3 Nutrition Tips for a Healthy New Year

If you’re like us, you’ve had your fill of cookies and cocktails and are looking for nutrition tips for seniors to help you launch the new year with a renewed commitment to eating healthy for more energy, strength, and mental clarity.  This can be done without “dieting” and taking the joy out of food. The following nutrition tips offer easy ways to eat healthier, while still eating well. 

1. Good Senior Nutrition Starts With Protein

The foundations of healthy eating are more or less the same for everyone — more veggies, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains; less sugar and processed foods. But one of the most critical nutrition tips for seniors is to eat more protein, which is necessary to maintain muscle mass as we age. 

How much protein do you need? Everybody is different based on their size, activity level, and unique health situation, but it’s probably more than you think. In fact, some health experts advocate for a minimum of 90 grams a day. (It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor to discuss your personal protein target.)

The thing is, that doesn’t happen without effort. Say you eat toast and a banana for breakfast, a turkey sandwich and salad for lunch, and spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner. That’s less than 40 grams of protein — not nearly enough to keep you going at full strength. 

To get the protein you need, you have to be intentional about what you eat. Here are a few nutrition tips for seniors to help you get the protein your body needs. One more thing to keep in mind: Nutritionists say it’s best to spread your protein out throughout the day, rather than consume it all in one meal. 

• If you’re a morning coffee or tea drinker, add a scoop of whey protein powder to your mug and you’ll start your day with about 20 grams of protein already under your belt.
• Sneak a smoothie into your day for a protein-rich snack or even an on-the-go lunch. If you blend a cup of kefir (a great source of probiotics) with two tablespoons of chia seeds and a handful of frozen blueberries, you’ll take in another 16 grams of protein.
• Boil a few hard-boiled eggs to have on hand for an even easier protein-rich snack of six grams per egg.
• If you don’t eat meat every day, it can be harder to get enough protein, but quinoa, lentils, beans, soy, Greek yogurt, oats, and peanut butter are all good sources.
• Chicken breast and fish (especially tilapia) are ideal sources of protein for those looking to consume less fat. 
• Beef jerky is a highly portable, protein-rich snack, as long as you look for options with less than 450 grams of sodium and at least five grams of protein. Jerky made from grass-fed beef is even better. 
• Nuts! (We’ll talk more about those in a minute.)

2. Get More Greens Without Getting Bored

Being told to “eat more vegetables,” is not one of the nutrition tips for seniors that does much for us. What most of us need are ways to make healthy greens more interesting. 

If iceberg lettuce topped with mushy tomatoes and croutons doesn’t do much for you, you might want to rethink your definition of a salad. How about a bowl of butterhead lettuce topped with berries, toasted nuts, feta cheese, cooked sweet potato, crispy fried shallots, roasted carrots, or pickled onions? Check out Bon Appétit’s 20 rules for making the best salads of your life for even more inspiration. 

Keep in mind, too, that leafy greens have a life beyond salad. Kale, spinach, and collard greens are all high in magnesium, which protects your heart and bones and may also boost cognitive function while improving sleep. Try them in a soup like this creamy white bean soup with kale, lemon, and rosemary. Another idea is to sneak a handful into a smoothie; you won’t even know it’s there, but your body will.

Finally, there are frittatas. Making one is as easy as spraying an oven-safe pan with a bit of oil and throwing two large handfuls of spinach, kale, or collard greens in. Let the greens wilt, then beat eight eggs and pour them on top of the greens. Let the eggs set a bit, then season with salt and pepper as desired and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and thin slices of tomato. Put the pan in an oven at 450 degrees just until the top starts to turn golden. Here’s another frittata recipe that swaps out the Parmesan for goat cheese and adds in onion. 

3. Get a Little Nutty

Don’t take our word for it that nuts are good for you. Instead, check out what this abstract published by the National Institute of Health has to say on the subject:

Nuts are “complete functional foods [that may] positively adjust aging processes and play key roles in the relationship between lifespan and healthspan.”  nuts contain protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They’re easy to take with you — and require no prep. 

So what are the healthiest nuts? Most experts put almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, walnuts, Macadamia nuts, pistachios, and peanuts at the top of the list, but all nuts are good for you when eaten in moderation (they’re high in calories).

Now for the million-dollar question: Are roasted nuts still good for you? Most experts say that some nutrition can be lost by roasting, but it varies from nut to nut. But if you roast nuts yourself at a lower temperature — less than 320 degrees according to one study — nuts retain most of their benefits.  Roasting nuts yourself also allows you to use healthier oil, like olive oil. Most store-bought nuts, on the other hand, are made with seed oils like peanut oil or sunflower oil. Check out this recipe for spiced, roasted nuts. 

Nut butters bring even more variety to the table. Spread them on toast or fruit — or even mix a spoonful into your oatmeal or smoothie. Nut butters are also easy to make yourself. 

Bonus Tip: Add Sparkle to Your Water

Drinking enough water can be challenging due to a blunting of natural thirst that sometimes happens. If that sounds familiar, try adding just a splash of juice to a glass of sparkling water. Our favorite is POM Wonderful pomegranate blueberry juice, but any juice will do. Your hydrating drink will feel like a treat — and break up the daily monotony of drinking enough water.

Making Healthy Eating Easier

One of the best nutrition tips for seniors focuses more on how you eat than what you eat. Because, sometimes, the hardest part about eating healthy is all of the shopping, cooking, and cleaning it takes to prepare a meal on your own. To lighten the load, consider getting together with a small group of friends to host a weekly meal where everybody brings just one dish. 

Preparing an appetizer like marinated shrimp and olives, for example, is nothing compared to making an entire meal. Plus, there’s the added benefit of getting to socialize — and if there are leftovers, whoever hosted that week has a meal ready to go for the next day. 

You might also look into ordering a home delivery meal kit service like Home Chef, Daily Harvest, or Eat Clean, even if it’s just for one or two meals a week. Not only do you avoid having to shop, but you’ll be sent exactly how much you need of each ingredient. It’s also a way to try new food and liven up mealtime. 

Healthy Living at Monroe Village

Monroe Village is an all-inclusive Life Plan Community in New Jersey focused on a healthy and active lifestyle. With events and amenities offered through LivWell, our holistic wellness program, you can boost your health while being a part of a vibrant community. Our heated indoor pool, fitness center, walking paths, and healthy onsite dining options make it easy to reach your goals while enjoying everyday life. Check out our activities to see the many options each day brings from pickleball games and balance classes to movie nights and wine tastings. Contact us today to learn more.