A healthy diet for seniors is a vital part of maintaining your health as you get older. This term means that you need to give your body the right nutrients and maintain a healthy weight. Doing so can help you stay active and allow you to thrive throughout your golden years. Furthermore, you’ll spend significantly less time at your doctor’s office, saving you money as well. If you have a chronic health condition, such as heart disease or diabetes, maintaining a healthy diet can also help you manage your condition. For more information about taking care of your loved one’s diet, contact Clover Hill at 201-485-4000 today.
What Does a Healthy Diet For Seniors Entail?
A healthy diet for seniors differs from the diet you sustained as a young adult, or even later in adulthood. For instance, because your metabolism has slowed, you need to eat fewer calories to stay healthy. Furthermore, your body needs specific nutrients in higher amounts, so you need to choose foods that offer more nutritional value. At Clover Hill, we offer a range of tips to help you maintain your diet.
What Does a Healthy Plate Look Like?
The days of the food pyramid are gone, replaced with MyPlate, which is a simpler way to allow individuals to see what they need to eat each day. This U.S.D.A. graphic shows you exactly what your plate should look like at each meal and how much of the five food groups you need to eat. This tool gives you the building blocks for a healthy diet for seniors.
Find the Essential Nutrients
Getting the right nutrients means that you need to make sure that you’re eating a variety of foods. In other words, your plate ought to look like a rainbow, with a multitude of colored foods. Each meal should include:
- Fruits and vegetables, such as corn, carrots, apples, and bananas
- Lean proteins, including eggs, seafood, and beans
- Low-fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Whole grains, like whole-wheat pasta and brown rice
Try to choose ingredients that are low in salt or sodium and high in fiber. You should also incorporate important vitamins like vitamin D.
Check the Label for Nutrition Facts
Every food product sold in the United States has a nutrition facts label. It’s vital to check this label to make sure that you’re getting enough essential nutrients while also staying away from foods with high fat, sugar, and sodium content. In general, choose whole foods, which are found in the dairy, produce, and meat sections of your local grocery store.
Follow the Serving Recommendations
A healthy diet for seniors includes eating the correct amount of food for your body and age, allowing you to maintain your body weight. Many experts today offer daily calorie amounts for seniors. Following these serving suggestions can be extremely beneficial for your health.
Don’t Forget to Drink Water
When you’re thinking about a healthy diet for seniors, don’t forget that water is one of the most important nutrients. As a result, it’s important to stay hydrated by consistently drinking fluids throughout the day. Coffee, tea, or water are the ideal options for most seniors. It’s also critical to keep sodas and other sugary drinks at a minimum unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
Contact Clover Hill
If you’re concerned about maintaining a healthy diet for seniors, let us take care of this matter. Our high-end boutique style senior living community guarantees a healthy diety for all of our residents. Furthermore, with our private culinary services, we ensure that your diet is ideal for your age, weight, and body type. As a result, we give you the best chance of staying healthy. Furthermore, we also offer:
- Medication management
- Individualized care plans
- Community amenities
- A.S.P.I.R.E. activities program
- Integrative assisted care
To learn more about our services at Clover Hill, contact Clover Hill today at 201-485-4000.
