Meal Plan for an Elderly / Senior Person

The following example meal plan has been designed for a typical elderly individual. It's nutritionally balanced to suit an elderly person who is moderately active and in reasonable health in order to maintain their weight. Obviously this is based on an average elderly person, and there may be significant variation in activity, mobility, weight, appetitive, etc, so like all plans, it is merely an example and needs to be adapted to suit an individual's own lifestyle, daily routine and nutritional requirements. Use this to give you an idea of what are healthy nutritious foods to include, but don't forget to vary your food choices.

One particular concern in the elderly is obtaining sufficient fluid intake. Following retirement it's not uncommon for people to drink less, as they no longer have scheduled coffee breaks at work. The plan below includes drinks, but it's also recommended to drink more water throughout the day. Some old people also have difficulty in passing stools, therefore a good fibre intake is encouraged.

It's even more important that elderly people try to stick to meal and snack times, as sometimes motivation to prepare food can be low, especially if you're only preparing meals for one. With increased age and the onset of disease, some assistance may be required with preparation and feeding.

If you're elderly and have a medical condition, please see the relevant plan for your medical condition on our Meal Plans for Illness and Medical Conditions page.