Running head: CYCLE MENU PROJECT PART I

Cycle Menu Project Part I

Sarah Fennewald
Fontbonne University

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Cycle Menu Project Part I

Ocean Breeze Retirement Center

Today there is an increasing number of older adults in the United States. The rapid rise of
older adults is the result of the baby boomer population aging and an increase in life expectancy.
The older population is often thought of as frail and sick, but a large number of the elderly are
actually healthy and active. Even though many of the older adults in the United States are
healthy, aging still has an effect on the body, causing nutritional needs to change with age. Older
adults, whether healthy or sick, face many physiological changes that require changes in the
amount of energy needed and the amount of nutrients needed. The changes older adults face not
only effect nutritional needs, but may also make the act of eating more difficult and foods may
become less enjoyable. Aging may result in many changes, but older adults will be more likely to
continue living a healthy, active life if they get the proper energy and nutrient needs.
One change in the nutritional needs of older adults is energy needs. As age increases, the
number of calories necessary decreases. The change in energy results from a decrease in physical
activity. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the decline in energy
requirements is caused by many factors, but a large part can be attributed to decreases in physical
activity (2012, p. 1258). The energy needs of older adults still takes into account physical
activity level, since many older adults are still active. The National Institute on Aging
recommends that individuals over the age of 50 require less calories. Specifically they
recommend that women who are at least somewhat active consume 1800 to 2200 calories per
day and that active men consume 2200 to 2800 calories per day (2012, p. 6). According to the
DRI an eighty year old woman who is active would need 1,976 calories per day to meet energy
needs (Krinke, 2014, p. 469). While reducing caloric intake may not be a challenge for older

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adults, it does cause a challenging nutrition situation. The AND states that a lower energy
requirement is challenging for older adults because vitamin and mineral changes often remain
constant or increase as individuals age; meeting nutritional needs without exceeding energy
requirements is a challenge for older adults (2012, p. 1258). It is important for older adults to
recognize this challenge and increase nutrient dense foods. Understanding other nutritional
needs, along with energy needs, will help older adults to make the best possible food choices to
remain healthy and active.
The decrease in energy needs in older adults also results in a decrease in the need for
carbohydrates. Carbohydrate intake should still be 45% to 65% of calories for older adults
(Krinke, 2014, p. 470). Since older adults need less energy, they will need less carbohydrates.
That means that an eighty year old active woman would need between 222g and 321g of
carbohydrate per day. While consuming carbohydrates is usually not an issue for older adults, it
is important to focus on the quality of the carbohydrates. Overall, older adults need to improve
the nutrient density of carbohydrate intake by consuming foods higher in fiber (Krinke, 2014, p.
470). Older adults can choose foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to increase the
quality of carbohydrates consumed. The need for fat also decreases because the need for energy
decreases. Total fat should still be kept between 20% and 35% of calories (Krinke, 2014, p. 473).
Therefore, an active eighty year old woman would need 44g to 76g of fat per day. Older adults
should also minimize the amount of saturated fat consumed.
Protein needs for older adults do not decrease as age increases, but it is not very clear if
protein needs stay the same or increase. Currently, guidelines recommend that adults of all ages
consume .8g/kg per day and the RDA is 46g for women and 56g for men (Krinke, 2014, pp. 470471). However some experts suggest that older adults can meet protein needs by consuming 1 to

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1.6 g/kg per day (AND, 2014, p. 1260). Overall, older adults usually do not have trouble meeting
proteins needs unless they live in poverty or live alone.
Water needs are very important for older adults. The adequate intake for water stays the
same throughout adulthood, but fluid needs can be individualized for older adults by consuming
1 ml of fluid per calorie eaten (Krinke, 2014, p. 473). However, many adults lose the sense for
thirst and do not drink enough water. According to the AND, dehydration is a major problem in
older adults and is considered a form of malnutrition (2014, p. 1259). It is important for older
adults to make an effort to drink a lot of fluids, including water, juice, milk, and even eat soup.
Many vitamins and minerals are important for older adults nutritional health. Currently,
older adults are at risk for not consuming enough calcium, potassium, and Vitamins D, E, and K
(AND, 2014, p. 1261). This is a result of changes in absorption and metabolism as individuals
age. Vitamin D and calcium are both very important to the health of older adults and need to be
consumed in higher amounts to help prevent osteoporosis. The RDA for Vitamin D is 20 mcg per
day and the RDA for calcium is 1200 mg per day. Vitamin D and calcium are important to focus
on in the older population because it is difficult for older adults to meet the recommended
amount from food alone (AND, 2014, p. 1260). Older adults who do not consume enough
Vitamin D and calcium are at an increased risk of osteoporosis and falling or breaking bones. It
is often difficult for older adults to fully overcome a broken bone, so foods fortified with vitamin
D and calcium are important. Both vitamin D and calcium have upper limits so it is important for
older adults to be aware that too much is dangerous. The upper limit for vitamin D is 100 mcg
and the upper limit for calcium is 2000 mg.
Older adults often face barriers that make eating foods more difficult. Many older adults
without health issues still have problems with teeth or dentures. As a result older adults may need

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to eat foods that are softer and easier to chew. If teeth are completely missing then foods may
actually need to be modified by chopping or pureeing. At the same time older adults may start to
lose some sense of taste and smell. This may cause older adults to enjoy foods less and eat less.
On the other hand, it may increase the use of salt, which is often over consumed. Adults over the
age of fifty-one only need 1,500 mg of sodium each day (National Institute on Aging, 2012).
Instead food should be seasoned with spices, herbs, or lemon juice. Older adults may also deal
with issues such as rheumatoid arthritis, which can cause pain in the hands. If the pain is bad
enough individuals may need special utensils to eat or cut food. Lastly, older adults living in
retirement communities may have to follow food or menu regulations set by outside
organizations to be able to participate in special programs.
The nutritional needs of adults begin to change once they are over the age of fifty. Many
physiological changes occur in older adults, calling for different nutritional needs. Because older
adults become less active they need less calories, carbohydrates, and fat. At the same time, there
is an increased need for many vitamins and minerals. Vitamin D and calcium needs increase due
to changes in metabolism and absorption. Protein needs and water needs do not change with age,
even though more protein may be beneficial to older adults. While water needs do not change,
older adults tend to drink less due to a loss of thirst. Meeting nutritional needs may be difficult
for older adults since they need less calories, but have an increased need for vitamins and
minerals. It is important for older adults to focus on consuming nutrient dense food. In addition
to changes in nutritional needs, many older adults face physical changes that may affect eating
and enjoyment of food.

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References

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2012). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:
Food and nutrition for older adults: Promoting health and wellness. Journal of the
Academy and Dietetics, 112(8), 1255-1276.
Krinke, U. B. (2014). Nutrition and Older Adults. In J. E. Brown, J. S. Isaacs, U. B. Krinke, E.
Lechtenberg, M. A. Murtaugh, C. Sharbaugh, N. H. Woolridge (Eds.), Nutrition
through the life cycle (5th ed., pp. 454-485). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
National Institute on Aging. (2012). AgePage: Healthy eating after 50. Retrieved from
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/healthy-eating-after-50