Healthy Eating

One of our most pleasurable tools for staying healthy is what’s on our plates. Eating well can make measurable differences in our health and in how we feel, both physically and mentally.
On this site you’ll learn simple steps you can take to improve the role food plays in your health and the health of your loved ones.
Nutritional advice can be overwhelming and confusing. We can help you sort out myth from fact. All the information here is overseen by medical specialists and researchers who are on the leading edge of their field.
How Can Nutrition Help Us as We Age?
- Stay healthy and strong
- Stay independent
- Keep your quality of life
- Lower the risk of getting a chronic disease
- Manage chronic disease (heart disease, type-2 diabetes, kidney disease, etc.)
- Prevent muscle and bone loss (which reduces the risk of falling or breaking a bone)
Top Tips for Healthy Eating for Older Adults
Good nutrition doesn’t come from having a list of things you can’t eat. Rather, it happens when you have a good relationship with food. Eat a variety of foods, think in terms of guidelines rather than rules, and know that there’s a place for all foods.
Studies show that people who eat with others take in more nutrients than people who eat alone. Socializing over meals motivates people to plan and prepare tasty, healthy food. And eating with friends, family, and community helps counter isolation, which is one of the biggest health challenges facing older adults today.
As we age, we might believe that frailty can’t be avoided. But it can—and healthy eating can help. Whatever your medical situation, nourishing yourself well can improve your health, state of mind, and quality of life.
Do you want to learn more about healthy eating? See our Resources list at the bottom of this page.
Challenges to Healthy Eating as You Age
Aging brings change. Some of those changes can get in the way of healthy eating, such as:
- Not feeling hunger and thirst as strongly (this happens naturally as we age)
- Medications that interfere with your appetite and ability to absorb nutrients
- Mobility challenges that make shopping and meal prep more difficult
- Dental changes
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Financial challenges
- Grief or depression
- Social isolation
All these conditions can be a natural part of aging and are common. Talk to your primary care provider about finding support and check out the resources below!
What the numbers say…
Older adults at risk
of older adults have trouble getting the nutrition they need
Almost a million (about 979,000) Canadians aged 65 or older are at nutritional risk—a third of people in this age range
Cooking classes work!
of older adult adults in cooking classes improved their overall knowledge about healthy eating
Older adults included more vegetables and fiber in their diets after taking classes
Can everyone afford healthy food?
of low-income seniors report running out of money to buy food some of the time
There was a 78% increase in use of food banks by B.C. seniors in the last five years
Are you having trouble accessing food? See Free and Low Cost Food Resources below.
The Joy of Eating
Even if you don’t have much time to check out the resources on this page, there is one easy thing you can do for yourself: enjoy your food. Dietitians (medical experts on healthy eating) recommend focussing on the joy of food as much as following specific guidelines.
For many of us, food is part of cultural heritage and is often the centre of celebrations. Embracing the pleasure in preparing, eating, and sharing food brings meaning and connection to life. It also motivates us to eat well.
Resources
- Call 8-1-1 to speak to a Registered Dietitian (a health care professional who advises on healthy eating), 9:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday, or email with your questions.
- Search a nutrition topic online in the Healthy Eating and Nutrition Topics A-Z search bar.
There’s a huge amount of diet advice out there. How to sort through it? The resources below come from trustworthy sources, reflect the latest knowledge, and focus on practical advice. Depending on how much time you have, choose “bite-sized” for quick reference, “snack-size” for more depth, and “meal-sized” for a deeper dive.
Bite-Sized Information
- Explore Canada’s Food Guide
This website covers just about everything. It provides quick information if you only have a few minutes, along with options to go deeper on many topics. This guide was updated in 2019 and is available in over 30 languages. - HealthLinkBC Food and Nutrition
This website is a great place for quick info or as a portal to more resources and advice. - Vitamin D in the Golden Years Protein
This info sheet…
Snack-Sized Information
- Tips for Health Eating for Seniors
A good all-round guide for older adults. - A Guide to Healthy Eating for Older Adults
A 15-page booklet for older adults that can serve as a quick-reference guide but also has more in-depth information - Make Water Your Drink of Choice
Facts and tips to stay hydrated. - Diet and Nutrition—Canadian Frailty Network
This website, focussed on helping older adults avoid frailty, provides advice, data, recipes, short videos, and more.
Meal-Sized Information
- Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook
This downloadable 200-page booklet is full of dependable, practical information. Available in Chinese, English, French, and Punjabi, it includes a glossary of common terms and suggestions of where to find more information and help, as well as:
– Recipes and cooking tips
– Shopping and meal planning tips
– How to read labels and decipher nutritional information
– How to eat well with chronic illness, focussing on specific conditions
– Advice about supplements
– Guidelines for alcohol consumption - Heart and Stroke: Healthy Eating
This website has lots of good advice focussed on heart health but relevant for everyone.
- First Nations Traditional Foods Factsheets
- Eat Healthy
A guide for Indigenous people created by the First Nations Health Authority. - Food is Medicine
Recipe book featuring traditional First Nations and Indigenous foods.
For a cooking course on Indigenous Traditions in the Kitchen, see Food Skills for Families, below
Food Skills for Families offers courses at community centres throughout B.C. The courses connect people in the kitchen and teach hands-on cooking skills. The goal is to make healthy eating, grocery shopping, and cooking easy and fun. Click here to find an upcoming Food Skills for Families course near you. Classes happen once a week and the courses run for six weeks. Choose from five different courses:
- Indigenous—Traditions in the Kitchen
- Active Seniors—Cooking Connections
- Punjabi—The Punjabi Kitchen
- Newcomer—Cooking in Canada
- Food Sense—Healthy Cooking on a Budget
See Community Resources below to find other food, cooking, and nutrition programs in your community.
There are many community initiatives throughout B.C. dedicated to ensuring everyone is well-nourished. These websites can help you find free and low-cost sources of food. See Community Resources below as well.
- Pathways B.C. online community services directory
- BC.211 (click on link or call 2-1-1)