6 Healthy Eating Tips For Older Adults
While there’s no secret formula for successful aging, eating healthy can help you stay on the right path. As people age, the senses weaken, the metabolism slows down, and some might be more likely to develop illnesses. For this reason, it’s essential to make healthy eating choices to ensure overall well-being.
Luckily, if you’re residing in an assisted living facility, healthy eating will never be your problem. Most assisted living facilities have a team of skilled culinary professionals who focus on providing fresh and healthy menus for seniors. If you’re looking for a reliable assisted living facility that offers a real restaurant experience, you can refer to this great site and other similar websites online.
However, whether or not you’re in a senior living community, here are some healthy eating tips you can consider:
- Set Small Goals
For many older adults, healthy eating can be a little overwhelming. Yet setting small and achievable goals may help you enjoy pursuing a healthy lifestyle. To do this, start by distinguishing the areas of healthy eating you struggle with the most. Then, make personal goals to start the changes and get the right diet suitable for your needs.
If you’re struggling to get up and make your meals, create a goal of making healthy meals at least four days a week. If you don’t eat breakfast, you can practice healthy eating by trying to eat a small but filling breakfast like fruit or oatmeal.
- Opt For Healthy Fats
You must never cut all fats from your diet as there are bad and good fats. Bad fats, including trans and saturated fats, are the ones you should eliminate. These are often found in red meats, such as lamb, beef, and pork.
On the contrary, good fats, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, can benefit the body. These fats help support mood and overall well-being and protect your body against chronic conditions. The best sources of good, healthy fats are nuts, avocado, olive oil, and fish.
- Always Cook A Healthy Meal
Eating and cooking various types of food is vital to getting the essential nutrients you need. A healthy meal often includes:
- Vegetables and fruits
- Lean protein, such as eggs and seafood
- Low-fat dairy
- Whole grains
You can always opt for a meal delivery service if you can’t cook healthy meals. They have meal plans or dishes that provide nutritious food to the elderly. Sometimes, others who have extra vegetables and fruits harvested from their backyard also give them out for free.
- Drink Water
Staying hydrated is essential for every senior. It’s crucial to drink enough fluids even when you’re not thirsty. Likewise, drink plenty of water throughout the day to prevent dehydration.
Aside from water, juice, tea, coffee, and low-fat milk can be excellent choices to stay hydrated. However, try to avoid beverages that contain a high amount of salt and sugar and consult your doctor about other healthy alternatives to water that you can include in your diet.
- Vary Your Vegetables
Your digestive system slows down as you become older. With that in mind, it’s vital to eat food rich in fiber regularly to eliminate complications due to inhibited digestion.
Assorted vegetables provide lots of nutrients and fiber to your diet. Never eat the same vegetable daily because every vegetable provides various nutrients and vitamins your body needs to thrive and survive.
- Plan Your Meals
Planning your meals will not only help you eat healthily, but can also save you time and money. Besides, if you know what you’re going to eat, you can quickly avoid unhealthy options. You’ll also prevent purchasing too much food that might spoil later on.
Meal planning also eliminates the stress of obtaining the appropriate number of calories and nutrients. Thus, if you want to make meal planning easy, you may refer to the following tips:
- Consider Preparation Time
Several meals may take more time to make than others. In some cases, cooking a massive amount of food ahead of time and freezing some of it may help reduce prep time without compromising your meal’s nutrients.
- Have A Plan
Deciding what to eat in advance may help alleviate the frustration and stress of how or what food to eat. Hence, select your preferred meals for each day of the week. Once you’re done, create a list of everything needed to cook the meals. If you notice a particular food group lacking, consider adjusting your meals when necessary.
- Keep Portion Sizes Or Calories In Mind
Always keep calories or portion sizes in mind when preparing meals in advance. It’s because body changes due to age may result in low-calorie requirements. Therefore, reducing portion sizes is essential, especially if you don’t perform various daily activities. To ensure the correct portion sizes and calories for you, consult your healthcare provider about what well-balanced plates should look like.
Conclusion
Your body needs particular nutrients as you age, so selecting foods that provide the best possible nutritional value is more crucial than ever, especially as you prepare for a healthy aging plan. With the above healthy eating tips, you can guarantee that you’ll enjoy an active senior life in the coming years. Furthermore, before implementing such tips, check with your healthcare provider about the proper diet suitable for your age to ensure positive results.