10 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy New Year

From cookies to cocktails, most of us tend to over-indulge during the holidays. As we head into the new year, it’s the ideal time to embrace senior nutrition tips. While healthy eating is important at any age, it’s even more vital for seniors to keep up strength and energy while preventing disease.

Top Nutrition Tips for Seniors

By now, we all know the basics of healthy eating. More fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains. Less sugar and processed foods. The following nutrition tips for seniors are based on those principles, but also take into account what we need more of as we age.

At the top of the list is protein, which is critical for maintaining muscle mass and general health. Some experts believe seniors need even more protein a day than previously thought and advocate for a minimum of 90 grams a day. (Talk to your doctor to set a goal for yourself.)

Other important nutrients include calcium, potassium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and the full spectrum of vitamins. Keep reading for 10 nutrition tips for seniors that can help you fit all of the good stuff into an average day of eating.

1. 1. Power up your coffee. Add a scoop of whey protein powder to your morning coffee and you’ll start your day with about 20 grams of protein already under your belt. 

1. 2. Make a splash. Drinking enough water can become a challenge due to a blunting of natural thirst that sometimes happens. If guzzling water gets old, try adding a splash of juice to a glass of sparkling water. Our favorite is POM Wonderful pomegranate blueberry juice, but any juice will do. 

1. 3. Go nuts. A rich source of both protein and healthy fats, nuts make an excellent snack. In fact, an abstract published by the National Institute of Health declared that nuts are “complete functional foods [that may] positively adjust aging processes and play key roles in the relationship between lifespan and healthspan.” 

1. 4. Go even nuttier. Spread nut butter — such as almond or cashew — on toast or fruit or mix it into your oatmeal or smoothie. A single serving contains about the same amount of protein as an egg, plus healthy fats.

1. 5. Sneak stuff in smoothies. We just mentioned nut butter, but there are other nutritional powerhouses you can throw in your smoothie as well, including chia seeds, which contain 10% of the calcium you’ll need for the day. If you blend a cup of kefir with two tablespoons of chia seeds, a handful of frozen blueberries, and some avocado, you’ll get 40% of your daily calcium and 25% of your protein, along with probiotics, healthy fats, vitamins, and antioxidants.

1. 6. Lean into leafy greens. Kale, spinach, and collard greens are all high in magnesium, which protects your bones and heart and may also boost cognitive function and improve sleep. If salad isn’t your thing, add leafy greens to a soup, like this white bean and kale concoction.

1. 7. Rethink salad. Maybe salad isn’t your thing because you’ve been eating lettuce topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, and shredded mozzarella cheese. How about a salad that boasts berries, toasted nuts, feta cheese, crispy fried shallots, roasted carrots, or pickled onions? Check out Bon Appétit’s 20 rules for making the best salads of your life for more inspiration. 

1. 8. Embrace eggs. We’ve been told for decades that too many eggs are bad for your heart, but that’s no longer the message. In fact, this study found that eating an egg a day may actually improve heart health. An egg a day keeps the doctor away? Boil a few eggs at the start of each week and you’ll always have a protein-rich snack ready to go. 

1. 9. Have fun with frittatas. The thing about a frittata is that you can throw just about any veggie in there and it’ll be both healthy and delicious. It’s lovely for breakfast, but you can also serve it with a salad for a light dinner. This simple vegetable frittata recipe is a good place to start.

1. 10. Cut carbs with cauliflower. An entire head of cauliflower only has 29 carbs — which is why this long-overlooked veggie is now in the spotlight as a low-carb replacement for pasta, rice, and potatoes. Think cauliflower breadsticks, mashed cauliflower, and even cauliflower potato salad. 

More Tips for Senior Nutrition

Sometimes, the hardest part about healthy eating is all of the shopping, cooking, and cleaning it takes to prepare a healthy meal from scratch. Consider getting together with a small group of friends to host a weekly potluck for which one person brings a salad, one person brings the main dish, and one person brings a side dish. You can also look into ordering a home delivery meal kit service like Home Chef, Daily Harvest, or Eat Clean.

Many seniors also find that moving to an active senior living community makes healthy eating and living easy while freeing up more time to exercise, socialize, learn, and enjoy life.  

Living Your Best Life at Crestwood Manor

At Crestwood Manor, we strive to offer the best of everything. That means a heated indoor pool and state-of-the-art fitness center, places to be creative like our woodworking shop and art studio, dozens of events and outings each month, and multiple dining venues that focus on delicious, fresh, and healthy foods. Schedule a visit today to see for yourself what life looks like at our close-knit community in Whiting, New Jersey.