The importance of nutrition for older Australians

Key Points:

• Your food consumption will change as you age
• Inadequate nutrients can result in many different health issues and compromise your immune system
• Eating nutrient-rich food should increase as your food consumption decreases

Good nutrition becomes more necessary as you age because it can impact your health, both mind and body, and also assists with staying independent and at home for longer.

​Food and your body

Your body lets you know when it doesn’t agree with certain foods or if you aren’t eating enough of something, so it’s important to ‘listen’ to your body and not ignore any symptoms that may appear.

Taste and smell can decrease as we age, so to counterbalance that you need to eat more flavourful or pleasant-smelling food to increase your appetite.

If you have a reduced appetite or become unable to prepare your own food, it can result in a huge loss in vitamins, minerals and proteins the body needs to stave off disease and illness.

Good nutrients can:

• reduce the risk of developing a lot of diseases and illnesses;
• prevent the weakening of muscles and bones; and
• prevent chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and osteoporosis.

Poor nutrition can:

• result in weight loss or weight gain;
• impact the security of your immune system, increasing the likelihood of catching a cold or other minor illnesses; and
• cause health conditions or exacerbate a pre-existing health problem.

Since your immune system already weakens as you age, it’s important to put as many preventative measures in place as possible.

Changes in your diet for optimum nutrients

Food is also a huge source of fuel for the body to keep moving and energised. It’s important to ‘fill the tank’ with what your body needs.

Additionally, as you age, your calorie intake will decrease. This can be challenging because you still need to maintain the same amount of nutrients, if not increase them. Rather than eating three big meals a day, you may need to adjust your eating habits and eat smaller portions more often.

Eating nutrient-rich foods could include:

• vegetables and fruits;
• beans, lentils, nuts and seeds;
• low-fat dairy; and
• lean meat.

These types of foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats that are vital to an ageing body.

Fibre is another essential for older people to maintain a healthy digestive system and is also beneficial for achieving good cholesterol levels.

Try to eat:

• fruits and vegetables;
• beans, lentils, nuts and seeds;
• oats and whole grains; and
• protein with every meal.

If you aren’t getting enough vitamins from your food, try adding specific supplements to your diet, as recommended by your doctor, to help you get to the levels your body needs.

However, never substitute supplements for food, they should only be used to assist you. Supplements can also help if you are allergic to certain foods, but you need those vitamins in your diet.

Minimising salt intake and reducing processed food is important, something you would find in a lot of junk food. They usually have a lot of calories but little nutritional value.

Keeping hydrated is very important and vital to a healthy body. Depending on the weather or the amount of physical exertion you do, you may need to drink more, but the rule of thumb is to drink six glasses of water a day.

The best way to put together a healthy food action plan is to consult with your doctor or a medical professional, such as a nutritionist, regularly.

What food do you enjoy eating and how do you modify recipes to improve your nutrition intake? Tell us in the comments below.

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