Good Eating for Seniors
Although people in the 60+ age group should adjust their diet, many of their nutritional requirements stay the same.

Grandma and Me
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Although the over sixties should eat a similar diet to young adults, they should make some changes. Usually most older people are less active than when they were younger and their metabolism slower so eating the same amount of food might lead to weight gain. Additionally, women need less iron than when they were menstruating.

This, however, is not the complete picture. Seniors' need for micro nutrients remain the same and, if they are on prescription drugs, their bodies might find it harder to absorb them.

The combination of a need for fewer calories but the same amount of micro nutrients, especially if complicated by prescription drugs, can lead to either weight gain or nutritional deficiencies for the elderly. This can be even more pronounced in elderly people who have never developed healthy eating habits and whose diet contains too much fatty, sweet food and too fews fruit and vegetables.

There are likely to be even more problems with the diet if an older person lives alone and has no incentive to spend time preparing meals, instead relying on prepackaged food, usually high in saturated or hydrogenated fats and salt.

That's the bad news, but what can be done?

Dietary supplements can help with some hard to get or absorb micro nutrients, for example, vitamin D, for healthy bones and normally obtained from sunlight.

A good diet, though, will usually be enough without resorting to expensive supplements. It is the usual story of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. They provide fibre, vitamins and trace elements like potassium and manganese. If dental problems make these harder to eat, they can be puréed, juiced and cooked, eg stewed apples but don't put in excessive amounts of sugar.

Fibre can be obtained baked beans, pulses (canned are perfectly good) - put them in casseroles and stews, dried fruit like apricots and prunes - buy the 'ready to eat' ones, wholemeal bread, porridge or muesli and, of course, fresh fruit and vegetables.

Protein should only form about 15% of the diet. This can come from meat, eggs and, ideally, fish which is rich in omega 3 oils.

For seniors on low incomes, this doesn't have to be expensive. Buy fruit and vegetables in season rather than imported or hothouse produce. Cans of baked beans, sardines, tuna, mackerel are often inexpensive and sometimes on offer like 'buy one get one free'. Frozen peas are as nutritious as fresh and usually cheaper.

Further Reading
Promoting the Health of Older People: The Next Step in Health Generation from Amazon.co.uk

Stopping the Clock : Dramatic Breakthroughs in Anti-Aging and Age Reversal Techniques from Amazon.com

The Complete Retirement Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Safeguard Your Money, Your Health, and Your Independence from Amazon.com

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Copyright © 2004 Carol Fisher. All Rights Reserved.