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AgePage

National Institute on Aging

Healthy Eating 

After 50

“Food just doesn’t taste the same anymore.” 

“I can’t get out to go shopping.”

“I’m just not that hungry.”

Sound familiar? These are a few common 

reasons some older people don’t eat 

healthy meals. But, 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 seafood twice a week.

Two Plans for Smart 

Food Choices

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 

2010 from the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) and Department 

of Health and Human Services (HHS) 

describes two eating plans. Eating a 

variety of foods from each food group 

in either plan will help you get the 

nutrients you need.

One plan is called the USDA Food 

Patterns. It suggests that people 50 or 

older choose healthy foods every day 

from the following:

Fruits—1-1⁄2 to 2-1⁄2 cups

What is the same as 1⁄2 cup of cut-up 

fruit? A 2-inch peach or 1⁄4 cup of 

dried fruit

Vegetables—2 to 3-1⁄2 cups

What is the same as a cup of cut-up 

vegetables? Two cups of uncooked 

leafy vegetable

Grains—5 to 10 ounces

What is the same as an ounce of grains? 

A small muffin, a slice of bread, a cup 

of flaked, ready-to-eat cereal, or 

1⁄2 cup of cooked rice or pasta

Protein foods—5 to 7 ounces

What is the same as an ounce of meat, 

fish, or poultry? One egg, 1⁄4 cup of 

cooked beans or tofu, 1⁄2 ounce of 
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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 yogurt or 1-1⁄2 to 2 ounces of 

cheese. One cup of cottage cheese 

is the same as 1⁄2 cup of milk.

Oils—5 to 8 teaspoons

What is the same as oil added during 

cooking? Foods like olives, nuts, and 

avocado have a lot of oil in them.

Solid fats and added sugars (SoFAS)—

keep the amount of SoFAS small 

If you eat too many foods containing 

SoFAS, you will not have enough 

calories for the nutritious foods you 

should be eating.

Your doctor may want you to follow 

a certain diet because you have a health 

problem like heart disease or diabetes. 

Or, you might have been told to avoid 

eating certain foods because they can 

change how well your medicines work. 

Talk to your doctor or a registered 

dietitian 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.

The second eating plan is called 

the DASH Eating Plan. DASH stands 

for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. DASH is a lot like the Food 

Patterns, but following this plan can 

help you lower your blood pressure. 

See the For More Information About 

Healthy Eating section at the end of this 

AgePage 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, 1-1⁄2 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 

of the nutrients you might need than 

others do. For example, milk gives you 

more calcium than a banana, and peanut 
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butter gives you more protein than 

cereal. Some foods can make you feel 

fuller than others.

Here’s a tip: In the USDA Food 

Patterns, eating the smallest amount 

suggested for each food group gives 

you about 1,600 calories. The largest 

amount has 2,800 calories.

How Much Is on My Plate?

How does the food on your plate 

compare to how much you should be 

eating? Here are some ways to see how 

the food on your plate measures up:

✦ deck of cards = 3 ounces of meat 

or poultry 

✦ 1⁄2 baseball = 1⁄2 cup of fruit, rice, 

pasta, or ice cream 

✦ baseball = 1 cup of salad greens 

✦ 4 dice = 1-1⁄2 ounces of cheese 

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 of physical activity each week. Ten-minute 

sessions several times a day on most days are fine.

✦ tip of your first finger = 1 teaspoon 

of butter or margarine 

✦ ping pong ball = 2 tablespoons of 

peanut butter 

✦ fist = 1 cup of flaked cereal or a 

baked potato 

✦ compact disc or DVD = 1 pancake 

or tortilla 

Having Problems With Food?

Does your favorite chicken dish taste 

different? As you grow older, your sense 

of taste and smell may change. Foods may 

seem to have lost flavor. Also, medicines 

may change how food tastes. They can 

also make you feel less hungry. Talk to 

your doctor about whether there is a 

different medicine you could use. Try 

extra spices or herbs on your foods to 

add flavor.
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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, like ice cream. 

Most can eat small amounts of such food 

or can try yogurt, buttermilk, or hard 

cheese. Lactose-free foods are available 

now also. Your doctor can test to see if 

you are lactose intolerant.

