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National Institute on Aging

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Healthy Eating

After 50

Choosing healthy foods is a smart 

thing to do—no matter how old you are! 

Here are some tips to get you started: 

■ Eat many different colors and types 

of vegetables and fruits. 

■ Make sure at least half of your grains 

are whole grains. 

■ Eat only small amounts of solid fats 

and foods with added sugars. Limit 

saturated fat (found mostly in foods that 

come from animals) and trans fats (found 

in foods like store-bought baked goods 

and some margarines). 

■ Eat “good” (poly- and monounsaturated)

fats, like those found in seeds, nuts, 

avocados, and fatty fish like salmon. Any 

fats added in cooking should come from 

plant-based oils like olive, canola, corn, or 

vegetable oil. 

■ Eat seafood twice a week. Small fish, 

like sardines or trout, or farm-raised fish 

(check the label) contain less mercury 

than large fish, like tuna. Mercury can 

be harmful. 

Make Smart Food Choices 

Eating a variety of foods from each 

food group will help you get the nutrients 

you need. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines 

for Americans from the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture (USDA) and Department 

of Health and Human Services (HHS) 

describes healthy eating patterns. 

You create a healthy eating pattern by 

making good choices about your foods 

and drinks every day. These guidelines 

are flexible to help you choose a diet of 

nutritious foods and drinks that you like, 

that are available in your area, and that 

fit your budget. 

The Dietary Guidelines suggests that 

people 50 or older choose foods every day 

from the following: 

Fruits—11⁄2 to 21⁄2 cups 

What is the same as a half cup of cut-up 

fruit? A fresh 2-inch peach or 16 grapes. 

Vegetables—2 to 31⁄2 cups 

What is the same as a cup of cut-up 

vegetables? Two cups of uncooked 

leafy vegetables. 

Grains—5 to 10 ounces 

What is the same as an ounce of grains? 

A small bagel; a slice of whole grain bread; 

a cup of flaked, vitamin- and mineralfortified, ready-to-eat cereal; or a half cup 

of cooked rice or pasta. 
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Protein foods—5 to 7 ounces 

What is the same as an ounce of meat, 

fish, or poultry? One egg, one-fourth cup of 

cooked beans or tofu, a half ounce of nuts or 

seeds, or 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. 

Dairy foods—3 cups of fat-free or 

low-fat milk 

What is the same as 1 cup of milk? One 

cup of plain yogurt or 11⁄2 to 2 ounces of 

cheese. One cup of cottage cheese is the 

same as a half cup of milk. 

Oils—5 to 8 teaspoons 

What is the same as oil added during 

cooking? Foods like olives, nuts, and 

avocados have a lot of oil in them. 

Solid fats and added sugars (SoFAS) 

and sodium (salt)—keep the amount of 

SoFAS and sodium small 

If you eat too many foods containing 

SoFAS, you will not have enough calories 

left for the more nutritious foods you 

should be eating. 

Your doctor may want you to follow 

a special diet because you have a health 

problem like heart disease or diabetes. 

Or, you might have been told to avoid 

eating some foods because they can 

change how well your medicines work. 

Talk with your doctor or a registered 

dietitian—a nutrition specialist—about 

foods you can eat instead. 

Here’s a tip: Stay away from “empty 

calories.” These are foods and drinks with 

a lot of calories but not many nutrients—

for example, chips, cookies, soda, and 

alcohol. 

If you have high blood pressure or 

are at risk, your doctor may recommend 

the DASH Eating Plan. DASH stands for 

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. 

Following this plan can help you lower 

your blood pressure. See the For More 

Information About Healthy Eating section to 

find out more about DASH. 

How Much Should I Eat? 

How much you should eat depends on 

how active you are. If you eat more calories 

than your body uses, you gain weight. 

What are calories? Calories are a way 

to count how much energy is in food. 

The energy you get from food helps you 

do the things you need to do each day. 

Try to choose foods that have a lot of the 

nutrients you need, but not many calories. 

