"I have
trouble chewing."
"Food just doesn't taste the same anymore."
"I don't have a car to go shopping."
"It's hard to cook for one person."
"I'm just not that hungry anymore."
Is
one of these a reason you are not eating well now? Food provides energy
and nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. Nutrients
include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water.
As you grow older, you may need less energy from what you eat. But,
you still need just as many of the nutrients in food. Nutrition experts
can recommend what the average older person needs to eat, but you
should also check with your doctor or a registered dietitian, a specialist
trained in nutrition. This is especially true if you have a health
problem that limits what you should eat. They can help you plan meals
that will include the healthy foods you need without the foods you
should avoid.
What Should
I Eat?
Choose many different
healthy foods. Pick those that are lower in fat, especially saturated
fat (mostly in foods that come from animals), and cholesterol. Eat
or drink only small amounts of sugary or salty foods, and alcoholic
drinks, if you drink them at all. Avoid "empty calories"
as much as you can. These are foods like sodas, potato chips, and
cookies that have a lot of calories, but not many nutrients.
Calories are
a way to measure the energy you get from food. If you eat more
calories than your body needs, you could gain weight. If you are not
active, choose lower calorie foods and eat the smallest number of
servings suggested for each of the five food groups (See below). If
you are active, you should eat more servings for more calories. The
calorie counts for most packaged foods are listed in the Nutrition
Facts part of the label or package.
How Much Should
I Eat?
The U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) has developed the Food Guide Pyramid to help
you make healthy food choices. There are five major food groups. Every
day you should try to eat the suggested number of servings from each
group. If you can't do that, at least try to eat something from each
group each day. Lower fat choices are best.
Make sure you eat vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain foods. The food
groups are:
Grains—6-11
servings; one serving
is:
- One roll, slice of bread,
or small muffin,
- 1/2 bagel or English muffin,
- 1/2 cup of cooked rice
or pasta,
- 1/2 cup of cooked cereal,
or
- about 1 cup (1 oz.) of
ready-to-eat cereal.
Vegetables—3-5
servings; one serving
is:
- 1/2 cup of chopped raw
or cooked vegetables, or
- 1 cup of leafy raw vegetables.
Fruits—2-4
servings; one serving
is
- 1 medium piece of fruit
or melon wedge,
- 3/4 cup of juice,
- 1/2 cup of canned fruit,
or
- 1/4 cup of dried fruit.
Milk, yogurt,
and cheese—2-3 servings (3 for people over 50);
one serving is:
- 1 cup of milk or yogurt,
or
- 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of cheese.
One cup of soup
made with milk, 1/2 cup of pudding from "scratch" or a mix,
or 1 cup of cottage cheese counts as half a serving.
Meat, poultry,
fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts—2-3 servings (to equal 5 to 7 ounces
of lean meat, poultry, or fish);
one serving is:
- 2 to 3 ounces of cooked
lean meat, poultry, or fish,
- 1/2 cup of tuna fish,
or
- 1/2 cup of cooked beans
or tofu, 1 egg, 1/3 cup of nuts, or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter—each
of which can count as one ounce of meat.
Some other tips:
- Each day eat only small
amounts of fats, oils, and sweets.
- Remember, when counting
servings, that there may be more than one "Food Pyramid serving"
of a food on your plate. For example, a sandwich made with two
slices of bread is two servings of grain products.
- Sometimes manufacturers
put more than one serving in a package or bottle.
Are You Less
Interested in Food?
Does your favorite
chicken dish taste different? Does Aunt Molly's pea soup suddenly
seem to need salt? The flavor of the food is probably the same as
always. With age your sense of taste and sense of smell may change.
This affects how foods taste. They may
seem to have lost flavor. You may not be able to smell if foods have
gone bad. You might want to date foods in your refrigerator to keep
yourself from eating foods that are no longer fresh. If in doubt,
throw it out.
There are other
reasons food may not taste the same. Some medicines can change your
sense of taste or make you feel less hungry. Maybe you have slowed
down a bit, so your body needs fewer calories. Maybe chewing is difficult
because your dentures need to be adjusted or your teeth or gums need
to be checked. You might want to pick softer foods to eat.
Do I Need to
Drink Water?
Not just water.
You need to drink plenty of liquids like water, juice, milk, and soup.
Aim for eight 8-ounce glasses a day. You have to replace the fluids
you lose every day. But, check with your doctor if he or she has told
you to limit how much you drink.
Don't wait until
you feel thirsty to start drinking. With age you may lose some of
your sense of thirst. In addition, medicine can sometimes cause you
to lose fluids. If you are drinking enough, your urine will be pale
yellow. If it is a bright or dark yellow, you need to drink more liquids.
If the color still does not change, talk to your health care provider.
Do you have a
urinary control problem? If your answer is yes, don't stop drinking
a lot of liquid. But, talk to your doctor for help with your urinary
control problem.
What About
Fiber?
Dietary fiber
is found in foods that come from plants— fruits, vegetables, beans,
nuts, seeds, brown rice, and whole grains, such as oat, barley, wheat,
corn, and rice bran. It is the part of plant foods that your body
cannot digest. Eating more fiber may prevent intestinal problems like
constipation, diverticulosis, and diverticulitis. It may also lower
cholesterol and blood sugar and help you have regular bowel movements.
