Choose Healthy Foods as You Get Older

Recipes are fun, and we share them frequently. But it’s also important to remember the basics of proper nutrition as we get older. Here are a few tips from the National Institute on Aging to keep in mind.

• Drink plenty of liquids.

That means water, yes, and also low-fat or fat-free milk and 100 percent juice, if you like. Watch out for added sugar, and stay away from diet sodas.

• Mix your vegetables.

Brighten your plate with different colors vegetable – red tomatoes, green lettuce, orange carrots, etc.

• Socialize around eating.

Potlucks, church socials, meals with families or lunch with a friend -– eating well is always more fun when you do it with others.

• Add herbs and spices.

We lose our ability to taste flavor as we get older, and some medications interfere with taste and smell as well.

• Ask your doctor about supplements.

Food should give us most of what we need, but talk to your doctor to learn if you should add vitamins or other supplements.

• Keep it lean.

Make sure the meat you eat is low in fat.

• Keep it whole.

As in whole foods – an apple over a slice of processed dessert, for instance.

• Limit fried foods.

It’s just as easy to have a roasted chicken breast as it is fried chicken wings. And the first option is much lower in calories and fat.