Autumn is the time of year when the weather gets cooler, the leaves change color, and people swap out their T-shirts and shorts for jeans and sweaters.
It’s also when many people seem to adjust their eating habits. So, it’s a good opportunity for seniors, and those creating diet plans for seniors, to pause and begin paying special attention to diet and nutrition.
Transitioning Senior Diet Plans from Summer to Fall
Typically, people switch from light summer meals and cool drinks to hearty fall recipes and comfort foods as the weather starts to cool.
For example, in the summer, some might choose a bright, refreshing salad for dinner. However, richer foods like casseroles, meatloaf, roasts, and soups or stews become more popular in the fall and winter. Those fall recipes tend to be heavier in their fat content, so we need to think carefully about what we’re eating.
Keys to Healthy Eating: Moderation & Color
What’s important to keep in mind when creating a senior diet plan is that healthy eating doesn’t mean you can’t ever have the things you like to eat. There are often ways for rich fall recipes to be made healthier, such as grilling or baking instead of deep frying. Fatty, calorie-dense foods don’t have to be forbidden, but they should always be eaten in moderation.
Seniors especially tend to gravitate toward meals that feature a meat and a starch. They don’t have to deny themselves, but portion control is key. And when it comes to vegetables, you want to see a lot of colors on the plate, including a red vegetable and a green vegetable. Dietitians say that half the plate should be colorful.
Staying Hydrated, Even as the Leaves Change
Besides fat intake, other things to watch for when creating senior diet plans include monitoring salt and sugar intake, and making sure plenty of liquids are consumed.
Seniors tend to drink and eat less than their younger counterparts. And they often consume less liquid because they spend more time indoors, getting less physical activity. Therefore, the cool drinks of summer should be replaced with more hot liquids, like tea, decaffeinated coffee and soups.
Other alternate sources of liquid for senior diet plans, according to agingcare.com, include the following fruits and vegetables: apricots, bell peppers, broccoli, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, lettuce, nectarines, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon.
