When a person is young, they don't think a whole lot about the effects of eating junk food or food from fast food restaurants. Good senior nutrition means eating the proper food because it is extremely important and can make the difference between being healthy or being sick. A well-balanced diet helps to maintain a healthy immune system, to keep a sharp mental outlook and to stay emotionally balanced.

There are many changes that take place in the lives of seniors that may affect their eating habits. For some, they may have lost their life partner and may not know how to prepare healthy meals or their financial situation may not allow them to purchase the kind of food they need. Feeling lonely or depressed will cause some to quit eating or to eat very little, while others will overeat and gain excess weight.

For seniors it is important to eat whole grain carbohydrates. They contain many of the vitamins necessary to good health, and the body can greatly benefit from them. At the same time, it is important to eat fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables. They not only provide the needed vitamins and minerals, but they provide the fiber that the body needs, and they will help prevent constipation. To make them easier to bite or chew, grate them or puree them in the food processor.

To obtain sufficient calcium choose low fat foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt. If you are one of the many seniors who cannot tolerate the lactose in milk products, choose lactose free items.

If you are lonely and don't like eating alone, check into the meal programs for seniors in your area. Join a senior group and invite other seniors to your home for potluck style meals. Many times it is easier to eat something someone else has prepared.

Whatever your situation is as a senior, rem ember that good nutrition is extremely important. It can play a big part in determining what the quality of your life will be. Solution your eating problems that are caused by loneliness by getting out and finding new friends.