Choosing The Best Protein For Seniors: A Guide To Protein-Packed Foods

As we age, our bodies change. Therefore, understanding how to nourish an aging body is crucial for seniors, their loved ones, and caretakers to promote long-term activity. If you’re over 60, combine a sensible exercise plan and a healthy diet that changes with age. Choosing the right foods is vital to your well-being, and can help you stay active and enjoy life. This article reviews healthy eating for older adults, with an emphasis on the best protein sources.

Seniors Have Unique Dietary Needs

As we age, it’s common to experience less strength and stamina. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t adjust your daily routine and still enjoy activities and the hobbies you love. Remaining active may mean adjusting your exercise habits but it also means adjusting your diet. The following are some points to consider as you strive to be as healthy as possible even as you get older:

• You need fewer calories. As your physical activity slows down, so does your metabolism and you need less fuel.
• Eat more protein-rich foods. Because you may be eating less, you need more protein to maintain muscle strength. You should focus on protein-dense foods and finding the best protein for seniors.
• Avoid foods that are high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fats. These are wasted calories that can also contribute to weight gain in seniors who are less active.
• Pay attention to nurturing healthy bones by adding more calcium and vitamin D to your diet.
• Get enough fiber. Fiber is important in aiding digestion, and it also lowers the risk of developing certain chronic diseases.
• Stay Hydrated. As we age, our thirst level can diminish so getting enough fluids each day is important.
• Get the vitamins you need. Vitamins A, C, and B12 are essential to healthy aging – be sure you are taking a daily supplement to ensure adequate levels.

Why Protein Is Essential to Senior Health

It’s been clinically proven that muscle mass decreases dramatically as we age. According to some studies, people over 70 need more protein per meal than someone in their 20’s.  The US recommends 0.8g/Kg protein for 20-year-olds, compared to 1.0-1.3g/Kg for the 65+ age group. For seniors, protein is vital for maintaining muscle strength, mobility, and independence. In addition, protein supports almost every bodily function including the brain, liver, immune system, and gastrointestinal tract. However, muscle mass turns out to be the last recipient of the protein we eat, which is why it is essential that seniors get enough protein in each meal. With less appetite, seniors and caregivers must prioritize high-quality protein. What are the foods that can deliver optimal protein as well as the vitamins and minerals that seniors need? 

How to Incorporate the Best Protein for Seniors into a Balanced Diet

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), seniors need a balanced diet that includes selections from each food group. The NIA also stresses the importance of getting enough protein as we age. In addition, avoiding foods high in sugar, saturated fats and sodium is very important. That’s why highly processed foods and fast foods are not good dietary choices for seniors. In fact, foods rich in sugar, salt and fats can contribute to diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.  Focus on whole foods for muscle, bone strength, and healthy weight. You may be surprised to know that many vegetables and fruits are excellent sources of protein and other valuable nutrients. A varied diet can make it easier to enjoy each meal. For example, the following are some suggestions for an ideal eating plan for seniors:

• Add protein to each meal: While lean meats such as roast beef, chicken, and lean pork, as well as seafood and fish are excellent sources of protein, don’t forget to include other protein-rich foods. Dairy, eggs, fortified soy products, beans, peas, and lentils are all excellent sources of protein that can be added to any meal or even prepared as a main course.
• Add protein-rich fruits as a snack or dessert: There are many delicious fruits that have protein and make great snacks, including bananas, cherries, oranges, raisins, grapefruit, cantaloupe, apricots, kiwi and tropical fruits such as guava, jackfruit and passion fruit. Each of these fruits not only taste great, they can be the best protein for seniors because they also add important nutrients.
• Try protein-rich vegetables: In addition to beans, there are many vegetables that provide protein and other important vitamins and minerals. Adding spinach, kale, or avocado (which is technically a fruit) to a salad or sandwich is an excellent way to boost the protein content. Other green vegetables such as broccoli, artichokes, brussels sprouts, asparagus, peas, green beans, and collard greens contain protein and important nutrients. Corn, mushrooms, and potatoes also have protein. As you can see – building a varied diet that includes protein can also make it easy to find foods that you or  your loved one will enjoy.
• Add protein-packed grains: Many grains are good sources of protein and don’t involve adding more animal products to your menu. Protein-rich grains include quinoa, whole wheat pasta, wild rice, buckwheat, barley, and oats.
• Increase nutrition with fortified cereals: Look for cereals with Vitamin B12, which is a critical nutrient for seniors. Cereals such as All Bran, Raisin Bran and oatmeal are all good choices for seniors.
• Cut down on sodium: Adding spices and herbs to season food rather than a lot of salt can go a long way in reducing your sodium intake. Citruses, such as lemon juice, are also a healthy way to boost flavor in salads and other dishes.
• Drink plenty of water: As we age, most people aren’t as thirsty and there’s danger of becoming dehydrated. Try to make sure your senior loved one gets water throughout the day, which will also aid in digestion and the absorption of nutrients.
• Add a supplemental protein drink: If you’re concerned about insufficient appetite hindering a healthy diet for yourself or a senior loved one, adding a supplemental protein drink is an excellent way to ensure adequate protein intake. Honest Medical offers a variety of Boost protein drinks and supplements that add the critical nutrients seniors need to maintain strength and remain active. You can read more about the benefits of adding a protein drink on our other blog page. 

