Diet and Nutrition
Get practical advice for eating well, enjoying food, and meeting your nutritional needs as you age.
One of our most accessible and pleasurable tools for staying healthy is what’s on our plates. On this page you’ll find simple advice about food and your health.
Nutritional information can be confusing. We can help you sort out myth from fact. All the information here is overseen by medical specialists and researchers.
Download this page as a PDF to save, print, or share.
Download printable PDFDeveloped with:
Gina Guo
Public Health Dietitian at Fraser Health
Reviewed by:
Gina Guo, Professor, Public Health Dietitian
Eli Puterman, PhD, Professor, researcher, kinesiologist
Grace Park, MD, CCFP, MBA Professor, researcher
Last reviewed: May 2026
Disclaimer
This information is for general education purposes only and does not replace advice from a healthcare professional.
Written by:
Laura Busheikin
What you need to know
Eating well can help us:
Stay healthy and strong
Stay independent
Prevent or lower the risk of chronic disease
Live well with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and other conditions
Prevent muscle and bone loss
Healthy eating actions you can take today
Enjoy your food
Good nutrition comes from a good relationship with food. Dietitians tell us to focus on the joy of eating, not just on nutritional rules. Food is part of cultural heritage and is often the centre of celebrations. Embracing the pleasure in preparing, eating, and sharing food motivates us to eat well and brings meaning to life.
Eat with others
Studies show that people who eat with others have better nutritional intake than people who eat alone. Socializing over food creates motivation to plan and prepare good food. And eating with friends, family, and community helps counter isolation, one of the biggest health challenges facing older people today.
Take food seriously as a tool for health
As we age, our society can give us the message that disease, disability, and frailty can’t be avoided. But many conditions can be prevented or helped by making changes to what we eat. Whatever your medical situation, nourishing yourself well can improve your health, state of mind, and quality of life.
Learn more
Statistics show that people who sign up for cooking courses typically include more healthy foods in their diet afterwards.
Challenges to healthy eating as you age
Aging brings change. Some of those changes can get in the way of healthy eating, such as:
Physical changes
Not feeling hunger and thirst as strongly
Medications that interfere with appetite and digestion
Mobility challenges that make shopping and meal preparation more difficult
Problems chewing or swallowing
Dental changes
Life challenges
Financial restrictions
Grief or depression
Social isolation
All these can be helped. Talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner as a first step and/or check out some of the resources below.
Finding treatment
You can talk to your doctor or other health care provider about eating and nutrition anytime—it’s a key part of preventative health.
Difficulty shopping for groceries and preparing meals
Changes in your teeth, swallowing, appetite, or ability to feed yourself
Losing a lot of weight in a short period of time without meaning to
A dietitian can help with malnutrition and finding food resources.
A speech-language pathologist can help with swallowing.
An occupational therapist can assess your home to recommend adaptations and tools.
A physiotherapist or occupational therapist can help with physical challenges.
What the numbers say
One third of older adults in Canada have difficulties meeting their nutritional needs.
Women are more likely than men to be at nutritional risk.
98% of older adult participants in cooking classes improved their nutritional knowledge.
Older adults ate more vegetables and fibre after taking classes.
84% of low-income seniors report running out of money to buy food some of the time.
There was a 78% increase in use of food banks by BC seniors in the last five years.
Resources
The resources below come from trustworthy sources, reflect the latest knowledge, and focus on practical advice for people in a variety of circumstances. Depending on how much time you have, choose “bite-sized” for quick reference, “snack-sized” for more depth, and “meal-sized” for a deeper dive.
Bite-sized information
Quick information if you only have a few minutes, along with lots of opportunity to go deeper on key topics. Available in over 30 languages
Infographic
Infographic
Snack-sized information
A Guide to Healthy Eating for Older Adults
A 15-page booklet for older adults with quick tips as well as more in-depth information
Diet and Nutrition—Canadian Frailty Network
Advice, data, recipes, short videos, and more
A guide for Indigenous people created by the First Nations Health Authority
Meal-sized information
Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook
A downloadable 200-page reference, available in Chinese, English, French, and Punjabi. It includes:
recipes
shopping and meal planning tips
how to read labels and decipher nutritional information
recommendations for eating well with chronic illness, focusing on specific conditions
advice about supplements
guidelines for alcohol consumption
Heart and Stroke: Healthy Eating
Focuses on heart health but is relevant for everyone
Courses
Offers courses at community centres throughout BC, teaching hands-on cooking skills and making healthy eating, grocery shopping, and cooking easy and fun. Five different courses include Indigenous and Punjabi cooking, and healthy cooking on a budget
Click here for a list of upcoming Food Skills for Families programs
To search for other food, cooking, and nutrition programs in your community, see Community resources, below.
Free and low-cost food sources
Fraser Health free and low-cost food directory
An online directory where you can search for community services, education, and support.
Need more help?
🟦 HealthLink BC
📞 Call 811 (24/7)
Health information and advice from registered nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, exercise professionals, and health service navigators.
🟩 BC 211
📞 Call 811 (24/7)
Community programs, financial assistance, housing, transportation, caregiving, resources, and more.
Available in over 240 languages