Healthy eating as you age shouldn’t be about dieting and sacrifice. It should be about eating well to improve your mental acuteness, energy levels, and resistance to illness. It should also be an opportunity for socialization, a key to staying emotionally balanced.
It’s never too late to change your diet and improve your nutritional plan and eating habits.
Use these 5 essential tips for a healthy senior nutritional plan provided by Shannon Guthrie, dietitian for Eskaton senior living villages.
Download a Taste of Eskaton to discover top menu items from each of the independent living restaurants.
5 Essentials For A Healthy Senior Diet
- Stay Hydrated.
Pay attention to how much water you drink daily and realize that certain medications can dehydrate or make you unaware of thirst. Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body needs water to work properly, so keep a water bottle with you all day.
- Get Ample Calcium & Vitamin D.
Calcium and Vitamin D are your best friends when it comes to keeping your heart, muscles, and nerves functioning properly. How much you need depends on your age and gender, but note that women typically need more than men—and we all need more as we age.
- Practice Portion Control.
Too much or too little—neither is good for you. Your diet and nutritional needs change as you age, and healthy eating becomes more important than ever. Know how many calories you need and what a proper portion size is for you.
- Listen to Your Body.
When you’re fueled well, you run well. Research proves healthy foods make you feel good, while their processed counterparts leave you sluggish. For example, regular fish intake keeps you energized and is linked with a lower risk of depression.
- Dine with Friends.
As you age, you are more at risk to become isolated and even depressed. Make meal time not only about eating healthy, but also about being good for you socially and emotionally. Sharing a meal with others is a great way to make connections and new friendships.
If you can’t or no longer want to cook, find an alternative way to ensure you have wholesome, nutritional foods prepared for you each day. As you age, it’s not unusual to no longer want to grocery shop, cook, and do dishes. We don’t blame you! It’s your turn to enjoy the food without the prep and cleanup.
Here are a few ideas to help you stay healthy, but out of the kitchen.
- Take advantage of home delivery. Many grocery stores have internet or phone delivery services.
- Swap services. Ask a friend, neighborhood teen, or college student if they would be willing to shop for you.
- Share your home. Consider having a housemate/companion who would be willing to do the grocery shopping and cooking.
- Consider a senior living community where all the cooking is done for you.
We invite you to come enjoy a Taste of Eskaton!
Eskaton is Northern California’s largest nonprofit community-based organization serving seniors. With four decades of experience, Eskaton’s vision is to transform the aging experience. Schedule a tour and meal with us at any one of our Eskaton senior living communities. Call us today at (888) 684-6554 or contact Eskaton online. 
