A healthy diet packed with nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals can help reduce your risks of potential health problems that are common in senior citizens, like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. In addition, eating healthy will help maintain weight, prevent constipation, and increase energy levels.
Some tips to get you started:
- Eat many different colors and types of vegetables and fruits. Aim for 5 servings of vegetables per day and 3-4 servings of fruit per day.
- Choose whole grains. These fiber rich foods will help with digestion and help keep you full.
- Eat fish twice a week-especially those high in omega-3 fats, like Wild Salmon and Trout.
- Incorporate a serving of beans (1/2cup), nuts (1/3 cup), or seeds (2 Tablespoons) in your daily diet.
- Choose lean cuts of meat and chicken
- Try to have two to three servings of low-fat or nonfat dairy per day. This can include 1 cup of milk, 1 cup yogurt or 1½ oz of cheese. You can also substitute calcium fortified soy or almond milk.
- Stay away from “empty calories”. These are food and drinks with a lot of calories but not many nutrients – for example chips, cookies, soda, and alcohol.
- Avoid a lot of processed foods. These foods can contain a lot of sodium. We want to limit sodium to 1,500mg/day.
- Drink plenty of water – aim for at least 8 glasses per day. Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal.