Te kainga pai mā ngā pēperekōu Eating well for older people

Eating well can help:

• boost your energy levels
• look and feel better
• improve your sleep, mood and mental wellbeing
• manage or prevent health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease
• keep your bowels regular
• keep teeth and gums healthy
• keep your bones and muscles strong
• increase your resistance to illness.

Along with keeping active, eating well can help you continue to live independently and enjoy a good quality of life.

Tips for staying active when you are older (internal link)

From your late 60s, a healthy weight for you is higher than what might have been considered ideal when you were younger.

You do not need to worry about being a slightly unhealthy weight as long as you maintain your weight at a constant level. But being underweight or a very unhealthy weight is not good for your health.

If you are worried about your weight, or you have noticed your clothes have become looser or tighter, talk to your healthcare provider.

Have regular meals and snacks

Regular meals will help you maintain your energy levels throughout the day.

If you are underweight or have a small appetite, it is a good idea to also have a small nutritious snack between meals. Nutritious snack options include:

• crackers with cheese, hummus or avocado and topped with tomato
• a sandwich with a protein filling such as cheese, hummus, peanut butter, egg, cold meat or canned fish
• a milky drink such as a fruit smoothie or coffee or Milo made with milk.

Choose a variety of healthy foods

This is the best way to make sure you get all the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Have food from all the main food groups every day:

• vegetables and fruit
• grain foods, mostly wholegrain and those naturally high in fibre
• milk and milk products such as cheese and yoghurt
• legumes, nuts, seeds, fish, seafood, eggs, chicken and/or lean meat.

Enjoy calcium-rich foods every day

Calcium-rich foods can help keep your bones strong and healthy and reduce your risk of osteoporosis — a condition that causes your bones to be thinner and weaker than normal.

• Have some calcium-rich food every day.
• Calcium-rich foods include milk and milk products such as cheese and yoghurt.
• Good non-dairy options include calcium-enriched plant milk (at least 120 mg of calcium per 100 ml), tofu, some green vegetables, nuts and whole canned fish with soft edible bones such as sardines and salmon.

Include a protein-rich food at every meal

Protein helps to keep your muscles and bones strong and healthy.

Compared to younger people, older people need more protein. This is because as you age your body becomes less efficient at processing protein.

Sources of protein:

• meat, chicken, seafood, eggs and milk and milk products such as yoghurt and cheese
• plant sources such as nuts, seeds, tofu and legumes including lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans and soybeans.

If you do not like or cannot tolerate cow’s milk, soy milk is a good option. Other plant milks such as almond milk, coconut milk and rice milk contain very little protein.

Drink plenty of fluids

Drink at least 8 cups of fluid a day.

If your pee (urine) is a pale yellow colour and there is plenty of it, you are probably getting enough fluid. If it is dark yellow you are probably not drinking enough.

You may need more if:

• the weather is hot and humid
• you are doing a lot of physical activity
• you have hard poos (constipation) or runny poos (diarrhoea).

Suitable fluids include water, milk, tea, coffee and soup.

If you are underweight, it is a good idea to have nutritious drinks such as milky drinks or soup instead of water, tea or black coffee (which have few calories and no nutritional value).

If you find getting up during the night to go to the toilet is a problem, try having most of your fluids earlier in the day.

Go easy on alcohol

As you get older, your body’s ability to handle alcohol changes and you may need to reduce how much and how often you drink, or not drink at all.

If you are having trouble stopping or cutting back on alcohol, talk to your healthcare provider.

Have a quick, easy meal when you do not feel like cooking

There may be times when you do not feel like cooking, especially if you live alone. You may be tired or just not interested in cooking.

There are quick, easy meals you can make that are nutritious, inexpensive and easy to prepare.

Eat with others

Food and eating are part of social life, which also contributes to good health. You may enjoy a meal more if you eat with others, so take advantage of opportunities to share meals with whānau, friends and social groups.

Ask for help

If you are finding it difficult to eat well or manage your weight, talk to your healthcare provider. They may refer you to a dietitian or to Meals on Wheels.

Meals on Wheels (internal link)

Eating for Healthy Older People — Ministry of Health booklet (external link)