How to Help Your Aging Parent Get Proper Nutrition
90SHARES
It isn’t uncommon for a person to eat significantly less as they get older. Your aging parent may eat less because he/she is less active, which can lead to decreased appetite, or because he/she isn’t able to prepare food. However, even though your aging parent isn’t burning as many calories, she still needs to take in proper nutrition to maintain a healthy body weight and remain strong. How to Help Your Aging Parent Get Proper Nutrition
Malnutrition is common in seniors, which can affect their risk for diseases and their ability to fight disease. Some things caregivers can do to help aging parents maintain a healthy diet is collaborate with them on ways to get in the proper nutrients or ensure they have simple meals and snacks ready to go.
General Nutrition Tips for Seniors
The USDA has provided the following dietary recommendations for older adults. Ensuring your aging parent has access to healthy meals and snacks can increase their odds of maintaining a healthy diet.
- Choose fiber-rich foods often
- Drink water and beverages low in sugar
- Use fortified foods or supplements to meet your Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 needs
- Eat more dark green vegetables (broccoli, salad greens, cooked greens)
- Eat more orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes)
- Eat dried beans and peas
- Eat 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day
- Eat a variety of fruits (1 ½ cups per day)
- Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit
- Eat fruit, rather than drinking fruit juice
- Eat at least 3 oz. of whole grains every day (cereal, bread, rice, crackers)
- Eat cereal fortified with Vitamin B12
- Choose low fat or lean meat or poultry
- Bake, broil or grill protein
- Vary protein sources to include items such as eggs, dried beans, tofu, fish, nuts and seeds)
- Eat 5 oz. of protein per day
- Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and milk products
- If you can’t consume dairy, choose lactose-free products
- Get your oils from fish, nuts and liquid oils such as canola, olive, corn and soybean
How to Help Your Aging Parent Get Proper Nutrition
How to Help Your Aging Parent Get Proper Nutrition
90SHARES
It isn’t uncommon for a person to eat significantly less as they get older. Your aging parent may eat less because he/she is less active, which can lead to decreased appetite, or because he/she isn’t able to prepare food. However, even though your aging parent isn’t burning as many calories, she still needs to take in proper nutrition to maintain a healthy body weight and remain strong. How to Help Your Aging Parent Get Proper Nutrition
Malnutrition is common in seniors, which can affect their risk for diseases and their ability to fight disease. Some things caregivers can do to help aging parents maintain a healthy diet is collaborate with them on ways to get in the proper nutrients or ensure they have simple meals and snacks ready to go.
General Nutrition Tips for Seniors
The USDA has provided the following dietary recommendations for older adults. Ensuring your aging parent has access to healthy meals and snacks can increase their odds of maintaining a healthy diet.
- Choose fiber-rich foods often
- Drink water and beverages low in sugar
- Use fortified foods or supplements to meet your Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 needs
- Eat more dark green vegetables (broccoli, salad greens, cooked greens)
- Eat more orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes)
- Eat dried beans and peas
- Eat 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day
- Eat a variety of fruits (1 ½ cups per day)
- Choose fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit
- Eat fruit, rather than drinking fruit juice
- Eat at least 3 oz. of whole grains every day (cereal, bread, rice, crackers)
- Eat cereal fortified with Vitamin B12
- Choose low fat or lean meat or poultry
- Bake, broil or grill protein
- Vary protein sources to include items such as eggs, dried beans, tofu, fish, nuts and seeds)
- Eat 5 oz. of protein per day
- Choose low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and milk products
- If you can’t consume dairy, choose lactose-free products
- Get your oils from fish, nuts and liquid oils such as canola, olive, corn and soybean
How to Help Your Aging Parent Get Proper Nutrition
