How Should Older Adults Eat?

Aging Also Brings Special Nutritional Needs

With longer life expectancy, enjoying an energetic, active life in your 80s and 90s is now possible. However, your body shape may have changed, you may be less physically active and you may be less interested in food. These changes happen so slowly that you may not notice them. Aging also means having special nutritional needs. Because of these changes, you may need to adjust your diet. It is never too late to benefit from improved nutrition and fitness. Working after retirement, eating well and staying active can make a dramatic difference to older adults' quality of life.

Less Food, but More Nutrients

As you age, you need fewer calories but more nutrient-rich foods. In particular, the need for calcium and vitamin D increases. For optimal physical activity and mental health, older adults need to choose healthy meals. The golden years are certainly not a time for slimming diets or rapid weight loss. Your goal should be better nutrition from the same calories. Rapid weight loss often causes older adults to lose lean body mass. The right balance of nutrition and activity helps maintain strong muscles and bones.

What Makes Healthy Eating Harder as We Age?

• Living alone and struggling to manage daily tasks
• Health conditions that make it difficult to prepare your own food or feed yourself
• Medications that alter the taste of food, dry your mouth or suppress your appetite
• Income
• Sensitivity to smells and tastes
• Problems chewing or swallowing food

How Can I Eat Healthily as I Age?

Eat foods that provide plenty of nutrients without too many calories, such as:

• Fruits and vegetables (choose different colors)
• Whole grains such as oatmeal, wholemeal bread and brown rice
• Fat-free or low-fat milk and cheese
• Seafood, lean meat, poultry and eggs
• Beans, nuts and oilseeds

Avoid foods with little nutritional value, such as chips, candy, baked goods, fruit-flavored soda and alcohol.

Choose foods low in cholesterol and fat. In particular, avoid saturated fats and trans fats such as margarine. Saturated fats are generally fats from animal foods. Trans fats may also occur in some fried foods and baked goods.

Drink enough fluids to avoid dehydration. Some people lose their sense of thirst as they age. Certain medications can make drinking plenty of fluids even more important.

Be physically active. If you have begun losing your appetite, exercise can help you feel hungry.

Enjoy the Power of Protein

People of all ages need protein to keep their bodies healthy and strong. Some older people do not get enough protein during infections, injuries or illness. Chewing protein foods such as meat may also be a problem for some older adults.

Here are some tips for increasing protein intake without upsetting your food budget or energy balance: 

• Enjoy more beans. Add canned beans to salads, soups, rice dishes and stews.
• Spread peanut butter on wholegrain crackers and eat them as a snack or with soup, peppers or salad.
• Eat low-fat cheese or extra egg whites.
• Use fat-free or low-fat milk instead of water when making soup or oatmeal.

What Can I Do if I Have Trouble Eating Healthily?

• If you have trouble chewing, consult your dentist to check for problems.
• If you have trouble swallowing, try drinking plenty of fluids with your meal. If this does not help, consult your health care professional.
• If you have difficulty smelling or tasting food, try adding color and texture to make meals more interesting. 
• If you are not eating enough, add healthy snacks throughout the day to help you get more nutrients and calories.

Older adults are at greater risk of illness and may take longer to recover when sick. As people age, their bodies become less able to fight bacteria. For example, stomach acid secretion, a natural defense against bacteria, decreases. Over time, the immune system may also lose its former effectiveness.

What Is Foodborne Illness?

Commonly called food poisoning , foodborne illness is any illness caused by food you eat. Safe food handling can help reduce your risk of becoming ill from food.

The signs and symptoms of foodborne illness can range from stomach upset, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps and dehydration to more severe disease and even death. Consumers can take simple precautions, particularly at home, to reduce their risk.

Safe Food Handling Guidelines

Keeping food safe: Refrigerate or freeze all perishable foods. Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer with an appliance thermometer. Your refrigerator should be set at 4 ° C or below, and the freezer at -18 ° C or below. Use a refrigerator/freezer thermometer to check temperatures.

Never leave food at room temperature to thaw. Always thaw food in the refrigerator, cold water or a microwave. After thawing in cold water or a microwave, you should cook it promptly.

- Related topic: 7 Techniques for Healthy Cooking

Wash your hands with warm, soapy water before preparing food. Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and other work surfaces after contact with raw meat and poultry. This helps prevent cross-contamination.

Do not leave perishable foods out for more than 2 hours.

Cook raw meat, poultry and fish thoroughly (see the safe internal temperatures table below). Make sure they are cooked through. Maintain a steady heat source and always set the oven to 162 ° C or higher during cooking. There is no need to bring food to room temperature before cooking.