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Understanding Aged Care: How Much Food Should Older Women Be Eating?

on Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Only two per cent of women aged 61-66 and eight per cent of women aged 86-91 years, are eating the recommended daily amount of the five key food groups, according to research from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the University of Newcastle. The report titled Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) surveyed over 40,000 Australian women and has been surveying them since 1996.

 

The five key food groups include vegetables (and legumes), fruit, meat or meat alternatives, dairy and cereals (includes breads, rice, pasta and noodles). Researchers also included ‘extras’ which did not fit into any of the above five groups and recommended no more than two and a half serves per day.

The majority of women surveyed did not eat the daily requirements for any of the five food groups, with the exception of meat or meat alternatives.

The Director for the Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing Julie Byles, said the current guidelines for Australia are about getting enough vitamins, minerals and fibre.

“We’ve found that a lot of people are eating more ‘extras’, particularly younger women” she said.

“People are replacing fruit and vegetables with snack foods.”

Whilst older women were more likely to consume the recommended daily amount of vegetables/legumes (currently five servings a day), she stressed that the study refers to older women who are active in the community.

“Frail, older people, particularly those in residential aged care – you’re not going to get that many vegetables into (them). They have such tiny appetites. The guidelines refer to older people who are active in the community.”

She said that if carers and workers in residential aged care tried to force that many vegetables into frail residents it could create the opposite effect.

“You may not be able to get them to eat nutritionally dense food” she said.

For all women in all age groups, Dr Byles suggested to reduce consumption of extras to 1-2 servings a day and to start with planning the vegetables first and then the meat for a meal.

“Start with the vegetables and go with that.  Think of the vegetables when you plan a meal, think of the vegetables you’ll cook and then ask ‘what meat can I add to this?’ Generally people think in the reverse, they start with the chicken and then add the vegetables.”

She also suggested adding a salad at lunch time and for people to find somewhere to access fresh vegetables in their local area. “Look around for ways to get cheaper fruit and vegetables, through markets, supermarkets, local fruit and vegetable shops.”

She said this was easier to do for people living in metropolitan areas than regional areas.

“We find that people in rural areas are less likely, ironically to have access to fruit and vegetables… A lot of vegetables come from overseas, they then get sent out to major cities and don’t always get out to regional areas… it’s quite ironic.”

Dr Byles said the research team were not sure why older women were more likely to eat more fruit and vegetables than younger women.

“It might be that habits have changed… Maybe as you get older you start to eat more sensibly, we don’t know. It might be a generation thing… we think lifestyle has a lot to do with it.”

The report noted that a potential point of confusion in the guidelines was that people did not realise that legumes were included in two food groups, vegetables and meat/meat substitutes.

Dr Byles confirmed that someone who ate three servings of vegetables and then two servings of legumes in a day would have consumed their recommended daily intake of five servings of vegetables.

The current daily dietary requirements for the five key food groups are one serving of meat or meat alternatives, five servings of vegetables or legumes, four to nine servings of cereals, two servings of fruit and at least two servings of dairy.

Story by Samantha Lenkic

 

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