Adults over age 70 have unique dietary needs, and Tufts University researchers have updated their food-guide pyramid for seniors to correspond with the USDA food pyramid—now known as “MyPyramid” (to learn more, read the press release on the Tufts Web site, by clicking here.
The “Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults” has changed in appearance and content, but continues to emphasize nutrient-dense food choices and the importance of fluid balance. It has added additional guidance about forms of food that could best meet the unique needs of older adults, and about the importance of regular physical activity. “Older adults tend to need fewer calories as they age because they are not as physically active as they once were and their metabolic rates slow down,” said Alice Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts. “Nevertheless, their bodies still require the same or higher levels of nutrients for optimal health outcomes.” Home Instead CAREGivers can help ensure that clients are eating the right types of foods and getting the proper nutrition, so they’re encouraged to note these new recommendations and incorporate them into their meal-planning activities for the seniors they serve.
In 2005, the USDA debuted MyPyramid, an Internet-based program capable of dispensing individualized dietary guidance based on sex, age, height, weight, and exercise habits. Â Lichtenstein and colleagues were concerned about computer use among older adults and the adaptability of MyPyramid to print form. The Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults is available as a graphic print-out with icons representing foods in the following categories, and fluid and physical activity:
- Whole, enriched, and fortified grains and cereals such as brown rice and 100% whole wheat bread.
- Bright-colored vegetables such as carrots and broccoli.
- Deep-colored fruit such as berries and melon.
- Low- and non-fat dairy products such as yogurt and low-lactose milk.
- Dry beans and nuts, fish, poultry, lean meat and eggs.
- Liquid vegetable oils and soft spreads low in saturated and trans fat.
- Fluid intake.
- Physical activity such as walking, house work and yard work.
The Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults will be published in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Nutrition. Added to the new pyramid is a foundation depicting physical activities characteristic of older adults, such as walking, yard work and swimming. “Regular physical activity is linked to reduced risk of chronic disease and lower body weights. Government statistics indicate that obesity in adults 70 years and older has been increasing. Physical activity is one way to avoid weight gain in later years and its adverse consequences,” says Lichtenstein, also the Stanley N. Gershoff Professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. “In addition, regular physical activity can improve quality of life for older adults.”
Emphasized in the Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults are icons depicting packaged fruits and vegetables in addition to fresh examples, forms that for a number of reasons may be more appropriate for older adults. These include, for example, bags of frozen pre-cut vegetables that can be resealed or single-serve portions of canned fruit. “These choices are easier to prepare and have a longer shelf life, minimizing waste. Such factors are important to consider when arthritis kicks in or dark, cold days mean it is less likely someone will go out to replenish their refrigerator stores,” Lichtenstein says.
