Healthy Eating Tips for Seniors

Your body composition changes as you grow older. This is why your diet also needs to adapt according to your age and it becomes even more important in people aged 60 or above. Read on to find out how elderly people can change their diet to stay healthy and active.

What You Should Know:

• How does aging affect your appetite?
• 5 simple tips to improve the diet of an elderly person
• General health tips for the elderly

How does aging affect your appetite?

Your age is bound to affect your food habits. For starters, your metabolism is bound to slow down with age, especially if you don’t exercise regularly. To deal with the lower metabolic rate elderly people might reduce their food intake. A loss of appetite can also be linked to depression and loneliness in the elderly.

With age, the digestive system also tends to produce less fluids which you require to properly digest your food. This means elderly people need to create a healthy diet to ensure that your body absorbs important nutrients.

Elderly people might also have some pre-existing condition or chronic disease. The physician could suggest a diet that is better suited to cope with the illness, rather than staying physically active.

5 simple tips to improve the diet of an elderly person

As you grow older, you should reduce your food portions because your calories requirement is likely to be lower. Here’s how you can create a healthy diet to make the most of your meals and stay physically healthy:

1. Eat calcium-rich food

Bone health is an important factor in old age to avoid health problems like osteoporosis. You should include low-fat dairy products like toned milk and leafy vegetables which are rich sources of calcium.

2. Choose more healthy fats

Elderly people should cut down on saturated fats which are found in oily food, high-fat dairy and meats. Instead, foods with unsaturated fats like avocado, fish and vegetable oils are healthy substitute.

3. Add fibre to your diet

High-fibre foods can prevent constipation and provide vitamins, minerals and nutrients that your body requires. Include foods like raw fruits, vegetables and whole grains which are rich sources of fibre in your diet.

4. Don’t forget lean proteins

The lean muscle mass in your body tends to reduce as you age. To maintain muscle mass you should include lean proteins like beans, eggs, chicken and nuts in your diet.

5. Stay hydrated

Water is always an important of any diet. You should drink water or some healthy soups regularly at short intervals throughout the day. You can also include foods with high water content like grapes, cucumber and any types of melon to your diet.

General health tips for the elderly

As an elderly person you might want to ensure that the diet is more suited to your preferences. For example, if you face problems while chewing then you should eat more soft food. Similarly, you should lower how spicy or salty your food is because it can negatively impact your health.

Whenever possible, exercise or some sort of physical activity should be part of your daily routine to stay fit. Don’t forget to consult a doctor before creating a healthy diet plan for any senior citizen.

Aditya Birla Health Insurance’s Activ Health Platinum Essential plan provides Day 1 cover for chronic illnesses like Asthma, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol and Diabetes. You can also get access to an expert Health coach for guidance on nutritional, fitness, mental health and more. For more fitness or nutrition related advice, check out Activ Living.