When Peter Sabato was a kid, his mother always served healthy meals to him and his seven siblings, though he admits he wasn’t always convinced.
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he → serve → him
“I threw away the fruit in my school lunch many times and hid my vegies at dinner,” he recalls.
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he → throw → dinner
Now, the 64-year-old Melbourne man says he enjoys an active lifestyle (mainly walking and golf) and a healthy diet – fruit and veg included.
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fruit → say → lifestyle
“I now love my vegies and try to add them to meals,” he says.
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he → love → meals
“Even if it’s a bought meal, I’ll bulk it up with extra broccoli and maybe add some olives and roasted capsicums to snack on with a bit of cheese beforehand.
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I → ’ → cheese
While fruit and vegetables are a sure-fire benefit, sports dietitian Simone Austin says there are other important considerations for those in their 60s and beyond, when our body’s nutritional needs shift fundamentally.
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needs → say → 60s
Muscle preservation, metabolic balance and nutrient absorption take centre stage, requiring a more targeted approach to what’s on our plates.
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what → take → plates
Says Austin, “With hormonal changes such as a reduction in oestrogen in women and testosterone in both men and women, the body changes.
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body → say → men
Women can put on excess weight more easily around the stomach region, and both men and women lose muscle mass more rapidly.”
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men → put → mass
Austin says exercise, mainly for strength, is important during this time.
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exercise → say → time
But the food we eat, particularly protein, is also critical to reducing our risk of falls and keeping us mobile and active.
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we → eat → us
,” says Austin, who also notes that “some people, like athletes, might need 2 grams [per kilogram] a day”.
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people → say → kilogram
She recommends including protein at every meal.
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“Some examples include having eggs, canned fish or lean meat in a sandwich with salad at lunch.”
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examples → include → lunch
She also recommends “leftovers from the night before, focusing on the meat, legumes, tofu or fish and plenty of veg”.
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Two of Sabato’s go-to protein ingredients are chicken and eggs.
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“I make perfect poached eggs for brekkie or lunch some days, and I make a nice marinated chicken with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and cook it on the barbecue with a tomato, lettuce and cucumber salad,” he says.
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he → make → salad
It’s not uncommon for appetite to reduce as we get older, but a few dietary tweaks can help.
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tweaks → ’ → ?
Dietitian, nutritionist and CEO of Food Watch Jemma O’Hanlon says ageing affects not just muscle preservation but metabolic balance and nutrient absorption.
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ageing → say → preservation
“Metabolic health relates to the body’s ability to process and use energy efficiently, and to regulate functions such as blood sugar, blood pressure and lipid levels,” she says.
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she → relate → sugar
“As we age, the risk of developing metabolic syndrome increases, so it’s important to know our numbers and stay on top of our risk factors.
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it → age → factors
It’s not uncommon for appetite to reduce as we get older, but a few dietary tweaks can help.
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tweaks → ’ → ?
“If someone is struggling to eat regular meals and is at risk of muscle loss, high-protein smoothies may be recommended between meals,” O’Hanlon says.
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O’Hanlon → struggle → meals
“If a person is managing metabolic syndrome, a Mediterranean diet [emphasising plant-based foods and healthy fats] may be recommended alongside regular physical activity.
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diet → manage → activity
A good place to start with any diet tweaks is with vegetables, Austin adds.
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Austin → start → vegetables
By increasing your intake and ensuring plenty of variety, you can help your body meets its nutritional needs.
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body → increase → needs
“Vegetables should take up about a third of the plate at this age,” she says, “and your plate should have a rainbow of vegie colours on it.
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plate → take → it
If you aren’t a huge fan of vegetables generally, Austin suggests cooking them in different ways, such as roasting or stir-frying, or adding flavour by using condiments such as salad dressing.
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Austin → suggest → dressing
This is an approach Sabato regularly takes.
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Sabato → take → ?
“I’ve discovered the air fryer and have perfected crispy potatoes and roast capsicums, pumpkin and sweet potato.”
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I → discover → potatoes
Variety is also important more broadly, as incorporating vegetables, protein and carbs helps you get the mix of nutrients you need.
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you → incorporate → nutrients
Austin says to start with a big base of vegetables, then add your protein – “lean meat, fish, chicken, or legumes such as canned or dried kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, edamame – second.
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Austin → say → beans
“Then add calcium for bone strength and a high-fibre carb, which is important for energy and B-group vitamins.”
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which → add → vitamins
Good examples include wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread, brown rice, quinoa, corn, potatoes and sweet potato.
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examples → include → pasta
Finally, utilising snack time can be a good way to incorporate these dietary tweaks.
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utilising → utilise → tweaks
“Each mouthful counts,” says Austin.
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Austin → count → ?
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best → get → inbox
The Aporia
