Park Springs Nutritionist Helps Seniors Stay Healthy

An apple a day keeps the doctor away – or so it used to be.

Jim Schneeberger, the Food and Beverage Director at Park Springs continuing care retirement community, suggests at least 4-5 servings of fruits or vegetables every day to keep the members healthy.

Jim says, “It has become increasingly clear over the years that unbalanced food intakes increase the risks of a number of chronic diseases that face senior citizens. Making the proper food choices is not always easy, but necessary.”

Jim realizes that as people age they begin to lose taste buds which leads them to unhealthy foods in order to get the desired flavor so at the Park Springs residential community he works extra hard to prepare healthy foods with lots of flavor.

It’s okay to eat yummy foods, they should just have some dietary value as well. For example, his baked scrod is a favorite among residents for its flavor, but he likes it for the nutritional value.

Jim offers 10 simple rules to maintain good nutrition for senior citizens.

1. Select four or more servings of fruits and vegetables. These are important for vitamin A, carotenoids, vitamin C and fiber.

2. Substitute whole-grain breads and cereals for white breads and cereals. Use four to six or more servings daily.

3. Select low-fat milk and cheeses.

4. Include four to five ounces of lean meat, poultry or fish daily.

5. Include three or four eggs a week.

6. Reduce the consumption of sugars and fats.

7. Reduce the intake of salt and heavy salt infused products.

8. Abstain from alcohol or drink in moderation.

9. Reduce the intake of salt-and smoke-cured meats or charbroiled meats.

10. Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water

Jim suggests eating five small meals per day because, as long as the calories in each meal aren’t too high, this process will teach your body to digest more quickly and effectively.

While these rules may seem hard to follow, Jim says it is actually very easy – especially at Park Springs. He makes sure that  the four dining halls on the Park Springs campus have over 40 entree items and 35 accompaniments daily that members can choose from that fit these guidelines. These menus even include queen cut filet and lobster so one does not have to suffer taste to stay healthy!