A nutritious diet can help you enjoy a vibrant lifestyle in your assisted living community, but keeping up with the latest healthy eating advice can quickly get confusing. Fortunately, you don't need a complete diet overhaul or pricey kitchen gizmos to boost your nutrient intake. Let's explore four easy, tried-and-tested tricks to achieve healthy aging through a delicious, balanced diet.
As an older adult, you may not need to consume as many calories to maintain a healthy weight as you did when you were younger. Several factors can reduce your caloric needs, including normal age-related metabolism changes and reduced physical activity levels.
How much you need to eat varies from person to person, and you may have a higher daily requirement if you participate in lots of physical exercise in your assisted living community. You can calculate your unique calorie allowance using the MyPlate calculator from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
However, you'll still need the same quantities of vital nutrients as a younger adult—in fact, many seniors have higher nutrient needs than the rest of the population. Therefore, it's wise to make every calorie count by avoiding empty calories from foods high in sugar and fat but low in essential vitamins and minerals. While these foods are fine as an occasional treat, minimizing them in your daily diet is best. They include:
Instead, plan your meals around nutrient-dense foods. According to MedlinePlus, the ideal diet for seniors includes plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean protein.
Protein isn't just for bodybuilders. Older adults need to eat at least as much protein as younger adults, and some experts believe they may need more protein to support healthy aging.
As a rule of thumb, you should aim to eat between 1 and 1.2 grams of protein for every kilogram of your body weight—that's around 80 to 96 grams (approximately 2.8 to 3.4 ounces) per day for an 80-kilogram (176-pound) person.
Too little protein in your diet can cause malnutrition and muscle loss, increasing your risk of problems, such as falls, and reduced independence. However, many older adults find eating enough protein difficult.
The National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging recommends spreading your protein intake throughout the day by eating lean meat, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy at every meal. You could also add high-protein plant-based foods such as nuts, seeds and beans to your meals for variety.
If you find it hard to reach your daily protein target, try adding foods such as yogurt or eggs to your breakfast as a high-protein alternative to carbohydrate-based breakfasts like cereal. You could also consider eating protein-rich snacks between meals, such as a handful of unsalted nuts or a small slice of low-fat cheese.
A colorful plate of food looks extra-appetizing and could give you a nutrition boost. Colorful fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals, with each color offering a different health benefit.
The greater the variety of colors you consume, the more healthful phytochemicals in your diet. For example, red fruits and veggies like tomatoes and cherries are high in lycopene, a nutrient that improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of certain cancers. Meanwhile, purple foods such as blueberries and figs contain high levels of various heart- and brain-friendly antioxidants.
Eating the rainbow doesn't have to mean giving up your favorite foods. You can make your diet more vibrant by:
If increasing the amount of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet seems challenging, try pacing yourself throughout the day. Eating one or two servings with each meal and snacking on a piece of fresh fruit will have you well on your way to eating the rainbow.
While older adults don't need as much fiber as people under 50, it's still an essential component of a healthy diet. This undigestible carbohydrate is vital for healthy digestion, minimizing constipation and preventing certain cancers, but 95% of us don't eat enough.
Senior women need around 21 grams (0.74 ounces) of fiber per day, while men need around 30 grams (1.05 ounces). Many plant-based foods are rich in fiber, including:
Replacing refined (highly processed) carbohydrates with the unrefined variety is a straightforward way to increase the amount of fiber in your diet. For example, you could opt for whole wheat bread and brown rice or pasta for a high-fiber addition to your meals, avoiding white bread and rice.
Some seniors struggle to get enough fiber in their diets. Your family doctor or the health care team in your assisted living community can help if you're experiencing issues associated with a low-fiber diet, such as constipation. They may recommend taking fiber supplements to boost your intake and improve your symptoms.
