5 Tips To Help Seniors Eat In A Healthy Way

We are what we eat, especially as the years go by. When you hit a certain age, it’s essential that you take good care of yourself, especially when it comes to your diet. After all, the food you eat and the way you eat as a senior can considerably affect your health and well-being.

1. More water!

It seems that every article everywhere talks about the benefits of drinking more water. But, it’s simply true. More liquid is necessary to keep your body hydrated. After all, as you age, you can probably notice your skin getting drier. Ideal amount of water that you should drink on a daily basis differs from person to person. Simply take your weight in kg and divide it by 30. So, if a person weighs 60kg, they should drink two liters of water per day. Of course, don’t hesitate to drink fresh juice when possible but stay away from sugary and fizzy drinks. When alcohol is concerned, one glass of red wine can be beneficial from time to time thanks to tannins, but try not to consume alcoholic beverages too much.

2. Balanced diet is the key

Unless there are specific food items that you shouldn’t even touch due to allergies or other health issues, your diet should be balanced and filled with a variety of foods. Obviously, fruits and veggies are the main parts of a healthy diet, especially for seniors, as they contain plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals that the body can’t produce on its own. Aside from fruits and veggies, fish and lean meat are also very healthy. Look for nuts and other products that are high in omega-3 fatty acids.

3. Try to meal plan and prep

If you find it really challenging to take care of yourself, let alone cook for yourself, your best option may really be a place such as the resort like Lake Macquarie retirement village. Here, you’ll have everything prepared and served for you. On the other hand, if you still want to be on your own but simply don’t like cooking or dealing with food every single day, you can easily meal plan and then meal prep for the whole week! Take one day – most people choose Sunday – and prepare most of your meals in advance. You can even freeze the whole portions that would be really quick to then just get in the oven if you’re worried about precooked meals going bad.

4. Stay away from the salt!

Seasoning your meals for added flavor is completely normal, but it’s not uncommon for seniors to crave more salty and/or spicy food because their sense of taste isn’t as acute anymore. However, this is obviously really bad as the go-to taste booster is salt. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure as well as other health issues such as kidney disease and heart conditions. And hot sauces and similar can really mess up your digestion and dental health. So, explore your possibilities for different healthy spices but do your best to stay away from salt and hot sauces!

5. Consider supplements

As mentioned, a balanced diet filled with fruits and veggies rich in vitamins and nutrients is ideal for healthy senior eating habits. However, as we age, sometimes, the vitamins and nutrients we get from food are not enough. It’s not the end of the world if your body needs a bit of a boost. Supplements are nothing unheard of and they can actually be very good for you. Of course, make sure to consult with your doctor about the most beneficial supplements for your particular needs.

Keep in mind that not everything labeled as healthy on the package will really be healthy. Therefore, always look at the labels on your packaged food to check the calories as well as the amount of fat, sugar, sodium, etc. just to be on the safe side. After a little while, you’ll soon learn to read the labels quickly and know what to go for as you enter the store.