Eating Well as We Age
The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is a United States
government agency that makes sure foods are safe, wholesome
and honestly labeled.
Eating Well
Many older people have trouble eating well. This booklet tells
why. Then it gives ideas on what you can do about it. Using
the food label is one way to eat well. There are others.
Problem: Can't Chew
Do you have trouble chewing? If so, you may have trouble eating
foods like meat and fresh fruits and vegetables.
What to do: Try other foods.
| Instead of: |
Try: |
| fresh fruit |
fruit juices and soft canned fruits, like
applesauce, peaches and pears |
| raw vegetables |
vegetable juices and creamed and mashed cooked
vegetables |
| meat |
ground meat, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, and
foods made with milk, like pudding and cream soups |
| sliced bread |
cooked cereals, rice, bread pudding, and soft
cookies |
Problem: Upset stomach
Stomach problems, like too much gas, may make you stay away
from foods you think cause the problem. This means you could
be missing out on important nutrients, like vitamins, calcium,
fiber and protein.
What to do: Try other foods.
| Instead of: |
Try: |
| milk |
milk foods that may not bother you, like cream
soups, pudding, yogurt and cheese |
| vegetables like cabbage and broccoli |
vegetable juices and other vegetables,
like green beans, carrots and potatoes |
| fresh fruit |
fruit juices and soft canned fruits |
Problem: Can't Shop
You may have problems shopping for food. Maybe you can't drive
anymore. You may have trouble walking or standing for a long
time.
What to do:
- Ask the local food store to bring groceries to your home.
Some stores deliver free. Sometimes there is a charge.
- Ask your church or synagogue for volunteer help. Or sign
up for help with a local volunteer center.
- Ask a family member or neighbor to shop for you. Or pay
someone to do it. Some companies let you hire home health
workers for a few hours a week. These workers may shop for
you, among other things. Look for these companies in the Yellow
Pages of the phone book under "Home Health Services."
Problem: Can't Cook
You may have problems with cooking. It may be hard for you
to hold cooking utensils, and pots and pans. Or you may have
trouble standing for a long time.
What to do:
- Use a microwave oven to cook TV dinners, other frozen foods,
and foods made up ahead of time by the store.
- Take part in group meal programs offered through senior
citizen programs. Or, have meals brought to your home.
- Move to a place where someone else will cook, like a family
member's home or a home for senior citizens.
To find out about senior citizen group meals and home-delivered
meals, call (1-800) 677-1116. These meals cost little or no
money.
Problem: No Appetite
Older people who live alone sometimes feel lonely at mealtimes.
Loneliness can make you lose your appetite. Or you may not feel
like making meals for just yourself.
Maybe your food has no flavor or tastes bad. This could be
caused by medicines you are taking.
What to do:
- Eat with family and friends.
- Take part in group meal programs, offered through senior
citizen programs.
- Ask your doctor if your medicines could be causing appetite
or taste problems. If so, ask about changing medicines.
- Increase the flavor of food by adding spices and herbs.
Problem: Short On Money
Not having enough money to buy enough food can keep you from
eating well.
What to do:
- Buy low-cost foods, like dried beans and peas, rice and
pasta. Or buy foods that contain these items, like split pea
soup and canned beans and rice.
- Use coupons for money off on foods you like.
- Buy foods on sale. Also buy store-brand foods. They often
cost less.
- Find out if your local church or synagogue offers free or
low-cost meals.
- Take part in group meal programs offered through local
senior citizen programs. Or, have meals brought to your
home.
- Get food stamps. Call the food stamp office listed under
your county government in the blue pages of the telephone
book.
Read the Label
Look for words that say something healthy about the food.
Examples are:
- Low Fat
- Cholesterol Free
- Good Source of Fiber
Look for words that tell about the food's relation to a
disease.
A low-fat food may say:
While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in
saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of this
disease.
The words may be on the front or side of the food package.
FDA makes sure these words are true.
Use label claims like these to choose foods that help make
a good diet.
Look for "Nutrition Facts"
Most food labels tell what kinds and amounts of vitamins, minerals,
protein, fat, and other nutrients are in a food.
This information is called "Nutrition Facts." You can find
it on the side or back of most food labels.
Use "Nutrition Facts"
- Look at the serving size.
- Find the % Daily Value. The numbers underneath tell how
much of each nutrient listed is in one serving.
- About 100% of each nutrient each day is usually healthful.
If you're on a special diet, like a low-sodium or low-fat
diet, use the % numbers to pick low-sodium and low-fat foods.
The 3g (grams) of total fat in one serving of this food provides
5% of fat for the day, leaving 95% more fat allowed that day
in a normal diet. The 300mg (milligrams) of sodium provide 13%
for the day, leaving 87% more sodium allowed that day in a normal
diet. The "mg" number is much larger than the "g" number because
it takes many, many milligrams to equal 1 gram.
Do You Have More Questions About Eating Well As You Age?
Ask your doctor or other health-care worker.
And ask FDA. There may be an FDA office near you. Look for
the number in the blue pages of the phone book.
You can also contact FDA through its toll-free number, 1-888-INFO-FDA
(1-888-463-6332)
