5 Whole Foods to Introduce to Your Diet as You Age

A healthy diet is vital to aging well. It helps you stave off illness, keeps your energy levels up, and aids in retaining the strength of your bones and muscles. With this in mind, including whole foods in your diet is particularly important, since they haven’t lost nutrition from processing. Here are five whole foods to introduce to your diet as you age. 

1. Nuts

Nuts are an excellent choice to add to your diet. They’re full of protein, vitamins, and healthy fats. Plus, there’s evidence eating nuts may help improve a variety of conditions, like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and inflammation. 

Try eating nuts on their own or using them as a topping for foods like yogurt or salad. If you have trouble chewing nuts, opt for nut butters instead. Just be sure to look for natural varieties without excess additives. 

2. Whole Grains

Whole grains are important to include in your diet because they help regulate your blood sugar, provide a slow release of energy over time, and include plenty of fiber. Plus, they’re filling, so you won’t be tempted to overeat empty calories.

Switching to brown rice and whole wheat bread is a great way to increase your intake of whole grains, but there are many other whole grains you may never have heard of, too! Try amaranth or quinoa if you want something new. Or stick with old favorites, like oatmeal and popcorn. They’re good, healthy choices, as long as you don’t smother them with butter and sugar.

3. Fruits

Fruits are delicious and easily available in their whole form, so they’re perfect if you want to introduce whole foods to your diet. It’s as simple as reaching for a banana, apple, or orange if you want a snack. But cutting fruit up and adding it to other foods is perfectly acceptable, too!

Try topping cereal or yogurt with berries. Include grapes in your salad. Or add slices of avocado to sandwiches and burritos. It’s full of healthy fats and helps you feel more satisfied, too. 

4. Vegetables

Vegetables are full of fiber and loaded with vitamins, so you should make sure to get plenty of them every day. And remember, vegetables don’t have to be boring. There’s a huge variety of vegetables in the world, so branch out beyond common vegetables if you don’t find them very tasty.

Salads are an excellent way to include more whole foods in your diet. You can make them quickly in your own kitchenette, and if you visit a local farmer’s market, it’s easy to update them with fresh, seasonal vegetables. Or simply focus on adding more vegetables to your diet as side dishes, toppings on sandwiches, or snacks. For example, try vegetable sticks with hummus next time you’re craving a crunchy treat. 

5. Lean Protein

Our bodies need protein to stay strong, but many of the foods we associate with protein are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Fortunately, there are plenty of lean whole foods that are packed with the protein you need.

Eggs, fish, chicken, and beans are wonderful sources of lean protein. Try having hard boiled eggs as a snack, eating chili made with a variety of beans, or adding grilled chicken strips to your salad. 

At Normandy Living, we provide three nutritious meals every day, along with snacks that are available 24/7, so introducing whole foods to your diet is as simple as making a trip to the main dining room.