Health x Wellness
HPB Dishes Out Recipe For Healthy Ageing
The nutrition campaign under the Action Plan for Successful Ageing empowers active agers to eat right and age well.
The nutritional needs of a person changes with age and becomes increasingly important in later life. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diseases that affect active agers more often, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer are all related to diet. Positive dietary changes, such as reduction in salt intake and increased consumption of fruit and vegetables by one to two servings daily, can reduce risk of heart disease and stroke.
As such, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) recently kicked off a nutrition campaign as part of the initiative under the Action Plan for Successful Ageing to help those who are 50-years-old and above understand the importance of good nutrition. As part of the campaign, a toolkit titled ‘The Recipe for Healthy Ageing’ has been specially produced for active agers to help them understand the importance of a healthy diet and to eat healthily. The toolkit comprises a nutrition guide, recipe book and an educational poster.
Presented in an easy to understand format, the nutrition guide and the educational poster contain information on essential nutrients including protein and calcium, and provides tips on incorporating food from different food groups to meet the dietary requirements of seniors. Practical information such as pictorial examples of recommended food and serving size are also included in the guide.
The nutrition guide is also accompanied by a recipe book with easy-to-cook recipes and healthy eating tips to encourage active agers to prepare healthy and tasty meals at home. For example, one can learn to cook Laksa Fried Rice with brown rice and less salt. The recipe allows one to enjoy the original flavour of Laksa and adopt healthier food preparation methods. A healthier eating tip on reducing added salt during cooking to help manage high blood pressure is also included to supplement the recipe.
