Seniors and a Protein Diet; The Importance of Protein in Their Daily Diet.

Collingwood Senior Home Care  |  June 14, 2023

The Importance of Protein in a Senior’s Diet

Seniors and a Protein Diet | There is no doubt that maintaining a well-balanced diet is an essential ingredient to overall health. Beyond ensuring you are finding the right foods to put in your shopping basket, a new study has discovered that distributing protein throughout the day is just as important.

Typically, seniors consume most of their protein during one meal, usually dinner. But researchers from McGill University have found that incorporating protein into each of your three meals a day has a significant impact on maintaining muscle strength.

The study followed 1,700 participants aged 67 to 84 for three years and monitored hand, arm, and leg strength annually. They found that those who consumed protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seemed to retain greater muscle strength than those who did not consume it more evenly. The study also concluded that male seniors saw an increase in mobility.

Seniors and a Protein Diet: How much protein does a senior need?

Current recommendations suggest that an adult requires a minimum of 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight – and depending on your lifestyle, some experts say seniors may require more. To determine your weight in kilograms, take your weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2. Then multiply that number by 0.8 to find out your daily protein need. Of course, it is always important to speak with a dietitian to determine your specific needs.

How to add more protein to a senior’s diet:

Adding protein to a meal could be as simple as a spoon full of peanut butter, a couple of slices of cheese, or a cup of yogurt. Other sources include meats, seafood, milk, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, and tofu and soy. Not only are these good sources of protein they also help you meet your needs in terms of calcium, B12, and vitamin D.

So, next time you are planning your weekly meals, think about how you may be able to add a small helping of protein to keep those muscles strong and healthy.

Comfort Keepers® Georgian Triangle Can Help!

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones we can help. Comfort Keepers®’s trained caregivers help provide senior clients with the highest quality of life possible to keep them happy and healthy at home. Our Interactive Caregiving™ provides a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

What’s more, our trained caregivers are selected with one specific quality in mind: empathy. Care that is empathetic is care that starts in the heart, and it allows us to meet our client’s exact needs. Learn more about our unique service offering Dementia Care and Palliative Care by contacting the Comfort Keepers Georgian Triangle office.

Comfort Keepers Georgian Triangle, is pleased to announce that we are a recipient of Accreditation Canada’s, Accreditation Primer Award. Accreditation is an intensive process in which an organization’s processes, policies, and procedures are examined by industry experts against a set of quality standards. To achieve accredited status, Comfort Keepers offices met or exceeded the rigorous standards for Home Care companies, as defined by Accreditation Canada. 

If you live in the Collingwood, Midland, Owen Sound area, contact Comfort Keepers at (705) 293-5553, or email us at georgiantriangle@comfortkeepers.ca. Comfort Keepers Georgian Triangle is here to help you and your loved ones get the best care possible.

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