Some nutrition
experts think adults should eat 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day.
If you are not used to eating a lot of fiber, add extra sources of
fiber to your diet slowly to avoid stomach problems. The best source
of this fiber is food, rather than dietary supplements. When adding
fiber, remember:
- Eat cooked dry beans,
peas, and lentils often.
- Leave skins on your fruit
and vegetables when possible.
- Choose whole fruit over
fruit juice.
- Eat whole-grain breads
and cereals.
- Drink lots of fluids to
keep the fiber moving through your intestines.
Should I Cut
Back on Salt?
Salt (sodium chloride)
is the most common way people get sodium. Sodium is naturally present
in most foods, and salt is added to many canned and prepared foods.
The body uses sodium to keep the blood, muscles, and nerves healthy,
but too much is not good. Most people eat a lot more sodium than they
need.
Each day you should
eat no more than 2400 mg of sodium. This is about one teaspoon
of table salt. It includes all the sodium you get in your food and
drink, not just what you add when cooking or eating. If your doctor
tells you to use less salt, try to cut back on salty foods like processed
meats and mustard. Use spices, herbs, and lemon juice to add flavor
to your food.
What About
Fat?
Fat in your diet
provides energy and certain vitamins. Too much fat, especially saturated
fat, can be bad for your heart and blood vessels and can lead to heart
disease. Saturated fats often come from animal sources. They tend
to be solid at room temperature, rather than liquid. Also, fat is
high in calories. It should make up no more than 30 percent of your
total calories—53 grams of fat if you are trying to eat 1600 calories
a day. Some examples of fat content are:
- a 3-ounce broiled, extra-lean
hamburger patty has about 14 grams,
- a hard-boiled egg has
5 grams, and
- a teaspoon of butter or
margarine has 4 grams.
To lower the fat
in your diet:
- Choose lean cuts of meat,
fish, or poultry (with the skin removed).
- Trim off any extra fat
before cooking.
- Use low-fat dairy products
and salad dressings.
- Use non-stick pots and
pans, and cook without added fat.
- If you do use fat, use
either an unsaturated vegetable oil or a nonfat cooking spray.
- Broil, roast, bake, stir-fry,
steam, microwave, or boil foods. Avoid frying them.
- Season your foods with
lemon juice, herbs, or spices, instead of butter.
How Can I Make
Shopping Easier?
Plan your meals
in advance. Check your supply of staples like flour, sugar, rice,
and cereal. Make a list of what you need. Keep some canned or frozen
fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, dinners, and soups on hand. These
are handy when you do not feel like cooking or cannot
go out. Powdered nonfat dry milk, canned evaporated milk, and ultra-pasteurized
milk in a carton can be stored easily.
Think about how
much of a product you will use. A large size may be cheaper per unit,
but it is not a bargain if you end up throwing much of it away. Share
large packages with a friend. Frozen vegetables sold in bags save
money because you can use small amounts while keeping the rest frozen.
If a package of meat or fresh produce is too large, ask a store
employee to repackage it in a smaller size.
Learn to read
food package labels. There you will find a list of ingredients. The
first one listed is present in the food in the largest amount. The
ones that follow are present in smaller and smaller amounts. Look
at "Nutrition Facts" for the calories, protein, carbohydrate,
fat, sodium, fiber, vitamin, and mineral amounts per serving. It also
suggests a serving size for
comparing foods. There may be an expiration or "use by"
date on the label or container. At first, reading labels will add
some time to your shopping trip. Soon you will learn which products
are best for you.
Won't All This
Food Cost A Lot?
Here are some
ways to keep your food costs down:
- Plain (generic) labels,
if available, or store brands are usually cheaper than name brands.
- Plan your menu around
items on sale.
- Prepare more of the foods
you enjoy, and quickly refrigerate the leftovers to eat in a day
or two.
- Or, divide leftovers into
individual servings. Write the contents and date on each package,
and freeze to use within a few months.
- Share meal preparation
and costs with a friend.
- Plan a "pot-luck"
dinner where everyone brings a prepared dish.
The federal government
provides food stamps to help people with low incomes buy groceries.
If you think you are eligible, check with a local food stamps office
or area agency
on aging. Also check with your local area agency on aging or tribal
organization for the nearest senior center or nutrition site. You
may be able to enjoy free or low-cost meals for older people at a
community center, church, or school. These meals offer good food and
a chance to be with other people. Home delivered meals are available
for people who are homebound.
Resources
For more detailed
information on nutrition, meal programs, or help with shopping, contact:
USDA Food and
Nutrition Information Center (FNIC)
10301 Baltimore Ave., Rm. 105
Beltsville, MD 20705-2351
301-504-5719
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic
Administration
on Aging
330 Independence Avenue S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
202-619-7501
Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116
http://www.eldercare.gov
The federal government
has a nutrition website with links to several agencies:
http://www.nutrition.gov
The National Institute
on Aging (NIA) offers free information on health, exercise, and aging.
For a list of publications write or call:
NIA Information
Center
PO Box 8057
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057
1-800-222-2225
1-800-222-4225 (TTY)
http://www.nia.nih.gov
National Institute on Aging
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
August 2002.
