Food for Life: Nutrition at Every Age
Nutrition is an important part of health, but your nutrition needs change throughout life
The nutrients you need to stay healthy change as you grow older. But no matter what age you are, nutrient-dense foods and drinks can prevent or lower the risk of certain diseases, help your body develop properly, and help you age well!
Understanding how your nutritional needs change with age can go a long way toward improving your overall health. It’s also important to recognize how access, environment, and affordability can shape your food choices.
Things you can do at any age
Here are a few things anyone can do to meet nutritional needs:
- Adjust your eating habits to meet the recommended intake of macronutrients.
- Learn about the 6 essential micronutrients and why they matter for your health.
- Eat from all food groups. You can use MyPlate to plan meals with foods that work for you.
- Focus on balanced and sustainable eating habits in ways that help reduce food waste.
- Understand food security and insecurity. Food security means knowing you have enough to eat. Food insecurity means you may not have enough to eat and may not know how you’ll get your next meal.
- Know where to find food resources and learn about the options available to you and your family.
How to support a baby or toddler’s nutritional needs
The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life begin with pregnancy and last through the child’s second birthday. These first years are crucial for brain development, immune health, and future well-being.
During this time, a child’s brain forms up to 1,000 new neural connections every second! They need a lot of nutrients to support this incredible growth!
- Getting started: Because infants eat and drink small amounts, every bite counts. From birth to about 6 months, feed your infant human milk or iron-fortified infant formula. Both make great choices to support development and protect against childhood illnesses. After 6 months, you can start adding easy-to-digest foods or continue with human milk or infant formula as needed.
- Nutrient needs: Iron-fortified cereals and veggie purees help lay a strong foundation. Other key nutrients include carotenoids, choline, folate, iodine, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D.
- Sustainability: Programs like Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) and local food systems help families access nutritious foods.
- Community support: Feeding and supporting a new life can be overwhelming. Friends and family can support new parents by organizing home-cooked meal deliveries for new parents so everyone in a new family gets their nutritional needs met.
More resources:
- Find a WIC clinic near you.
- Connect with lactation peer counselors for breast- and chestfeeding support.
- Check out cooking tips, recipes, and other nutrition education resources for families from WIC.
- Visit Help Me Grow Washington to find food resources.
- Visit Washington workplace lactation accommodations to learn more about support for nursing parents returning to work.
- Check out WIC’s Guidelines for Feeding Healthy Infants.
Supporting a teen’s changing nutritional needs
Adolescence is the second stage of rapid growth in life. During this time, teenagers need a lot of essential nutrients to support their growth spurt.
The rapid growth during puberty increases the demand for essential nutrients. Teens also need adequate rest and sleep for their body to process those essential nutrients.
- Nutrient needs: Many teens don’t get enough calcium, iron, vitamin D, and potassium, which are just a few of the many essential nutrients they need. They also need macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbohydrates in large amounts.
- Balanced eating: Foods like dairy, lean proteins, and nuts give teens energy and help them focus. It’s important for teens to eat a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods, but allowing them to make their own choices about what they eat can be empowering.
- Sustainability: Teaching cooking skills at a younger age can foster independence and lifelong balanced eating habits.
Food and nutrition resources for teens:
- Find free summer meal programs for kids and teens.
- Locate the closest food bank, food pantry, or soup kitchen by state.
- Understand a teenager’s nutritional needs.
- Explore guidelines for healthy eating for teens.
- Identify the essential vitamins and minerals for teens.
- Learn about nutrition for sports and the dietary needs of teen athletes.
- Find ways to help teens learn and maintain healthy eating habits.
- Get information about Basic Food (Washington’s SNAP), a program that makes groceries more affordable.
Did you know? Children between the ages of 2–3 need about 1–1.5 cups of vegetables daily, but fewer than 1 in 10 children and adults meet this recommendation. Learn about the vegetable intake guidelines by age.
Nutritious food can help reduce chronic disease risk for adults
Food choices in adulthood may help lower or increase the risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.
- Nutrient needs: A balanced diet for adults includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products. Limiting added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium is recommended.
- Balanced eating: Meal planning and preparing meals at home can support healthier choices. Learn 5 things your nutritionist wants you to know about balanced meals.
- Sustainability: If possible, choosing local, seasonal produce benefits both health and the environment. Community gardens, co-ops, and even a small planter on your balcony can be great ways to supplement your diet with additional veggies.
Challenges and solutions
It’s not always easy for people to eat a balanced diet. Many people and families have trouble purchasing and eating nutritious foods.
Challenge: Fresh, local food is often expensive and not accessible to everyone.
Solutions: Programs like Basic Food (Washington’s SNAP) and SNAP Produce Match help eligible shoppers stretch their grocery budgets for fresh produce at participating stores. You can even buy seeds to grow your own plants!
Challenge: Cooking from scratch isn’t always feasible.
Solutions: Try meal prepping weekly, find recipes using frozen or prepared foods, or create a grocery list before shopping to eat more nutritious meals. You can also try quick meal solutions like sheet pan meals.
Eating well to age well
For older adults, good nutrition can help promote independence, dignity, and quality of life. Yet getting enough food can be challenging for many reasons, including:
- Reduced appetite or difficulty chewing.
- Mobility issues that make grocery shopping difficult.
- Food insecurity, which affects nearly 7 million older adults in the U.S.
- Fixed incomes that make it hard to afford fresh, healthy food.
Older adults also have changing needs:
- Nutrient needs: Increased calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins help support bone health and brain function. Learn about essential vitamins and minerals for older adults.
- Balanced eating: Smaller, nutrient-dense meals can help you make sure you get the nutrients you need, even if you eat less overall.
- Sustainability: Community-based meal programs can help reduce food insecurity and lead to more social connections.
Food resources for seniors:
- Home-Delivered Nutrition Services support older adults unable to leave their home.
- The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides benefits for purchasing locally grown produce, honey, and herbs.
- Find more healthy eating tips for seniors.
- Get nutrition tips for people ages 60+.
Nutrition and disability
Disabled people often have unique nutrition needs, and disabled adults are twice as likely to be food insecure. They may also face higher costs for specialized foods, like pre-sliced fruit and ready-made meals, and adaptive eating tools.
- Nutrient needs: Some disabilities affect how the body digests food and absorbs nutrients. This means people may need custom diets.
- Balanced eating: Pre-cut produce, protein-rich snacks, and adaptive eating tools can make eating easier.
Resources:
- Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) through the Nutrition Network — Nutrition for Children with Special Health Care Needs can provide nutrition services. Find an RDN in your area.
- Explore cooking tips for young people with disabilities.
- Check out Washington SNAP-Ed’s inclusive nutrition resources for providers.
- Learn about and apply for Basic Food (Washington’s SNAP).
Public health hunger and nutrition resources
If you want to learn more about nutrition or are living with food insecurity, these resources can help.
Hunger relief
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program (Washington State Department of Health)
- WIC Clinic Locator (Washington State Department of Health)
- Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
- Farmers Market (Washington State Department of Health)
- Help Me Grow WA
- State Food Assistance Program (FAP)
Nutrition
- Nutrition & Physical Activity Resources (Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families)
- About Nutrition | Nutrition (CDC)
- Infant and Toddler Nutrition (CDC)
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans
