Healthy Eating As You Age
Maintaining a healthy weight and ensuring that your body is getting the right nutrients is important as you age. Eating healthy can help you remain active and spend less time seeing your doctor. If you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, eating the right foods can also help manage your chronic disease. Here are a few helpful tips when planning meals or trips to the grocery store.
1) Use MyPlate Plan
This tool allows you personalize your food plan* based on age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.
2) Know the Food Groups
Understanding the food groups and how much you should consume daily can help you maintain healthy eating habits. The National Institute on Aging website provides recommended servings from each food group.
3) Create a Healthy Grocery List
The American Heart Association has a Heart-Check digital grocery list tool on their website. It can help identify healthier foods.
4) Read Labels
The healthiest foods are in the outer aisles at your grocery store – fresh fruits and vegetables, fish/meat, and dairy products. When buying packaged foods, be sure to read labels to find the amount of fat, added sugars, and sodium per serving.
Sources: National Institute on Aging; National Council on Aging; American Heart Association;
*MyPlate.gov is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025