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Maple Ridge Senior Living

Seniors enjoy better health & quality of life with these 3 nutrition tips

Chris Harrison, for Maple Ridge
Seniors can enjoy better physical, mental, and emotional health with proper nutrition.

While a nutritious diet is important at any age, it is especially important for senior adults. Seniors experience changes in their bodies as they age, some of which can cause difficulty in preparing food, experiencing certain smells or tastes, or maintaining an appetite. The good news is that a nutrient-rich diet promotes healthy aging, not only to enhance one’s physical health, but also one’s mental and emotional well-being.

If senior loved ones find it difficult to develop or maintain healthy eating habits as they age, they’re not alone. Eating a nutritious diet is a lot easier than one might think, and the team at Maple Ridge Senior Living, home of the Compass Cafe, offers these helpful tips to boost quality of life.

1. Make the right choices

While it may be tempting to go for quick hunger fixes like fast food, chips, sweets, and sodas, these lack any real nutrition and can negatively impact a senior’s blood pressure, sugar levels and the way he or she thinks and feels. This is why it’s important to choose foods that provide plenty of nutrients without the empty calories. A few examples include:

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Whole grain bread and oatmeal
  • Seafood, lean meat, poultry and eggs
  • Low- or no-fat milk and cheese
  • Dairy substitutes (rice, soy, or oat milk) fortified with vitamin D and calcium
  • Beans and salt-free nuts

2. Drink plenty of water every day

Staying hydrated is one of the most overlooked aspects of maintaining a nutritious diet. Many of us can go a full 24 hours and only consume a glass or two of water, leaving us feeling run down and tired. Hydration is especially important for seniors, some of whom may lose their sense of thirst as they age and may be prescribed medication that causes dehydration.

It is highly recommended that most adults drink at least one gallon of water a day, or roughly 8 8-ounce glasses. Some may even find it useful to purchase a gallon-sized water bottle to track how much they’ve drank throughout the day. Adequate daily water intake is vital to good health, and it can aid digestion, help the body break down food to absorb nutrients and prevent constipation.

3. Determine your meal plan

Deciding when to eat, and how much to eat at once, is just as important as the types of foods a senior loved one eats. This is why it’s necessary to determine a proper meal plan with a doctor or caregiver that fits the senior’s lifestyle and specific nutrient needs. The Compass Cafe at Maple Ridge Senior Living has a wide array of foods that not only provide ample nutrients, but are also delicious and made from scratch every day. Prepared with local, fresh ingredients, Maple Ridge’s chefs can prepare classic favorites that are customized to your needs and leave you feeling energized and satisfied after every meal.

Compass Café is proud to serve its residents reduced-fat, low calorie, high-fiber and low-sodium choices made from local, seasonal ingredients chosen at the peak of freshness and prepared by their kitchen. Their chefs enjoy providing a selection of classic favorites, regional dishes, resident-suggested selections and healthy flavors from around the world.

To learn more about Maple Ridge Senior Living’s Compass Café and how their team accommodates special dietary needs, visit their website or call 541-625-0080.