Eating healthily is vital for proper nutrition at any age, especially important for elderly people due to changes in nutritional needs. Nutrition is essential for good health, high quality of life, and energy. However, many seniors do not eat as well as they should for a number of reasons. This can result in malnutrition or inadequate nutrition.

To start off, one of the reasons towards a decline in healthy eating in the elderly is the physiological changes in their body. 

Energy: As people get older, their expenditures tend to drop due to a decrease in their basal metabolic rate and physical activity, lowering their calorie requirements.

Function: Our bodies begin to suffer changes in kidney function, body composition redistribution, and nervous system modifications as well.

This may lead them to be malnourished. The elderly suffer from malnutrition to varied degrees, as well as vitamin and calcium deficits. Malnutrition is caused by a lack of nutrients, nutrient deficiencies, or nutrient imbalances. Inadequate intake of vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, folic acid, calcium, and niacin are all common dietary nutrient deficiencies in seniors.

So, these are some tips to help seniors recognize the recommended serving of nutrition in foods to boost their nutritional levels. Seniors 50 or older should choose healthy meals every day from the following:

• Fruits — 1½ to 2 ½ cups
• Vegetables — 2 to 3½ cups
• Grains — 5 to 10 ounces
• Protein foods — 5 to 7 ounces
• Dairy foods — 3 cups of fat-free or low-fat milk
• Oils — 5 to 8 teaspoons
• Solid fats and added sugars (SoFAS) — keep the number of SoFAS small

Ensuring appropriate nourishment and proper fat and vitamin consumption would aid seniors to appear more vibrant and, as a result, healthier. This method of prevention is significantly more effective than later treatment.