Nutrition tips: Eat right for your age

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NUTRITION TIPS

Our nutrition expert Sophie Bruno offers more useful nutrition tips, explaining how healthy eating is affected by your age range.

(Many of us have used the Covid-19 pandemic confinement to make more food at home. This article will help you match your food according to your age. ED)

Age plays an important role in changing nutritional needs throughout a person’s lifespan. In fact, what constitutes a healthy, balanced diet will be subject to slight variations depending on differing stages of life. Nevertheless, the core principles will essentially remain the same; a balance of diverse, nutritious, wholesome foods are focal to helping us look, feel and perform at our best, and to have a deeper, long-lasting impact from a health perspective.

In your 20s and 30s
Healthy eating is not always on the top list of priorities when you are in your twenties. Research often reveals that 20-somethings consume a greater volume of fast food compared to other age ranges and often eat inadequate levels of fruit and vegetables. This is probably due to the fast-paced, frenetic lifestyle most career-oriented 20-somethings lead, where food becomes an after-thought to ensure survival in its most elementary sense, instead of viewing nourishment as being synonymous with health and wellbeing. Nevertheless, the twenties are an ideal time in life to establish a healthy foundation for the rest of one’s life.

Bone density accrual continues until the late twenties, which makes nutrition for bone health crucial to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.

Skipping breakfast and the over-reliance on quick, convenience foods containing elevated levels of macronutrients may result in an inadequate nutritional status and weight complications. In the long run, these set of circumstances create the perfect storm for increasing the risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure, all of which represent the major causes of death in modern society.

Women who are considering starting a family should ensure they are consuming sufficient levels of energy, folic acid and minerals such as iron and calcium.

Making health and nutrition a priority

Calcium
To ensure you are meeting the required calcium levels for good health, consume three servings from the dairy group each day.
Calcium-rich plant sources such as broccoli, spinach, beans and dairy alternatives are also good options