces to be easy, nutritious snack foods for seniors.
5. Replace red meat with fish or white meats. Fish is a great food for seniors because it’s good for their health, it is simple to prepare and easier to chew than a big serving of red meat, such as a large steak. White meat chicken or turkey can be substituted for red meat and as a change from fish dishes.
6. Reduce snacks or meals that include lots of sugar or butter. Try and steer clear of pastries, sugary beverages, cookies, donuts, and the like. Also steer clear of fried foods and snack foods like potato chips.

The National Council on Aging offers an infographic with links to many helpful websites for seniors who are dealing with things like food insecurity or who are unsure of what a healthy plate of food should contain. Also, there are food delivery services that deliver nutritional meals right to their doorsteps. Take advantage of these resources to help you manage your loved one’s diet, and possibly increase their chances of living a long, fit and healthy life, even if they start a healthy diet after age 65.