We’ve covered a lot of ground in this “Age Friendly” blog series, from learning how to fill our plates the right way to checking whether we’re getting enough water in our bodies. all to help stay healthy as we age. Let’s wrap up with  an overview look of the four major recommendations for healthy eating.

You can find great nutritional information that you can trust for older adults in the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 – 2025,” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). The guidelines provide evidence-based information that can help you shift your eating pattern towards healthier food and beverage choices. And, if you do need to make some changes to your food and beverage choices, go online to view (and/or receive) a free copy of What’s on Your Plate, a helpful guide prepared by the National Institute on Aging.

To encourage you to make healthier choices, the Dietary Guidelines provide four major recommendations for any stage of life.

• Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage. This means from infancy through adolescence to pregnancy, lactation and older adulthood. Remember, it’s never too late to start making healthier food and beverage choices in your life.
• Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect your personal preferences, cultural traditions and budgetary considerations. A healthy dietary pattern can benefit everyone regardless of race, age, ethnicity or current health status. The Dietary Guidelines can help you establish the framework for your personal preferences. 

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  Focus on meeting food groups needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages and stay within calorie limits. Nutrient-dense foods provide the vitamins, minerals and other health-promoting components without the added sugars, saturated fats or sodium that can add extra calories to your diet.
• Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, and limit alcoholic beverages. A healthy dietary pattern doesn’t include much room for added sugars, saturated fat, sodium and alcohol. Foods high in these components should be limited.

You can see all the information in the series at “Age Friendly.” It’s a lot to chew on, pardon the pun. Yet, there is so much more to learn. More than we can quickly cover. Head over to any or all of the following sites in the “Resources” section, below, to read up and get more information and consider taking some of our “Age Friendly classes” offered on Eventbrite.

And, age friendly by staying healthy.

Resources

• The National Institute on Aging
• Dietary Guidelines for Americans
• Health.gov
• MyPlate
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

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