Overcoming Roadblocks to Healthy Eating

Many seniors understand the importance of healthy eating, but eating healthy all the time isn’t easy. Maintaining a healthy diet takes time, skills, and resources not everyone innately has. It can also be difficult if you have dietary restrictions and health conditions that make eating challenging.

Whatever your healthy eating roadblock is, there are ways to break down your personal barriers and enjoy the benefits of healthy eating.

Common Eating Roadblocks

Starting and maintaining a healthy diet can be tough to say the very least, especially as you face age-related roadblocks that can quickly deter you. However, understanding your barriers to healthy eating and ways to overcome them can make healthy eating not only possible but enjoyable.

Let’s discuss some of the roadblocks you might face when incorporating healthy eating and what you can do to overcome them.

Eating On A Budget

As a senior, you may live on a fixed budget, meaning you have a specific amount of funds for groceries. For you, buying premade meals or foods from quick-marts seems cheaper because mainstream health food stores are more expensive. You want to eat healthy but don’t think it’s in your budget.

What to do: Yes, large chains like Whole Foods that position themselves as “healthy stores” are expensive, but you don’t have to shop at a fancy store to find healthy food. Eating a healthy diet is about getting the proper nutrients in your meals, primarily from whole foods (non-processed). You can find healthy foods at Warehouse Discount Groceries or Walmart that are affordable and taste great. You can also search for coupons online from sites like coupons.com.

Chewing Or Swallowing Trouble

You may have trouble chewing or swallowing certain foods. You find it easier to consume soft or liquid foods and are nervous about venturing too far out of your comfort zone.

What to do: Having trouble chewing or swallowing doesn’t mean you can only have liquid or soft foods. You can still eat healthy favorites, but incorporate methods to moisten your food so it’s easier to eat, such as adding gravies and sauces to your meals. Taking small bites and thoroughly chewing your food before swallowing is also important.

Smaller Appetite

As you age, you might find that you don’t have the same appetite as you did when you were younger. Health conditions, like certain cancers, and some treatments, may also affect your appetite. Because you don’t feel hungry, you can go days without eating enough substance, affecting your energy and nutrition levels.

What to do: When you have a smaller appetite, you want to focus on eating smaller meals but pack them with protein and essential nutrients to properly fuel your body. Instead of forcing yourself to eat large, dense meals, focus on snacks or easy-to-tolerate foods. Foods that can be easier to eat when you don’t have an appetite but are full of necessary nutrients include fruit, oatmeal, eggs, and full-fat yogurt.

Changes To Taste

Taste buds change when you age. They start to shrink and decline, making foods taste different. Taste buds can also change from medications, smoking, and infections. This change in your taste buds may make eating less enjoyable, especially if you can no longer taste your favorite flavors.

What to do: Instead of accepting that some foods don’t taste the same, experiment with spices. Try using different fresh herbs and spices in your foods to see how they affect the taste. It may take some trial and error, but there is a combination out there that will work for you. However, be mindful of the salts you use in your food. While it does make foods taste better, too much sodium can lead to high cholesterol levels.

Dietary Restrictions

The body changes with age, and you may find that some foods upset your stomach. You may also develop health conditions, such as diabetes, restricting what’s safe to eat. Having too many restrictions can feel overwhelming and cause you to avoid more food than is necessary.

What to do: The first step is figuring out your food restrictions. Some people know that certain meals upset their stomachs, but they don’t know what’s causing the discomfort. Instead of guessing, work with a registered dietitian in the area, such as at Cullman Regional, to create a healthy eating plan for your dietary restrictions.

Kitchen Assistance With Visiting Angels

Navigating the kitchen can be a bit of a challenge as you age. At Visiting Angels, we provide nonmedical care services to help seniors safely age in place, including assistance in the kitchen. Our caregivers can help with meal preparations, cooking, cleaning dishes, and organizing the kitchen to make it more accessible. Outside of kitchen assistance, caregivers can also help with light housekeeping, transportation, mobility, personal grooming, medication reminders, and more.

Contact us to learn more about kitchen assistance and other at-home care services with Visiting Angels.