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Dietary Guidelines

31 December 2023

Appropriate and balanced nutrition among older adults minimizes the risk of developing chronic diseases, promotes vitality, boosts the mood, and helps maintain independent functioning.

To prevent nutrition problems and deficits, it is recommended to adopt the healthy nutrition principles represented in the nutritional rainbow diet. The recommendations focus on increasing the frequency of intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and drinking water, as well as oils, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy products, and their substitutes; diversifying by incorporating eggs, fish, and chicken; reducing the consumption of red meat; and avoiding candies, snacks, sweetened beverages, and processed meat products.

For individuals aged 65 and over, it is recommended to include dietary fibres, along with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 (from food or food additives), as part of their nutritional intake.

Furthermore, it is essential to maintain regular meals, drink at least 8 cups of water per day, prefer home-cooked food over processed food, and engage in regular physical activity.

Appropriate and balanced nutrition plays several roles in maintaining health in general, and among older adults in particular:

  • It diminishes the likelihood of developing chronic diseases
  • It promotes vitality during everyday activities
  • It boosts the mood
  • It helps maintain independent functioning

To avoid nutrition problems and deficits, it is recommended to adopt the healthy nutrition principles represented in the nutritional rainbow diet, which replaces the food pyramid.

The nutritional rainbow diet principles

Each one of the rainbow colors represents several food groups and the recommended intake frequency:

  • Green Rainbow

    Recommended in every meal: vegetables, fruits, whole grain, drinking water.

  • Yellow Rainbow

    Recommended at least once a day: oils, nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy products, and their substitutes

  • Orange Rainbow

    Recommended several times a week: eggs, fish, chicken, or legumes.

  • Pink Rainbow

    Recommended once in a while: red meat

  • Red Rainbow

    Avoid candies, snacks, sweetened beverages, processed meat products, etc.

Are you interested in exploring simple and healthy home-cooking techniques aligned with recommended nutrition principles? Watch the video:

https://youtu.be/ZqUiNBdv36o?rel=0

Dietary guidelines for people aged 65 and over

Dietary fibers help digestion, regulate sugar and fat levels in the blood and prevent constipation.

According to a survey conducted among the older population in Israel between 2015 and 2014, only 25% of the population meets the recommended intake of dietary fibers.

To reach the required consumption level, it is advisable to include vegetables and fruits, along with their peel, as well as whole grains (such as whole grain bread, oats, whole rice), and legumes (for example, chickpeas, dried beans, lentils.

At an older age, protein is an extremely important component. Consuming protein helps preserving muscle mass, preventing muscle loss (sarcopenia), and maintaining overall health and daily function.

Sources of protein include animal-based foods, meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products, as well as vegetable-based foods, mainly legumes. For example, dry beans, soy, lentils, and chickpeas.

Calcium plays a vital role in maintaining the health and strength of bones, making it the most important mineral in this regard. Osteoporosis (decreased bone mass) is a common condition at older ages. This condition increases the risk of fractures caused by falls, which are also very common at older ages.

Approximately 88% of people ages 65 and over in Israel do not consume the recommended calcium intake: 85.2% of which are men, and 91.5% are women (according to the Mabat Zahav national survey between 2014 and 2015, Hebrew).

To reach the required consumption level, it is advisable to include dairy products, sardines, tahini, green leaves (kale, spinach, and chard), broccoli, almonds, and tofu. Occasionally, calcium additives will be recommended. 

Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining the health and strength of bones. Furthermore, it promotes the absorption of calcium.

More than 92% of older adults ages 65 and over in Israel consume vitamin D that falls below the recommended amount (Mabat Zahav national survey between 2014 and 2015, Hebrew).

To reach the required consumption level, it is advisable to consume fatty fish (sardines, salmon, trout, herring, mackerel, and mullet), as well as foods such as butter, cream, egg yolk, and dairy products enriched with vitamin D.

When there is a vitamin D deficit, it is advised to incorporate food additives and carefully regulate sun exposure, targeting specific body parts like the face and forearms, for 10 minutes per day, three times a week, during the late morning hours.

Vitamin B12 plays an important role in preventing anemia and maintaining appropriate functioning of the brain and nerve system.

Approximately half of the people ages 65 and older consume vitamin B12, which falls below the recommended amount (Mabat Zahav-2 national survey between 2014 and 2015, Hebrew).

To reach the required consumption level, it is advisable to consume animal-based foods: liver, meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs. When there is a vitamin B12 deficit, it is advised to incorporate a food additive.

What is social eating and how to implement it while maintaining physical distance? Watch the video:

https://youtu.be/B8xbsxzYX20?rel=0

Fluid intake recommendations

  • It is essential to drink at least 8 cups of water per day, regardless of a decrease in thirst
  • On hot days or after an effort, it is recommended to increase water intake beyond the recommended daily quantity
  • Part of the liquid can be consumed in the form of a soup

Note

Note

  • Insufficient fluid intake may lead to lower blood pressure, an increased risk of falls, constipation, damage to the kidney function, disrupted body heat regulation and an elevated risk of dehydration. The risk increases in conditions of acute disease, including febrile illness or diarrhea
  • It is recommended to combine proper nutrition and regular physical activity
    Little drinking can cause a drop in blood pressure, increase the risk of falls, case constipation, damage kidney function, body temperature regulation and increase the risk of dehydration. The risk increases even more in situations of acute illness including febrile illness or diarrhea.

 

Nutritional counseling

It is recommended to receive nutritional counseling from a clinical dietitian as part of the HMOs, particularly for people with chronic diseases aged 65 and over (hypertension, an excess of fats in your blood, diabetes, obesity, etc.). Counseling includes estimating your nutritional condition and tailoring nutrition recommendations accordingly.

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