Diet & Aging

5 Healthy Eating Tips for Older Adults

The great news about eating better is that it’s never too late to make a change.  Researchers say a healthy diet can improve our overall wellbeing at any age.  And even small changes, something as simple as eating a handful of nuts every day, can make a big difference.

There is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for how people should eat as they age.  Everyone reacts to food differently.  Experts say the science isn’t there yet.  But there are a variety of approaches that can be used to create personalized plans to help each of us reach and maintain the best possible diet.  Here’s a few of the more interesting tips we found.

1. Spend more time online…

That is at least as far as learning about cooking, diet and nutrition are concerned.

It’s estimated that cooking and food-related videos on YouTube generated more than one billion views back in 2020.  One study found that nearly half of all American adults watch food videos on YouTube.  And it’s not just kids who are streaming cooking videos.  According to Statista, 46% of US YouTube account holders in 2022 are 65 and older.

And as big as cooking videos are on YouTube, they’re just a big — and maybe even more impactful — on social media.  A 2023 Food and Health Survey found that 42% of all Americans viewed at least some food and nutrition content on Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok, or some other social media platform.  Six-in-ten of those folks said those posts encouraged them to make healthier eating choices.

Blogger Ally Newmann says nostalgia is one reason why cooking and food videos are popular:  “People love food that brings them home and makes them nostalgic. There’s something comforting about watching a pair of hands prepare a dish that your grandma has made for you — it’s beyond relatable”.

A study about web browing found that internet users consume more fruits, vegetables, eggs, and milk than non-Internet users.  They also cook healthier, using a lot less oil and salt.  Internet use has also been found to increase calorie, protein and fat intake — and to encourage a more diverse diet — especially among isolated people.

So, it turns out Mom was right once again.  It’s an ill wind that blows no good, and the Internet actually has some redeeming qualities.

2. Try “chrono-nutrition”… or just eat a bigger breakfast

It’s been said that timing is everything.  This is true not only in life, but also when it comes to how much and when we should eat.  Research shows that people who opt for a hearty breakfast and a light dinner feel less hungry throughout the day than those who eat a small breakfast and a big dinner.  Both groups consumed the same amount of calories, but the breakfast eaters felt fuller for longer.

A study in The International Journal of Obesity found people who ate a higher percentage of daily calories within two hours of waking were at lower risk of being overweight or obese than those who eat the most two hours before going to bed at night.  Moreover, eating a large breakfast and smaller dinner can also help lower blood sugar levels and even benefit heart attack patients.

This interesting new field of research is called “chrono-nutrition“.  It looks at how the food we eat is affected by the rhythms of our body’s internal clock.  One of the main ideas is that evening is a bad time to eat, because the body clock shifts our metabolism towards sleep.

Other chrono-nutrition studies have found that eating more calories early in the day can lower your risk of death from diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Experts suspect that early eating may provide some metabolism advantages and help people make healthier food choices.

3. Graze, snack and nibble

There is no one-size-fits-all eating pattern for how we should eat as we age.  Some people have a hard time digesting larger meals, and instead need to eat less food more often.  This small frequent meals eating pattern — also known as grazing, snacking, or nibbling — can help with bloating, nausea, poor appetite, and other related symptoms.

Most small meals seniors follow the 5-6 meals a day plan; which is typically breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus two nutritious snacks in-between.  However, people who are underweight or anorexic might be advised to consume 6–10 very small meals a day.

An Auburn University study found that snacking can be good for you, especially if you’re elderly.  Older folks benefit from snacking because it provides more protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  However, Consumer Reports says that there’s no clear advantage to eating frequent smaller meals over fewer larger ones when it comes to weight control.  If you don’t pay close attention, researchers say you run the risk of taking in too many calories, especially if you’re constantly nibbling, which can lead to weight gain.

4.  Eat mindfully, or the 80% rule

Take a moment to think about how you eat.  Do you ever eat on the run, in your car, or while watching TV?  Maybe you eat at your desk or in front of the computer?  It’s all too easy to eat while distracted, and researchers say this “”mindless” eating often leads to overeating.

“Mindful” eating simply means eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full.  To eat mindfully, chew more slowly and savor  every bite.  Avoid distractions and try to be present in the moment.  With a little practice, you can quickly get in tune with your body’s hunger and fullness cues.

Eating more slowly is a great way to help maintain a healthier weight.  People who eat more slowly are significantly less likely to be  obese.  A 2017 study found that people who take time to chew slowly have better digestion and feel fuller, faster.  Researchers also found that, on average, slower eaters had a smaller waists and lower body mass indexes.

People who live in Okinawa, Japan practice a 2,500 year old mindful approach called “hara hachi bu”, which means to stop eating when you think you are 80% full.  It takes your brain up to 30 minutes to process what you’re eating and send a “full” signal.  So this 20% gap between not being hungry and feeling full could be the difference between losing weight or gaining it.

Mindful eating can also help you distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger. When you feel like eating, ask yourself if you are actually hungry or if you are bored or anxious.  If you tend to be an emotional eater, try other strategies before eating. Take a walk or get some sort of exercise, drink a glass of water or cup of tea, or do something to take your mind off of food.

5. Eat meals with others

There’s no guarantee that any of us will live to be 100 years old, but we can learn a lot from studying the eating habits of the world’s longest living people.  Researchers have identified five places in the world, called “Blue Zones”, where people have exceptionally long life expectancies — frequently living to the century mark or beyond.

Blue Zone researchers have found that social interaction, especially during mealtime, is a key factor in their longevity. This is why you should make an effort to break bread with others and make diner a time to catch up with friends and family whenever possible.

In Blue Zones, it’s common for families to eat at least one daily meal together, typically their midday meal or their last meal of the day. While it’s understandably difficult for families who lead busy lives to eat every dinner together, it’s worth trying to do it as often as you can.

Dan Buettner, the author of the new book “The Blue Zones American Kitchen,” says; “Families that eat together tend to eat much more nutritiously, they eat slower, and there’s good research that children have fewer issues with disordered eating if they’re eating socially.”