Healthy Aging at the Holiday Table: Nutrition Tips for Older Adults

The holiday season holds unique significance for older adults — it is a time for family connection, cherished traditions and the foods that carry decades of memory and meaning. It is also a time when the specific nutritional vulnerabilities of aging can be exacerbated. As specialists in Gerontological Nutrition, we want to provide practical guidance for older adults and their families to make the holidays as nourishing as they are celebratory.

Appetite naturally diminishes with age due to hormonal changes, reduced gastric acid production and medication effects — a phenomenon called anorexia of aging. During the holidays, irregular meal timing and abundant high-calorie options that displace more nutrient-dense foods can worsen nutritional status for older adults who are already at risk. The priority is nutrient density: foods that provide the highest concentration of protein, vitamins and minerals per calorie. Turkey, sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, legume-based dishes and dairy-containing recipes all fit this description.

Medication-food interactions are also worth noting for older adults managing multiple prescriptions. Warfarin users need to be mindful of dramatic changes in leafy green vegetable consumption. Grapefruit and some medications interact adversely. And alcohol consumption — common at holiday gatherings — interacts with numerous common medications and is poorly metabolized by the aging liver. Bringing a list of current medications to your dietitian appointment is always a good idea. At NutriGreene, we work with older adults and their families to navigate both the clinical and the celebratory dimensions of holiday nutrition.

Sources

• Morley JE. Anorexia of aging: a true geriatric syndrome. J Nutr Health Aging. 2012;16(5):422-425.

• National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging. Nutrition and the older adult. ACL.gov. 2023.

Ready to take the next step in your nutrition journey? Schedule an appointment at NutriGreene today. www.nutrigreene.com | (203) 429-4211 | info@nutrigreene.com