Senior Connections Senior Connections May 2019 | Page 4

Eating well as you grow older
How many grain foods each day?
GAIL GILMAN
Family Life Consultant
Eating a mix of healthy foods every day provides
the nutrients, fiber, and calories your body needs.
The amount you should eat depends on your age,
whether you are a man or woman, and your height
and weight.
It also depends on your level of physical activity.
The more physically active you are, the more calories
you might be able to eat without gaining weight.
Most people in the United States eat more calories
than they need.
Daily calorie levels for women
A woman over age 50 should consume about:
• 1,600 calories a day if her level of physical
activity is low (only performs activities associated
with typical day-to-day life).
• 1,800 calories daily if she is moderately active
(walks the equivalent of 1.5 to 3 miles a day at 3 to 4
miles per hour).
• 2,000 to 2,200 calories daily if she has an active
lifestyle (walks the equivalent of more than 3 miles a
day at 3 to 4 miles per hour).
Daily calorie levels for men
A man over age 50 should consume about:
• 2,000 to 2,200 calories a day if his level of
physical activity is low (only performs activities
associated with typical day-to-day life).
• 2,200 to 2,400 calories daily if he is moderately
active (walks the equivalent of 1.5 to 3 miles a day at
3 to 4 miles per hour).
• 2,400 to 2,800 calories daily if he has an active
lifestyle (walks the equivalent of more than 3 miles a
day at 3 to 4 miles per hour).
Calorie intake and physical activity
Plan your meals and snacks to include the right
number of calories for your activity level.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
from the US Department of Agriculture and the
US Department of Health and Human Services
recommend eating the following amounts of food if
eating 2,000 calories per day. Remember to adjust the
amounts depending on your daily calorie level.
How many vegetables each day?
A person who eats 2,000 calories daily should have
2.5 cups of vegetables a day. This might include one-
half cup each of broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower, and
a sweet potato. Aim for lots of color on your plate as
a way to get a variety of vegetables each day.
How much fruit each day?
A person who consumes about 2,000 calories
daily should plan to eat 2 cups of fruit a day. This
might include one large banana, one-half cup of
strawberries, and one-half cup of orange juice. To
help you get enough fiber, most of your daily fruit
intake should be in the form of whole fruits rather
than fruit juices.
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Senior
A person who eats 2,000 calories per day should
eat 6 ounces of grain foods daily. At least half (3
ounces) of the grain foods eaten should be whole
grains. Approximately 1 ounce of grain foods counts
as a serving. This is about one slice of bread, one
roll, or one small muffin. It is also about 1 cup of dry,
flaked cereal or a one-half cup of cooked rice, pasta,
or cereal.
How much dairy each day?
Dairy products are another important part of
eating well. A person who consumes 2,000 calories
daily should have the equivalent of 3 cups of low-fat
or fat-free milk, yogurt, or other dairy products daily.
One cup of yogurt contains about the same amount
of calcium as 1 cup of milk. Eating 1.5 ounces of
natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese counts
as drinking 1 cup of milk.
How much protein each day?
A person who consumes 2,000 calories daily
should eat about 5.5 ounces of protein each day. You
can get protein from seafood, lean meat and poultry,
as well as eggs, beans and peas, tofu, nuts, and seeds.
One egg or one-fourth cup of cooked dry beans or
tofu counts as 1 ounce of meat, poultry, or seafood.
One tablespoon of peanut butter or one-half ounce
of nuts or seeds also is the same as 1 ounce of meat,
poultry, or seafood.
How much oil each day?
Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature,
like the vegetable oils used in cooking. Use mainly
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils, like those
that come from olive or canola oil. A person who eats
2,000 calories daily should not consume more than
the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of oil daily.
Pay attention to portion sizes
When eating out or
buying packaged foods,
pay attention to portion
sizes. Portion sizes are
not the same as the
serving sizes listed on the
Nutrition Facts label.
A portion is the
amount of food served
in one eating occasion.
A serving size is a
standardized amount of
food, such as a cup or an
ounce, which is used to
provide dietary guidance
or to make comparisons
among foods.
The portions served
at fast-food and other
restaurants have grown
a lot in recent years.
Connections May 2019
Whether you’re eating out or at home, one portion
may be much more food and many more calories
than the amounts recommended for a specific daily
calorie level.
For instance, a bowl of pasta from a restaurant may
have 2 cups of pasta or more, which is almost the
recommended daily amount of grains.
Look at serving sizes
Also, read the Nutrition Facts label on packaged
and canned foods. It tells you the serving size, how
many servings per container, calories, calories per
serving, and key nutrients the food provides. You
can use it to help you keep track of how much fat,
saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, cholesterol, sugars,
and calories you get from different foods.
Pay attention to the serving size and the number of
servings in the package. A package might contain two
or more servings, so if you eat two servings, you would
consume twice the calories, fat, sodium, carbohydrates,
protein, etc. as you would for one serving.
Check out the nutrient content
The Percent Daily Value (written as “% daily
value”) on the right of the label tells you what
percentage of the recommended daily amount of a
nutrient is in one serving of the food. It is based on
the nutritional needs of a person who consumes 2,000
calories per day.
For example, if the label for macaroni and cheese
lists the Percent Daily Value for total fat as 18 percent,
this means that one serving of macaroni and cheese
(1 cup) will give you 18 percent of the total amount of
fat you should allow yourself each day, assuming you
eat about 2,000 calories daily.
Information adapted from National Institute on
Health (NIH) Senior Health Info Page article from
the National Institute on Aging at National Institute
on Health, US Department of Health and Human
Services.
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