 

Tips on a Daily Menu for Seniors

Your activity and weight goals determine the necessary calorie intake (energy from food). The NIA publishes calorie guidelines. If you want to maintain the weight you are now, the guidelines are as follows:

These totals are only estimates, and it’s best to consult your doctor or a nutrition expert to get a more accurate assessment. Knowing the right daily calories and nutrients is crucial for weight gain or loss goals. The following are some tips on building the ideal daily menu for seniors:

• Plan your meals: When you plan your meals in advance, you are assured of having healthy, fresh foods on hand when you need them.
• Cook your meals if you are able: Home cooking not only saves money, but you can make enough to last you more than one meal.
• Add protein to every meal: As mentioned above, there are many sources of protein besides lean meat and fish. Add protein-rich grains, vegetables and fruits to each meal, which will also add important nutrients.
• Add protein drinks between meals if needed: If you have trouble getting enough protein from your daily meals, add a protein drink between meals. This can help you ensure you are getting enough calories and nutrients to help you stay active.
• Be aware of serving sizes: Staying within the boundaries of your recommended daily caloric intake will be easier if you pay attention to portion sizes. Most packaged foods such as dairy products, pastas, rice, and many others, include portion size and calories on their labels. For fruits and vegetables check the lists published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• Avoid processed foods: A menu that stresses fresh fruits and vegetables rather than processed fast-foods will ensure you are getting the nutrients you need. In addition, processed foods tend to have high levels of unhealthy fats, sugar and sodium.
• Make sure snacks are healthy: Rather than reaching for a high-sugar or salty snack, have a protein-packed fruit or try some cut-up veggies with a low-fat dip. Making healthy choices can boost your energy and your mood.
• Try a meal-delivery service: If you really don’t want to cook or you have mobility issues that make it difficult, there are many meal-delivery services that will deliver fresh, healthy meals that you can heat and serve in minutes. Most of these services allow you to choose how many meals you want to purchase each week and they are delivered fresh. Forbes magazine has a review of meal-delivery services and ranks them in this article.

 

Conditions That Can Make Eating Difficult

There are situations that can make eating difficult for some elderly people. Despite special care needs, prioritizing optimal daily protein for seniors should remain a priority. The following are some tips for handling such situations:

• If your loved one is having difficulty chewing, make sure there are no dental issues that need attending. Getting proper dental care is important in every phase of life and especially vital as we age.
• Seniors who have difficulty swallowing need to have thickeners added to their water, food and beverages to make sure they can swallow safely. Honest Medical carries a wide range of thickeners and thickened foods and beverages that can be used alone or added to your favorite foods and drinks.
• Some seniors must use enteral feeding to get their nourishment. This feeding is administered directly into the gastrointestinal tract via a feeding tube.  Sometimes this is a temporary condition, which could involve healing after surgery, and sometimes enteral feeding is a permanent solution. Having the enteral equipment and supplies on hand is crucial for ensuring that you or your loved one is receiving the important nutrition they need. Honest Medical carries a comprehensive line of enteral nutrition supplies and the products needed to deliver them.

Honest Medical Is Here to Help

When you need nutritional support and information, whether it’s for protein-rich drinks to boost your daily nutritional needs or enteral feeding products and supplies, Honest Medical is here to help with affordable products delivered with speed and efficiency. Learn more by speaking to an HonestMed Care Specialist at (833) 933-2323. We’re here to provide you with product knowledge, support, and expertise to ensure that you get the right products for your unique needs and budget