If you are above the age of 70, certain of your nutritional requirements will differ from those of other groups. As you grow older, your calorie requirements drop, but you may require more of some essential nutrients.

How Many Calories Are There?

The number of calories you require is determined by your level of physical activity. According to the USDA, a sedentary lifestyle is one in which one's activities are confined to those required for everyday existence. Walk for more than 3 kilometers in quick succession every day and you are deemed physically active. If you are unable to maintain a healthy weight, you may require more or less calories than what is indicated on the label.

A sedentary guy over the age of 70 needs around 2,000 calories each day. If you are physically active, you should consume around 2,600 calories each day.

If you are a sedentary to moderately active female over the age of 70, you should consume between 1,600 and 2,000 calories per day.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, protein should account for 10-35 percent of total daily calories ingested, with meat, poultry, fish, legumes, and dairy products serving as the primary sources of protein.

As an illustration:

A sedentary male should aim to consume 50-175 grams of protein each day.

A sedentary lady should aim to consume 40-140 grams of protein each day.

Approximately the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand, one dish of lean beef, chicken, pork, or fish is plenty. This one meal contains around 3 ounces of protein, or 21 grams total.

Additional sources of protein include:

5 ounces of Greek yogurt equals 12-18 grams.
1/2 cup beans equals 6-9 grams of protein.
8 ounces of dairy milk equals 8 grams.
8 ounces of soy milk equals 7 grams
a single ounce (size of your thumb) cheese (hard) is 7 grams
2 tablespoons peanut butter equals 7 grams
3 ounces of tofu equals 6 grams
4-6 grams of nuts from a quarter cup of nuts

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Consume a mix of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains to ensure that you obtain the necessary 14 grams/1,000 calories of fiber per day. This equates to at least 28 grams of fiber per day for males and 22 grams of fiber per day for females, according to the USDA.

Fiber comes from a variety of sources.

15 grams per cup of lentils after they have been cooked
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed = 15 grams
1 cup cooked green peas has 9 grams of protein.
1 cup of raspberries is equal to 8 grams.
1 cup cooked whole-wheat spaghetti equals 6 grams of carbohydrate.
The following amounts are in grams per cup of cooked quinoa, instant cooked oats, or 1 oat bran muffin:
1 cup chopped and boiling broccoli equals 5 grams.
The weight of one medium apple with peel is around 4.5 grams.
1 medium baked potato has 4 grams of carbohydrate.
1 ounce of liquid (23 nuts) 3.5 grams of almonds = 3.5 grams
3 grams are equal to 1 medium orange, 1 medium banana, or 1 cup of strawberries.

How Many Carbohydrates Are There?

Both men and women in this age group should make sure that carbs account for 45-65 percent of their daily energy intake.

As an illustration:

A sedentary male should aim to consume 225-325 grams of protein each day.

A sedentary lady should aim to consume 180-260 grams of protein each day.

Carbohydrate sources include:

1 cup cooked pasta or rice equals 45 grams of carbohydrate.
1 medium baked potato has 40 grams of carbohydrate.
6′′ banana equals 30 grams.
6′′ pita equals 30 grams.
1 medium sweet potato weighs around 25 grams.
A half cup of cooked beans is 18-22 grams.
6 inches of corn on the cob equals 20 grams.
a single ounce (10- 15) a handful of chips equals 15-20 grams
1/2 cup hummus equals 15-20 grams of fat.
1 piece of bread has 10-20 grams of carbohydrates.
15 grams of flour tortillas for a 6′′ tortilla
1/2 cup toasted mixed nuts equals 14 grams.
Each of the following: 1 medium apple, 12 cherries, 15 grapes, 1 small kiwi, or 1 cup melon = 15 grams of fruit.
15 grams are equal to 1 cup raspberries, 2 tablespoons raisins, or 1 medium orange.
1 tablespoon of fruit jam/jelly, honey, sugar, or syrup equals 15 grams of sugar.
1/2 cup cream of wheat or oats cooked in water equals 12-15 grams of protein.
A 6′′ corn tortilla weighs 12 grams.
2 cups cut-up strawberries or cubed watermelon = 12 grams of carbohydrate
12 grams of fat are included in 1 cup of dairy milk.
1 cup plain Greek yogurt has 10 grams of protein.

How Much Fat Is Enough?

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025, senior men and women should consume just 20-35 percent of their daily calories from fat, depending on their age.

As an illustration:

A sedentary man's daily fat intake should range between 44 and 78 grams.

A lady who lives a sedentary lifestyle should ingest 36-62 grams of fat each day.

Fat comes from a variety of sources, including:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil equals 14 grams
1 spoonful of peanut butter equals 8 grams of fat.
1/2 cup toasted mixed nuts equals 36 grams.
1 tablespoon of butter is equal to 12 grams.
1 cup whole milk has 8 grams of fat.
1 avocado has 29 grams of fat.

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients.

As you become older, your body's requirements for certain micronutrients grow. Each day, consuming a range of whole foods (fortified grains, high-quality protein, fruits and vegetables) will assist you in meeting your vitamin and mineral requirements for the day.

Men and women should both attempt to consume 600 international units of vitamin D each day, which may be obtained via fish, egg yolks, fortified meals, and supplements.

The quantity of stomach acid you create reduces as you get older or as a result of taking certain drugs. This may put you at risk for vitamin B-12 deficiency, which can manifest itself in the form of symptoms such as sadness and exhaustion. A large percentage of the nutrients in supplements and fortified meals such as orange juice and milk are absorbed by the body very efficiently. Everyone should consume 2.4 milligrams of vitamin B-12 each day, according to the American Heart Association.

As you get older, your body's requirement for vitamin B-6 rises accordingly. If you are a man, you require 1.7 milligrams per day, and if you are a girl, you require 1.5 milligrams per day. Consume foods such as chicken, fish, potatoes, and fruit to satisfy your vitamin B-6 requirements.