Just counting calories is not enough 

for making smart choices. Think about 

this: A medium banana, 1 cup of flaked 

cereal, 11⁄2 cups of cooked spinach, 

1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or 1 cup 

of 1% milk all have roughly the same 

number of calories. But, the foods are 

different in many ways. Some have more 

nutrients than others do. For example, 

milk gives you more calcium than a 

banana, and peanut butter gives you 

more protein than cereal. Some foods 

can make you feel more full than others. 
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How Much Is on My Plate? 

How does the food on your plate 

compare with how much you should be 

eating?

Here are some ways to see how the 

food on your plate measures up: 

■ 1 deck of cards = 3 ounces of meat 

or poultry 

■ Half baseball = half cup of fruit, 

rice, or pasta 

■ 1 baseball = 1 cup of salad greens 

■ 4 dice = 11⁄2 ounces of cheese 

■ Tip of your first finger = 1 teaspoon 

of butter or margarine 

■ 1 ping-pong ball = 2 tablespoons of 

peanut butter 

Common Problems Older 

Adults Have with Eating 

Does your favorite chicken dish taste 

different? As you age, your sense of taste 

and smell may change, and foods may 

seem to lose flavor. Try extra spices, 

herbs, or lemon juice to add flavor. Also, 

medicines may change how food tastes. 

They can also make you feel less hungry. 

Talk to your doctor if this is a problem. 

Maybe some of the foods you used 

to eat no longer agree with you. For 

example, some people become lactose 

intolerant. They have stomach pain, 

gas, or diarrhea after eating or drinking 

something with milk in it. Your doctor can 

test to see if you are lactose intolerant. 

Are you finding it harder to chew your 

food? If you have dentures, maybe they do 

not fit, or your gums are sore. If so, a dentist 

can help you. Until then, you might want to 

eat softer foods that are easier to chew. 

How Many Calories Do People 

Over Age 50 Need Each Day?

A woman: 

■ Who is not physically active needs 

about 1,600 calories 

■ Who is somewhat active needs about 

1,800 calories 

■ Who has an active lifestyle needs 

about 2,000-2,200 calories 

A man: 

■ Who is not physically active needs 

about 2,000 calories 

■ Who is somewhat active needs about 

2,200-2,400 calories 

■ Who has an active lifestyle needs 

about 2,400-2,800 calories 

Here’s a tip: Aim for at least 150 minutes 

(21⁄2 hours) of physical activity each week. 

Ten-minute sessions several times a day 

on most days are fine.

Do Older Adults Need to 

Drink Water? 

With age, you may lose some of your 

sense of thirst. Don’t wait until you feel 
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thirsty to drink water. Unless your doctor 

has told you to limit fluids, drink plenty 

of liquids like water, milk, or broth.

Try to add liquids throughout the 

day. You could try soup for a snack, or 

drink a glass of water before exercising or 

working in the yard. Don’t forget to take 

sips of water, milk, or juice during a meal.

What About Fiber? 

Fiber is found in foods from plants—

fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and 

whole grains. Eating more fiber might 

prevent stomach or intestine problems, 

like constipation. It might also help 

lower cholesterol, as well as blood sugar. 

It is better to get fiber from food 

than dietary supplements. Start adding 

fiber slowly. That will help avoid gas. 

Here are some tips for adding fiber: 

■ Eat cooked dry beans, peas, and 

lentils often. 

■ Leave the skin on your fruit and 

vegetables if possible, but wash them first. 

■ Choose whole fruit over fruit juice. 

■ Eat whole-grain breads and cereals. 

■ Drink plenty of liquids to help fiber 

move through your intestines. 

Should I Cut Back on Salt? 

The usual way people get sodium is 

by eating salt. The body needs sodium, 

but too much can make blood pressure 

go up in some people. Many foods 

contain some sodium, especially those 

high in protein. However, most fresh 

fruits and vegetables do not have much 

sodium. Salt is added to many canned, 

boxed, and prepared foods. 

People tend to eat more salt than 

they need. If you are 51 or older, about 

two thirds of a teaspoon of table salt—

1,500 milligrams (mg) sodium—is all 

you need each day. That includes all the 

sodium in your food and drink, not just 

the salt you add. 

Try to avoid adding salt during 

cooking or at the table. Talk to your 

doctor before using salt substitutes. 

