To stay healthy and independent as we grow older, it’s important to tackle common challenges like chronic illnesses, muscle loss, frailty, and falls, all of which can be improved with good nutrition.
This is not medical advice. Always follow the advice of your health care provider.
A diet rich in protein and other nutrients is essential for aging well. Eat well to:
Startling Canadian stats for adults aged 65+
Navigating Nutrition: Unique Considerations for Older Adults
Protein for health and strength
Older adults need more protein because our bodies are less efficient at using protein for muscle repair and growth. With adequate protein and regular resistance exercise we can slow down and even reverse muscle and bone loss as we age.10
WHAT IS PROTEIN?
WHAT DO BONES NEED?
How much protein do older adults need for optimal strength?
Protein needs can vary. Talk to your health care provider for personalized advice.
Dietitian tip: Animal foods (meats, seafood, dairy) are richer in protein compared to plants (grains, legumes, and nuts) so including animal foods allows older adults, especially those with reduced appetites, to more easily meet their protein needs.
For overall good nutrition, aim to have a mix of animal and plant-sourced protein foods.
How the nutrients in beef support healthy aging
A little beef goes a long way to provide many of the key nutrients needed for healthy aging. Beef provides an excellent source of protein for a modest serving – about 100 grams, the size of the palm of your hand. Beef also contains 7 of the nutrients that many Canadians are lacking in their diets: iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B12, B6 and thiamine all of which support optimal good health and wellbeing.13
Animal-sourced foods provide unique benefits
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
3 key findings of a recent FAO report, based on the most comprehensive analysis to date of the role of animal-sourced foods in diets.14
✓ Animal-sourced foods are especially vital for older adults.
✓ Eating lean red meat has positive effects on muscle health.
✓ Meat, eggs, and milk provide much-needed essential nutrients that cannot easily be obtained from plant-based foods.
Healthy Aging - 3 Resource Set
Cook once, eat twice.
Enjoy this delicious Bombay Beef Steak with Curried Roasted Cauliflower dinner and transform the leftovers into a speedy lunch.
Concerned about cholesterol?
Over 20 years of research has shown that eating unprocessed red meat (ground beef, steaks, roasts) will not raise your cholesterol.16 For most people it’s the highly processed foods you need to focus on cutting back on such as crackers, cookies, ice cream, frozen waffles or pizza, pop, chips and chocolate.
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