Balance Your Diet

In mythology, ambrosia was the food of the Greek gods that conferred everlasting beauty and youth. These days, there aren’t a lot of Greek gods around. But a modern version of ambrosia—the promise of a robust and healthy lifestyle in your later years—isn’t just a fable. It exists in the very foods you eat—that is, if you choose your foods wisely.

“It’s very clear that a diet low in fat and cholesterol and high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables will reduce the incidence of heart disease and cancer and help an older person remain healthy,” says Nancy Betts, R.D., Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional science and dietetics at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Here are a few ways you can become a savvy senior connoisseur.

Meet Your Basic Nutritional Needs

Variety is not only the spice of life, it is probably the best way to meet your nutritional needs as you age, according to Chris Rosenbloom, R.D., Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Since no single food provides everything you need, the best meal-planning tactic is to include a mix of dairy products, whole grains, vegetables, and protein. Following is what dietary experts suggest that people over 50 try to include in their daily menus.

• Milk or cheese: 2 servings (1 serving is 1 cup of milk or yogurt or 2 ounces of processed cheese)

• Cereals and breads: 6 to 11 servings (1 serving equals 1 ounce of dry cereal, a slice of bread, or ½ cup of cooked brown rice)

• Fruits: 2 to 4 servings (1 serving is a medium-size apple, orange, or banana)

• Vegetables: 3 to 5 servings (1 serving equals 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, ½ cup of cooked vegetables, or ½ cup of raw chopped vegetables)

• protein: 2 to 3 servings of lean meat or poultry, eggs, nuts, or dried beans

• Water: 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses. Water is an important part of the diet that is often overlooked by seniors, Dr. Rosenbloom says. People over 50 frequently have a diminished sense of thirst and don’t realize they need water. Dehydration can develop gradually and is a serious problem. Drink a glass of water every couple of hours, especially after exertion.

Take Stock of Supplements

Getting enough of the more than 40 nutrients needed for good health can be more difficult as you age. Poor teeth or dentures can make chewing torturous. Shopping and cooking can be a challenge because of arthritis, walking problems, or a lack of transportation. Loneliness and depression can sharply diminish your appetite. But no matter what the cause, you still need adequate nutrients to lead an active lifestyle. For that reason, many seniors rely on vitamin and mineral supplements to make up for deficiencies in their diets.

But some seniors take too many supplements, says Mark E. Williams, M.D., director of the program on aging at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and author of The American Geriatrics Society’s Complete Guide to Aging and Health.

In one study, researchers found that 1 in 10 older men was consuming 10 times the recommended amounts of vitamins B-complex, C, D, and E. These researchers also found that 10 percent of women were getting 10 times more thiamin and iron than they needed.

Many seniors believe that these megadoses will prolong life, cure ailments, improve sexual performance, counteract stress, and boost their immunity. In reality, megadoses of vitamin and mineral supplements can have serious consequences, Dr. Williams says. Excess amounts of vitamin C, for instance, can spark kidney stones and gastrointestinal problems. Too much vitamin A can cause liver damage and disrupt your immune system. And megadoses of vitamin B₆ can damage nerves in your arms and legs. Too much vitamin E can make you more prone to bleeding.

So while supplements are important, it’s also vital to not overdo them. Taking a multivitamin daily should fill most of the nutritional gaps in your diet, according to Dr. Rosenbloom.

Whetting Your Appetite

Eating can lose much of its appeal as you get older, simply because food doesn’t seem to taste and smell as good as it once did, Dr. Rosenbloom says. Beginning at about age 60, your tastebuds lose much of their sensitivity and your nose doesn’t detect mouthwatering aromas as well. In fact, you probably need 2½ times more flavor to make food taste as good as it did when you were in your twenties.

As food becomes less appealing, you’re likely to eat less, lose weight, and be more prone to malnutrition, a problem that affects about one in four older Americans. Dr. Rosenbloom recommends these ways to boost your appetite and increase your enjoyment of food.

• Get more exercise, like walking or gardening. Regular physical activity can rekindle your appetite.

• Try new recipes and foods. Enliven familiar ones with crunch and color. Add orange slices to salads, for instance.

• When using vanilla or other extracts, double the amount called for in the recipe. It will enhance the flavor of the dish.

• Use bacon bits, grated Parmesan cheese, and butter-flavored sprinkles to enhance the taste of your food.

• Add fruit like crushed or chunked pineapple or sliced apples to meats while they cook. The fruit will add texture as well as flavor.

• Make a tasty sauce for meat or rice by cooking the nectar from juice-packed, canned peaches or apricots until it is reduced by half. Then thicken the sauce with a tablespoon of flour.

• Switch foods as you eat. Take two or three bites of a food, then try something else. Doing this will make all of the foods on your plate seem more flavorful and inviting.

• Combine foods with different temperatures—chilled cottage cheese and hot cooked pasta, for example—to create a variety of dining sensations.

• Take a drink—in moderation. Moderate amounts of alcohol can stimulate hunger. So if your physician approves, enjoy a 4-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce glass of beer, or 1½ ounces of distilled spirits before dining.

• Appearance counts. Use colorful plates and napkins—orange seems to spark hunger pangs best.

• Carry a small pocket alarm clock or electronic timer and set it to go off every three to four hours as a reminder to eat. Even if you only have a piece of bread, the alarm may tweak your appetite and help you establish regular mealtimes.

Dine Out Smart

A typical person over age 65 dines out more than two times a week and spends about $1,021 a year in restaurants. But often, these meals are laden with fat and are far less healthy for you than you might expect, Dr. Rosenbloom says. Here are some ways to choose wisely when you’re eating out.

• Eat something before you go. The worst thing you can do is go to a restaurant absolutely starved. You’ll be so hungry that you won’t make wise food choices. So have a banana, three graham crackers, or another light snack to pacify your stomach before you dine out.

• If you eat at a restaurant frequently, ask for a copy of the menu to take home with you. That way you can plan your food choices wisely and feel less tempted to order less healthy options. At fast-food restaurants, where many foods are 40 to 55 percent fat, try salads, plain hamburgers, or grilled chicken, or ask for a copy of their nutritional information so you can make wiser selections.

• Ask your server to bring a doggie bag when your meal is served. Before you take your first bite, you can cut the meal in half and put half in the bag to take home. You’ll have a meal for the next day and you’ll slash the amount of fat and calories in each serving.

• Split a meal with a friend. Ask your server if you can order soup or salad à la carte with one entrée. It will save you money and reduce the fat in each meal.