As you’ve aged, you may have noticed your body composition changing, your food intake decreasing, as well as a decline in your sense of smell and taste. Side effects from any medications you take and changes in hormone levels may also affect your appetite and eating habits. These changes are normal for seniors, but when left unmonitored, they can lead to a decrease in food intake and nutrients.
Prioritizing a balanced diet for seniors helps you keep up your energy levels, muscle mass and ability to fight disease. Plus, following a healthy meal plan reduces cooking stress and allows you to exercise greater control over your body.
Nutrition for Older Adults
The best meal plans satisfy a senior’s nutritional needs, so it’s vital seniors understand what specific nutrients to include in their meal planning. Don’t forget to involve your doctor when creating meal plans, especially if you have low sodium, gluten free or diabetic dietary needs. Below are some highlights of unique nutrition for older adults that can help keep you healthy, reduce disease risk and have a positive impact on changes that impact appetite and eating.
Protein
Many seniors don’t get enough protein in their diet. It’s recommended that older adults eat 0.5 to 0.6 grams of protein per pound of body weight, as protein helps you feel full, prevents the loss of muscle mass and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
Building your meals around a protein source, such as fish, chicken, ground turkey or tofu, is an easy way to ensure you get the requisite amount. If you don’t feel like cooking a chicken breast, foods like cottage cheese, peanut butter, eggs, beans and tuna pouches are accessible, protein-packed and require little to no preparation.
Hydration
Did you know that even though the feeling of thirst decreases with age, older adults still need just as many fluids? This puts seniors at a higher risk for dehydration, so be sure to drink lots of water. Water aids digestion, keeps you hydrated, helps break down food so that your body can absorb nutrition and is calorie-free.
If drinking more water doesn’t excite you, eating soups and smoothies will increase your fluid intake as well as provide lots of fiber and nutrients. Additionally, water-rich foods like cucumber, watermelon, tomatoes and strawberries are another great way to stay hydrated.
Fiber
Fiber is a complex carbohydrate that lowers cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels and reduces constipation. Older adults are recommended to eat 21-30 grams of fiber per day. Fruits, vegetables and legumes are high fiber foods and are a great way to incorporate more fiber into your diet. Whole grains such as oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat pasta are also easily digestible high fiber foods for seniors and can easily be added to a healthy meal plan.
B12
A vitamin B12 deficiency is common in seniors and can result in anemia, fatigue, depression and a host of other dangerous symptoms. You can get B12 from foods like liver, fortified cereal, sardines, fish and eggs. If you struggle with getting enough B12, a daily supplement may be necessary.
Healthy Eating for Seniors
If finding recipes for a healthy meal plan sounds daunting, one way to simplify the process is to make a list of your favorite foods within each major food group, which includes grains, vegetables, proteins, dairy and fruits. Then mix and match by choosing one from a few different categories. For example, you might choose rice as your grain, salmon as your protein and brussels sprouts as your vegetable. For breakfast, you might select toast as your grain, hard-boiled eggs as your protein and berries as your fruit. This method gives you a variety of healthy meals suited to your preferences and nutritional needs.
As you begin to organize a healthy meal plan, here are a few more tips to keep in mind:
- Get social. Whether you’re grocery shopping with others, cooking with others or sharing a meal, turning eating into a social experience makes mealtime more enjoyable and reduces social isolation, which also benefits your health.
- Cook in batches. Making several portions of a meal at once and eating them as leftovers makes life easier if you don’t want to cook every day. A few batch options to consider are Crock-Pot meals, casseroles and stews.
- Find inspiration online. Maybe you’re bored with the recipes you have in your current rotation. Browse recipes on cooking apps, recipe websites and Pinterest to get ideas for new foods to incorporate into your diet and find interesting combinations to create with them. If you have certain dietary restrictions and need to find a diabetic meal plan or low sodium meal plan, search for recipes that fit that criteria.
How Senior Life Insurance Can Help
Creating a balanced diet for seniors doesn’t have to be difficult. Focusing on nutrition and continuing to prepare the foods you love in exciting and healthy ways helps ensure you live longer and enjoy more independence in your later years. Here at Americo Senior Life, we help seniors plan for their futures by offering a range of affordable life insurance options to fit your unique needs. Get the peace of mind that comes with a whole life insurance policy and contact Americo Senior Life today!