Some contain sodium. And most have 

potassium, which some people also 

need to limit. Eat fewer salty snacks and 

processed foods, such as lunch meats, 

potato chips, or frozen dinners. 

Look for the word sodium, not salt, 

on the Nutrition Facts panel. Choose 

foods labeled “low sodium.” The 

amount of sodium in the same kind of 

food can vary greatly among brands, so 

check the label. 

Here’s a tip: Spices, herbs, and 

lemon juice add flavor to your food, so 

you won’t miss the salt. 

What About Fat? 

Fat in your diet comes from two 

places—the fat already in food and the 
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fat added when you cook. Some types 

of fat, like mono- and polyunsaturated 

fats, provide your body with important 

nutrients and can be good for you in 

the right amounts. Other types of fat, 

like trans fat, saturated fat, or fats from 

animals, can be bad for your health. Fat 

gives you energy and helps your body 

use certain vitamins, but it is high in 

calories. To lower the fat in your diet: 

■ Choose cuts of meat, fish, or poultry 

(with the skin removed) with less fat. 

Trim off any extra fat before cooking. 

■ Use low-fat dairy products and salad 

dressings. 

■ Use nonstick pots and pans, and 

cook without added fat. 

■ Choose an unsaturated fat (such as 

olive, canola, or vegetable oil) for cooking. 

Check the label. 

■ Don’t fry foods. Instead, broil, roast, 

bake, stir-fry, steam, microwave, or boil 

them. 

Keep Food Safe 

As you grow older, you must take 

extra care to keep your food safe to eat. 

It is harder for you to fight off infections, 

and some foods could make you very 

sick. Talk to your doctor or a registered 

dietitian about foods to avoid. 

Handle raw food with care. Keep it 

apart from foods that won’t be cooked 

or are already cooked. Use hot, soapy 

water to wash your hands, tools, and 

work surfaces as you cook. 

Don’t depend on sniffing or tasting 

food to tell what is bad. Try putting 

dates on the foods in your fridge. Check 

the “use by” date on foods. If in doubt, 

toss it out. 

Make sure food gets into the 

refrigerator no more than 2 hours after 

it is cooked. 

Can I Afford to Eat Right? 

If your budget is limited, it might 

take some planning to be able to pay for 

the foods you should eat. Here are some 

suggestions: 

■ Buy only the foods you need—a 

shopping list will help with that. 

■ Buy only as much food as you will use. 

■ Choose foods with plain (generic) 

labels or store brands—they often cost 

less than name brands. 

■ Plan your meals around food that is 

on sale. 

■ Divide leftovers into small servings, 

label and date, and freeze to use within 

a few months. 

Federal Government programs are 

available to help people with low incomes 

buy groceries. To learn more about these 

programs or find your Area Agency on 

Aging, contact the Eldercare Locator. 
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For More Information About 

Healthy Eating 

To learn more about the DASH diet: 

National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute 

1-301-592-8573 

nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov 

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/

topics/dash

To find out about nutrition, meal 

programs, or getting help with shopping: 

Eldercare Locator 

1-800-677-1116 (toll-free) 

www.eldercare.gov

Federal Government Nutrition Websites: 

www.choosemyplate.gov/older-adults—Get 

resources for healthy eating. 

www.foodsafety.gov—Learn how to cook 

and eat safely. 

www.healthfinder.gov—Get tips for 

following a healthier lifestyle. 

www.nutrition.gov—Learn more 

about healthy eating, food shopping, 

assistance programs, and nutritionrelated health subjects. 

National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus

www.medlineplus.gov 

USDA Food and Nutrition 

Information Center 

National Agricultural Library 

1-301-504-5414

fnic@ars.usda.gov 

www.nal.usda.gov/fnic

For more information on health and 

aging, including nutrition and exercise, 

contact: 

National Institute on Aging 

Information Center 

1-800-222-2225 (toll-free) 

1-800-222-4225 (TTY/toll-free) 

niaic@nia.nih.gov 

www.nia.nih.gov 

www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life

Visit www.nia.nih.gov/health to find more 

health and aging information from NIA 

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NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®

October 2017