Winter Food Tips for Seniors

By Anna Hazard

Due to many various reasons ranging from decreasing appetite and the ability to taste with age or trouble chewing and swallowing, seniors are often lacking in proper nutrition, which is particularly detrimental during the winter months where good nourishment is required to help the immune system fight off colds, flu, and other wintry illnesses.
 
For those whose senior loved ones are living in colder climates, it must also be kept in mind that the winter season may present even further obstacles such as when snow, ice, or other inclement weather prevents trips to the grocery store for fresh fruits, vegetables, and other foods or makes such supply runs far more dangerous.
 
Here are suggestions for helping your elderly with their nutritional needs during this particular season, including a list of foods that are good for the health all year round, but are but are particularly abundant or helpful during the winter months.

Keep your elderly happy and well fed with these more general meal solutions....

• For many, social dining with friends and family leads to happier meal times and far more food being consumed
  
• Remember when dining with the elderly to take time while eating, as many will require longer meal periods due to the presence of dentures, hand dexterity problems, or other health issues
  
• Make foods more palatable with spices for taste and bright colors for the eyes
• Make available small finger foods for those with particular hand dexterity issues that lead to problems with handling utensils
• For those with trouble chewing & swallowing, vegetables can be steamed for a softer texture, plus the use of chunky stews, soups, and hot fruit & vegetable drinks are both warming against the wintry chill and easier to consume.
  
• Small meals should be held more often to avoid any lightheadedness (and potential disastrous falls) due to blood sugar spikes.  These small meals are also easier for those with decreased appetites to handle.
  

More winter specific meal suggestions include...

• Move more meals (especially the heavier ones) earlier in the day as many elderly also tend to go to bed earlier in the winter months with the setting of the sun. Heavy meals directly before bed time can further increase digestion problems.
  
• Make certain your elderly loves ones have extra non-perishable food (canned fruits & vegetables, powdered milk etc) & bottled water on hand in their pantries in case of winter weather emergencies or for when they're unable to make the trip to the grocery due to the winter chill.
• Keep in mind when it comes to fruits and vegetables that fresh contains the most nutrients, followed by frozen, and then finally canned.
  • fresh > frozen > canned
• Also keep in mind the availability of Meals-on-Wheels for hot meals during the winter for those seniors who have trouble getting out to shop for groceries or have no family to help cook for them.
  

More Vitamin D

• During the winter levels of Vitamin D within the body tend to drop due to less sun exposure (both because there is less sun available during these months and because people tend to stay indoors to avoid the cold). This is particularly troublesome for the elderly whose bodies are already less efficient at producing Vitamin D with the onset of age.
  
• Good natural sources of Vitamin D include fish liver oil, fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and swordfish, as well as beef liver, and eggs
  
• Good synthetic sources for Vitamin D include fortified cereals, fortified dairy products such as milk and yogurt, as well as fortified orange juice
• For further details heck out our more detailed blog post on Vitamin D for Seniors.
  

More Root Vegetables

• Unlike many other vegetables and fruits, many root vegetables are in peak season during the winter.
  
• They are nutrient dense with Vitamin A, B, C and iron (the exact composition varying depending upon the specific type of root)
• Cool weather root vegetables include yams & other potatoes, carrots, radishes, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, and ginger.
  

More Citrus Fruits

• When it comes to fighting off colds, what first springs to mind is Vitamin C which is in plentiful supply within citrus fruits.
• Certain citrus fruits  also remain in season during the winter.
  
• These fruits include lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit.
  

More Dark, Leafy Greens

• These vegetables well known for being high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are also in season during the cold months (with frost even dulling the bitterness some find within the taste of kale)
  
• In particular, they are high in Vitamin A, C, K, and folate.
• Wintry season dark leafy greens include kale, collards, and spinach.
  

More Winter Squash

• Various winter squash, as indicated in their name, come into season and are readily available fresh during the cold months.
  
• They are low in calories and high in Vitamin A, C, B6, K, potassium, and folate.
  
• Winter squash includes butternut, buttercut, kabocha, acorn, delicata sweet dumpling, carnival, and spaghetti squash.