Older Adults need proper nutrition

Why don't older adults eat properly?

• food too hard to chew - older adults may avoid hard food like fruits and vegetables. this may cause them to miss out on important nutrients. Try to find substitutes for hard foods like canned fruits or fruit juices. Vegetables can be creamed or mashed.
• certain foods make your stomach hurt - some foods may cause you to have a upset stomach. Once again you need to find alternatives so you won't be missing out on important nutrients.
• not hungry - check with your doctor to see you are having a reaction to a medicine that you are taking. Skipping meals is not recommended.
• eat too much fast food - this is a problem for a lot of people because it is easier to stop and get a hamburger then it is to cook something nutritious. Fast foods for the most part don't have what you need and they have way too much of stuff that you don't need.
• dry mouth - dry mouth can be caused by medications or lack of saliva. To avoid this drink plenty of water and try to eat moistened food.

Nutrition tips

• Don't forget to drink lots of water!
• Prevent constipation by eating fiber rich food
• Concentrate on low fat high protein foods like fish and skin less chicken
• Eat fruits for snacks!

The benefits of proper nutrition for older people

Eating right leads to a healthy lifestyle

• Probably the most important benefit of proper nutrition is lowering the chance of serious illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Proper nutrition helps the immune system.
• You will have more energy by eating the right foods no matter how old you are.
• A proper diet and vitamins is important in maintaining healthy skin.
• You will sleep better if you limit the amount of food that you eat before going to bed.
• A proper diet will help your digestive system operate more efficiently.

Don't forget about vitamins!

• Vitamin d is good for your bones which in turn helps prevent osteoporosis. You can get vitamin d from fish, fortified cereals and nonfat diary products.
• Vitamin e helps with your immune system and lowers the risk of heart attacks and cataracts. It can be found in green leafy vegetables, almonds and sesame seed.
• The b vitamins are essential for cell metabolism, cell growth, prevent anemia and help keep healthy skin. They can be found in a host of foods such as meat, potatoes, lentils, bananas and beans among other things.