Optimum Nutrition for Older Adults

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According to the American Dietetic Association and Tufts University Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, older adults have different nutritional requirements than younger people. Therefore, it is imperative to make wise food choices high in nutritional value instead of choosing snacks and meals loaded with sodium, sugar, and hydrogenated fats. Making wise food choices may decrease the risk of developing chronic diseases and maintaining a healthy weight.

I recently searched online for “100 calorie snacks” and some of the choices were not healthy, although the sites promoted “healthy eating.”  Among the BAD recommendations, I found crackers, soup, cookies, popcorn, salty pretzels, candy bars, potato chips, salsa, dill pickles, beef jerky, smoked turkey, and olives.

NUTRITIOUS alternatives include a hardboiled egg, apple, carrots, fat-free yogurt, banana, two cups of strawberries, egg white omelet, 1/3 cup of quinoa cooked in unsalted broth, small microwaved sweet potato, a dozen unsalted almonds, dried fruit, ½ cup edamame, 1 cup nonfat milk, and fat-free cottage cheese. The chart below includes nutritions snacks loaded with fiber, an important dietary consideration.

Reducing salty foods, avoiding hydrogenated products, and avoiding sugary foods requires reading labels and making healthy substitutions.  Don’t forget about water! Older adults need about 64 ounces of water daily to retain hydration. Keep track of calories and monitor eating patterns. Are you eating out of boredom or grazing around in the kitchen? Those habits typically lead to weight gain or frailty, which leads to impaired mobility, which leads to loss of independence. Begin TODAY to make changes. This is the first day of the rest of your life. 

For women fifty and older who are:
Sedentary (not active) 1,600 calories per day
Moderately active 1,800 calories per day
Active 2,000 calories per day

For men fifty and older who are:
Sedentary (not active) 2,000 calories per day
Moderately active 2,200 to 2,400 calories per day
Active 2,400 to 2,800 calories per day

Resources:
American Dietetic Association (2009). Eat Right for Older Adults. Retrieved from https://www.uccs.edu/healthcircle/sites/healthcircle/files/inline-files/Eating%20Right%20for%20Older%20Adults.pdf

Tufts Jean Mayer USDA HNRCA (2020). Tufts University “MyPlate for Older Adults. Retrieved from https://hnrca.tufts.edu/myplate/

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institute on Aging (2020). Smart Food Choices for Healthy Aging/National Institute on Aging. Retrieved from
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/smart-food-choices-healthy-aging



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