How to track your nutrition
Tracking your nutrition can ensure you’re getting enough nutrients and vitamins. Following healthy eating tips for older adults can help maintain a balanced diet and support overall well-being. In the age of technology, tracking your nutrition is easier than ever before. You can try using a food diary to log your meals, portion sizes, and nutrients, to help you try to focus on balancing your proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates. Reading food labels and planning meals can help you to maintain a balanced diet too. You can also buy smart scales which more accurately measure not just your weight, but your body fat percentage, muscle mass and bone mass. For even more accuracy, you can ask your Helping Hands carer to help create the best daily diet for your health.
What's included in a balanced diet?
A balanced diet includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods that provide essential vitamins and minerals. Included within a healthy and balanced diet are:
Does a balanced diet change with age?
A balanced diet changes with age as the body's nutritional needs evolve.
Older adults require more protein to maintain muscle mass, more calcium and vitamin D for bone health, and fibre to aid digestion. Metabolism slows down, so portion sizes may need adjusting to prevent weight gain, while hydration becomes even more important. Reducing processed foods, excess salt, and added sugars helps support heart health, while nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains become even more essential for overall well-being. Take a look at some more advice from AgeUK on how your dietary needs change with age.
Simple healthy meals
Take a look at some tasty and nutritious ideas for healthy foods to introduce into your diet.
Breakfast
There are many different options for a healthy breakfast, including oatmeal with berries and nuts. This delicious meal is rich in fibre, aiding digestion and regulating blood sugar, as berries provide antioxidants to support brain health and immunity. The nuts can add healthy fats and protein for sustained energy too. Eggs and avocado with whole-grain toast are an excellent source of high-quality protein, supporting muscle strength and repair. Whole-grain toast provides fibre for heart and digestive health, and a tasty avocado offers heart-healthy fats that help the body to absorb nutrients for overall health.
Lunch
A healthy lunch idea can be salmon with quinoa and steamed vegetables, which are packed with omega-3 fatty acids to help support brain function and reduce inflammation. Quinoa is a protein-rich whole grain that provides essential amino acids, while steamed vegetables deliver vitamins and minerals for overall well-being. Or, a hearty vegetable soup with whole-grain crackers can offer essential nutrients, hydration, and fibre which promotes gut health and reduces inflammation. Whole-grain crackers provide complex carbohydrates for steady energy without blood sugar spikes.
Dinner
For dinner, why not try chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and green beans? Chicken is a lean protein that supports muscle maintenance, while sweet potatoes are rich in fibre and vitamin A, promoting vision and immune function. Green beans provide essential vitamins and minerals to maintain bone and heart health. You can also try a stir-fry with tofu, brown rice and veggies for a plant-based protein that supports muscle and bone health. Brown rice offers fibre and slow-digesting carbohydrates for lasting energy, while a mix of colourful vegetables supplies antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Snacks
Greek yoghurt with honey and nuts is high in protein and probiotics to aid digestion, while honey provides natural sweetness and has antibacterial properties. Nuts are also packed with great things for the body suh as healthy fats, protein, and fibre. Hummus with carrot sticks provides plant-based protein and healthy fats, while carrots are rich in beta-carotene, promoting eye health and immunity. Cottage cheese with fruit is a high-protein, calcium-rich snack that supports bone strength. Pairing it with fruit adds natural sweetness and important vitamins like vitamin C for immune support.
How Helping Hands home care can support healthy living
At Helping Hands, we pride ourselves on our home care that adapts to your needs. We can offer care as a live-in, visiting or respite basis.
Visiting care
Live-in care
A fully regulated home care provider
Here at Helping Hands, our service is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW)
This means we need to consistently meet high standards and are monitored by our regulators.
