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Dietary Guidelines

Eat a variety of foods. Strive for variety and moderation in your food choices since no single food can supply all the nutrients you need. To ensure variety and a well-balanced diet, choose foods each day using the five major food groups shown in the food guide pyramid. Older adults typically consume less than two-thirds the recommended daily allowance for nutrients. This, combined with the effects of chronic illness, medications, and social factors (e.g., depression, low income, social isolation,) leaves older adults with few reserves for the stresses of acute illness or surgery. Protein malnutrition affects 30-50 percent of the elderly population and is the most common nutritional problem.Visit the National Cancer Institute's "Action Guide for Healthy Eating" for nutrition tips that can improve your health.

Maintain a healthy weight by balancing food intake with physical activity. As you age you should try to avoid substantial weight gain; obesity increases your risk for serious illnesses. Weight gain occurs when the number of calories consumed is greater than the number of calories expended. We will discuss maintaining a healthy weight later on this site. The amount of calories in food varies depending on the proportion of carbohydrates, protein, fat and alcohol.

Most people lose lean muscle mass and are less active as they age which means they usually need fewer calories to meet their energy needs. Between the ages of 51-75 year, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) decreases about 10 percent with an additional 10-15 percent reduction after age 75 depending on the level of activity. Older adults must select foods more carefully to meet their nutritional needs and must eat less or exercise more to prevent weight as well as body fat from increasing over time. Increasing activity through exercise will help you (and your clients) maintain lean body mass (i.e., muscle) and a higher metabolic rate.

Choose a diet low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Total fat intake should be limited to less than 30% of calories, with less than 10% as saturated fat and no more than 300 mg of cholesterol daily. Fats are highly concentrated sources of calories (9 calories/ gram) and are important in transporting fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, K, E). A low-fat diet will reduce your risk for heart disease and certain cancers.

The American Dietetic Association recommends choosing:

Protein

Lean meat
Fish
Poultry
Dry beans

Milk products

Nonfat
Low-fat

Other items

Limit eggs to 3 per week
Limit intake of saturated fats
Choose foods that are cooked using low-fat techniques

Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grain products. Complex carbohydrates-vegetables, fruits, and whole grains-are our major source of vitamins A and C and provide substantial amounts of other essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients as well being a good source of fiber. These foods are low in fat and calories (4 calories/gram) and should be the main source of most of your calories. Choose 2 or more servings of fruits and 3 or more servings of vegetables daily. Enjoy 6 or more servings of whole-grain bread, cereals, rice and pasta daily to meet the goal of 25 grams of dietary fiber per day. The current U.S. average for fiber is about 16 grams per day.

Use sugar in moderation. Simple sugars should supply no more than 10 to 15% of your total calories. Most high sugar foods are high calorie foods which supply few nutrients and make maintaining weight more difficult. In addition, sugar can cause tooth decay and poor oral health, particularly if the teeth are not brushed after eating the sugary food.

Use salt and sodium in moderation. If you have hypertension or a family history of hypertension you should reduce sodium intake from the average of 4 to 7 grams per day to 2.4 to 3 grams per day (3 teaspoons). This can be done by eliminating processed (lunch) meats, salted snack food, most canned and prepared soups, most cheeses, and many tomato-based processed foods from your diet.

If you drink alcoholic beverages, use them in moderation. Numerous studies show that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the risk of death from heart disease. This protective effect is most likely related to the anticoagulant properties of alcohol which can reduce the risk of blood clotting that can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. However, it is important to be aware that alcohol abuse is associated with a number of diseases or conditions (e.g., cirrhosis, accidents, certain cancers) that result in higher mortality. Alcoholic beverages are also quite high in calories (7 calories/gram) and have little nutritional value. Men should limit alcohol consumption to 2 drinks daily and women to 1 drink daily. One serving of alcohol consists of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 oz of distilled spirits. Avoid driving or operating dangerous equipment while drinking since alcohol can impair your ability to respond quickly and accurately.