Nutrition - a lifelong concern

Healthy eating is as important for older people as it is for young adults, adolescents and children. While the emphasis is on ‘healthy’, it is also important that eating should be an enjoyable and sociable activity that you can look forward to.

It is ideal to maintain a healthy weight as you get older. For some this means reducing obesity, and for others it means maintaining an adequate weight. Remember that losing weight and being very thin are not a normal part of ageing.

For a healthy lifestyle, a good diet should be combined with regular moderate exercise. This may include walking, swimming or dancing. Exercise helps control your appetite and hence your weight. It helps you sleep and strengthens your heart, blood vessels, lungs and bones.

Improving diet

Ageing can be associated with changes in lifestyle that affect our eating habits. Loneliness, boredom, depression and worrying about the future may lead to skipping meals and generally eating poorly. Difficulty with chewing and swallowing, taking many medications, having a chronic disease or difficulty with walking or transport can all impact on our ability to access good food and eat well.

Risk of falls, fractures and infections, poor wound healing and poor recovery from surgery and longer hospital stays and some chronic illnesses can all be linked to poor nutrition.

It is important to look at these factors and focus on improving your diet and access to good food. If necessary ask for outside help. Enquire about local community services by contacting your local community health centre, council, hospital or your doctor.
If eating alone has become a problem, many local councils offer social meal opportunities in the local area.

What makes up a healthy diet?

Eat most: bread and cereals; particularly wholemeal and mixed grain, rolled oats and ready-to-eat wholegrain breakfast cereals (such as Weetbix, Allbran and porridge) rice, pasta and barley. Also good are breads such as bagels, pita bread, focaccia, fruit loaf, crumpets, pikelets and scones.

Eat most: vegetables and fruits; these are low in fat and high in fibre. Frozen and canned vegetables and fruits may be substitutes for fresh produce. When using canned fruit use those packed in their natural juice, rather than those in syrup. Enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables with all your meals and between meal snacks. For a wide variety of important nutrients chose a wide variety of different types of seasonal fruit and vegetables. Two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables per day are recommended. A serve of fruit could be a medium sized apple or orange or a cup of berries or tinned fruit or a half a cup of juice or a tablespoon of dried fruit. Whole fresh fruit is the best choice. A serve of vegetable could be 1 potato, a cup of salad vegetables, or a half a cup of cooked vegetables or legumes.

Eat moderately: lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs and nuts. One serve a day is adequate for most people. These foods are rich in protein. A serve of meat is about 100g, or what will fit into the palm of your hand. Legumes such as dried peas, beans, lentils and baked beans, are low in fat, high in fibre and rich in protein. They make a good substitute for meat. Eat lean animal proteins such as meat and chicken by removing the fat and skin.

Eat moderately: milk, yoghurt and cheese. Two or three serves of these calcium rich foods should be included in the diet every day. Women are advised to have three servings because of their higher risk of developing osteoporosis. One serving equals: One 250ml glass of milk or calcium rich soy beverage, one 200gm tub of yoghurt, 40gm cheddar cheese. Reduced fat varieties are also good choices. Other calcium rich foods include nuts, bony fish such as salmon and sardines, some dried fruit such as apricots and figs, tofu, muscles, prawns, spinach, broccoli, oranges and parsley.

Eat in small amounts: high fat foods. Butter, margarine, oils and reduced fat spreads are high fat foods and should therefore be consumed in small amounts. Foods such as pies and pastries, fried and battered foods, snack food such as chips and chocolate are also high fat foods and should be eaten only occasionally. Find alternatives to these that you like. For desserts choose fruits, yoghurt, custard (including UHT long life) and icecream (including the reduced fat varieties).

Eat in small amounts: sugary foods. Table sugar contains no vitamins or minerals; starch or dietary fibre. The nutrients in raw and brown sugar are in very small quantities and are nutritionally insignificant. White, raw and brown sugar, glucose, maltose and lactose are all sugars. Honey is about 80% sugar. Many foods are made with added sugar as a major ingredient while other foods such as fruit and milk contain natural sugars. For example, jam (65%), lollies (45-75%), sweet biscuits (20-40%), sugar sweetened soft drinks (10%). If these foods are making up a large part of your diet then replace some of them with foods such as fruit, vegetable, breads and cereals. Sugar and foods containing sugar should be eaten only in small amounts.

Use less salt: Table salt is sodium chloride. We need some salt in our diet, but we get enough from the salt that occurs naturally in foods such as meat, eggs, bread, milk and vegetables. Most of the salt in the Australian diet comes from the salt added to processed foods by food manufacturers and caterers.

A high salt diet increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, a common problem in Australia.

Use herbs and spices such as garlic and oregano instead of salt to flavour your food and buy reduced salt and low salt processed foods. Avoid or restrict the use of highly salted foods such as corned beef, bacon and luncheon meats and snack foods such as potato chips.

Drink plenty of water: As we age we don't always feel thirsty when our body needs water. Water is the best drink, have it regularly throughout the day and aim for at least six glasses a day. Other drinks can include water with a squeeze of lemon or lime, tea, coffee, plain mineral water, soda water, fruit juice or milk.

Fluid is also added to the diet with serves of juicy fruit such as watermelon, custard, jelly, yoghurt and low-salt soups. If dehydration is a problem, remember to include these foods too.

Eat well and enjoy what you eat. Good nutrition is the basis of healthy ageing.

Useful contacts

For further information about nutrition contact:

Your local Community Health Centre 

Nutrition Australia
Tel (03) 9560 5165
Website: www.nutritionaustralia.org

Also refer to Australian Government Seniors Information Portal