Making sure that you get enough nutrients in the food that you are eating is a real challenge. There are so many tempting and convenient options, many of which are very bad for you nutritionally. The occasional fast food feast might be okay when you are in your 20s and 30s, but once we start getting older, we need to take a closer look at our healthy diet. For seniors, this can be very challenging.

Not only is food essential to get up and about, it is also a vital part of retirement living. By making healthy diet choices and remaining consistent, you can make huge changes to how you look and feel regardless of your age.

We all know seniors need a healthy diet that provide them with the right amounts of vitamins and minerals. What are those vitamins and minerals? For seniors, you’ll probably need to think about taking supplements to ensure that you’re getting the balanced diet you need. Here are nine senior nutrition tips to include in a healthy diet:

Nutrition Tip #1: Calcium

As you age, your bone density will start to decline. You can’t afford to take your eye off the ball when it comes to your calcium intake. You should make sure that you are doing all that you can to maintain healthy, strong bones. Calcium is to be found in dairy products like milk and yogurt. Yogurt is also a probiotic and very good for digestive health (more on that later).

Nutrition Tip #2: Fibre

Fibre is very good for senior nutrition and their heart health. It is also good for keeping things moving along in the bowel department. You can find fibre in many foods such as beans, whole grains, and vegetables. If you are struggling to find sources of fibre, there are many fibre rich cereals that taste great.

Nutrition Tip #3: Vitamin B

B vitamins are essential for your health as you get older. B6 and B12 and folic acid can be very beneficial to many aspects of your body. B6 is often found in organ meats like liver. A great source of B12 is lean meat and fish. Dark greens and beans are very good sources of folic acid.

Nutrition Tip #4: Vitamin D

Vitamin D is also good for your bones. You get vitamin D from sun exposure. As you age, you might find that you spend less and less time outside. You can look to supplement your vitamin D by eating fatty fishes like tuna. Getting outside and staying active is an essential part of overall health. Too much sun exposure is a bad thing, but going for a walk a day will not only give you the vitamin D you need, but it will also get the blood pumping and release some endorphins.

Nutrition Tip #5: Probiotics

You should make sure that you maintain a healthy gut. You can do this by eating yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha or any other probiotic. This will ensure that you have lots of good bacteria in your stomach at all times. This can do wonders for your digestion. In addition to being more regular, you will be able to get more nutrients from the food that you eat.

Nutrition Tip #6: Fats (the healthy kind)

Fat has a bad name, however, not all fats are bad. You should limit your intake of saturated and trans fats. You should feel free to enjoy many other foods such as fatty fish that come with a whole host of other beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Nutrition Tip #7: Potassium

One useful senior nutrition tip is by making sure that you add banana, potatoes and yogurt to your healthy diet (yes, yogurt again). You will be helping your body to control your blood pressure. It can also be instrumental in regulating the amount of salt in your body. It helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve signals too.

Nutrition Tip #8: Reduce the amount of salt in your food

We all know that too much salt is bad for you. This is a problem for many of us as salt is in nearly every processed food that you buy. This might be easier said than done. Especially if you are always eating processed foods. It is best to stick with foods that don’t have any added salt. If you think that this means that the food has to be flavourless, think again. You can easily spice up a dish with any number of other herbs and spices.

Nutrition Tip #9: Drink plenty of water

People of all ages don’t drink enough water. You shouldn’t wait until you’re thirsty before you decide that you need to have a drink of water. This can be a challenge for seniors as more water usually means more trips to the bathroom. This leads to them drinking less and less water over time. This can be a real problem as water is not only important when it comes to day to day hydration, it is also essential for brain health and brain function.