Is it harder to chew your food? Maybe 

your dentures need to fit better, 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.

Do I Need to Drink Water?

With age, you may lose some of your 

sense of thirst. Drink plenty of liquids 

like water, juice, milk, and soup. Don’t 

wait until you feel thirsty. 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 

Read the Label

At first, reading labels on food 

packages may take some time. 

The facts there can help you make 

better food choices. Labels have a 

Nutrition Facts panel. It tells how 

much protein, carbohydrates, fats, 

sodium, key vitamins and minerals, 

and calories are in a serving. 

The panel also shows how many 

servings are in the package—

sometimes what looks like one 

serving is really more.

Each label also has an ingredients 

list. Items are listed from largest 

amount to smallest. Note: The 

FDA recently proposed updates to 

the Nutrition Facts label to reflect 

the latest scientific information 

linking diet and chronic diseases 

like obesity and heart disease. 

Proposed updates include a new 

design that highlights key parts 

of the label such as calories and 

serving sizes.
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slowly. That will help avoid unwanted gas. 

Here are some tips for adding fiber: 

✦ Eat cooked dry beans, peas, and 

lentils often.

✦ Leave skins on your fruit and 

vegetables if possible.

✦ 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. Most fresh foods 

contain some sodium, especially those 

high in protein. Salt is added to many 

canned and prepared foods.

People tend to eat more salt than 

they need. If you are 51 or older, about 

2

⁄

3

 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. Look for the word sodium, 

not salt, on the Nutrition Facts panel. 

Choose foods labeled “low-sodium.” 

Often, the amount of sodium in the 

same kind of food can vary greatly 

between brands.

Here’s a tip: Spices, herbs, and lemon 

juice can 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 

fat added when you cook. 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 non-stick pots and pans, and 

cook without added fat.

✦ Choose an unsaturated or 

monosaturated vegetable oil for 

cooking—check the label.
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✦ Don’t fry foods. Instead, broil, 

roast, bake, stir-fry, steam, microwave, 

or boil them.

Keeping Food Safe

Older people must take extra care 

to keep their food safe to eat. You are 

less able to fight off infections, and some 

foods could make you very sick. Talk to 

your doctor or a registered dietitian, a 

nutrition specialist, 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 foods in your fridge. Check the “use 

by” date on foods. If in doubt, toss it out.

Here’s a tip: 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. First, buy only the 

foods you need. A shopping list will 

help with that. Buy only as much food 

as you will use. Here are some other 

ways to keep your food costs down:

✦ Plain (generic) labels or store brands 

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 (listed in the next 

section).

For More Information About 

Healthy Eating

Here are some helpful resources.

To learn more about the DASH diet:

National Heart, Lung, and Blood 

Institute

1-301-592-8573

nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov (email)

www.nhlbi.nih.gov
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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.nutrition.gov—Learn more 

about healthy eating, food shopping, 

assistance programs, and nutritionrelated health subjects.

www.healthfinder.gov—Get tips for 

following a healthier lifestyle.

www.choosemyplate.gov—USDA Food 

Patterns

www.foodsafety.gov—Learn how to cook 

and eat safely.

National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus

www.medlineplus.gov

USDA Food and Nutrition Information 

Center

National Agricultural Library

1-301-504-6409

fnic@ars.usda.gov (email)

www.nal.usda.gov/fnic

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®

March 2015

National Institute

on Aging

For more information on health and

aging, including nutrition and exercise, 

contact:

National Institute on Aging

Information Center

P.O. Box 8057

Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057

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

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

niaic@nia.nih.gov (email) 

www.nia.nih.gov

www.nia.nih.gov/espanol

To order publications (in English or 

Spanish) or sign up for regular email 

alerts about new publications and other 

information from the NIA, go to 

www.nia.nih.gov/health.

Visit www.nihseniorhealth.gov, a seniorfriendly website from the National 

Institute on Aging and the National 

Library of Medicine. This website has 

health and wellness information for older 

adults. Special features make it simple 

to use. For example, you can click on a 

button to make the type larger.