Among the nutrition messages that consumers commonly hear is the advice to "eat a variety of foods." This isn't just to fend off boredom at the dinner table. Eating foods from all food groups is a sure way to get enough of the many nutrients the body needs to function normally. But this is advice that many seniors don't heed, a problem highlighted in a recent issue of the Journal of Nutrition .

Researchers obtained information from about 200 men and women participating in a study on oral health. The volunteers were 79 years of age and older and were living in a rural section of Iowa, a state in the Midwestern section of the United States. The men and women were interviewed in their homes regarding a number of health issues, including their dietary habits. They also provided a three-day record of their food, beverage, and dietary supplement intake.

Monitoring variety and diet intake

For each record, the researchers determined a Diet Variety Score (DVS) based on the total number of food items recorded by the respondents during the three-day period. The diet records were also analyzed for nutrient composition. Intakes of protein, as well as 18 vitamins and minerals were compared with age - and gender - specific requirements for that nutrient to determine how closely the diets came toward meeting recommended levels.

Diets fall short

The researchers found that those with higher Diet Variety Scores were more likely than those who consumed a less varied diet to meet their nutrient needs. On the whole, though, the participants' diets were lacking in variety, with an average of only 22 different foods consumed over the three-day period. In fact, only about 20% of the group consumed adequate amounts of at least 16 essential nutrients. Furthermore, about 40% of the group consumed diets defined by the researchers as "inferior," containing adequate amounts of 13 or fewer nutrients. Most commonly, the respondents' diets were lacking in folate, vitamins D and E, calcium, and magnesium.

Supplements aid diet quality

About one in five of the respondents reported taking some form of dietary supplement, such as a multivitamin and mineral supplement or single or combination supplements like vitamin C or calcium with vitamin D. Although the numbers were small, supplement users did show a significantly better overall diet quality.

Adding variety

Consuming a variety of foods might be particularly challenging for older people who live in rural areas. Opportunities for grocery shopping may be more limited, particularly if an older adult can no longer drive a car. During cold winter months, it can be especially difficult to keep a variety of foods on hand.

Fortunately, a wide array of shelf-stable and frozen food items are generally available for those who want to plan meals that maximize variety. Another potential strategy is to check for the availability of programs such as Meals on Wheels or groups that provide shopping assistance to older adults.

In this study, lack of variety added up to more than simply lackluster or repetitious meals. It also meant less nutritionally-adequate diets. That finding should provide additional incentive to make variety a goal when choosing foods to eat.

Source

Inadequate nutrient intakes are common and are associated with low diet variety in rural, community-dwelling elderly.
TA. Marshall, PJ. Stumbo, JJ. Warren, XJ. Xie, J Nutr., 2001, vol. 131, pp. 2192--2196

Links

• Make Your Meals a Variety Show
• Easing the Effort of Food Preparation
• Build a Better Sandwich
• Tool: What are your eating habits?
• To quickly access additional accurate information on this and other nutrition-related topics, visit Tufts University's Nutrition Navigator