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The diet we consume as young adults is not suitable for our body as we age. We need to change our food habits as we reach 50 years or over in order to help our system function efficiently. Here is how we need to eat after 50.

Let's get started with four simple diet tips for over 50s given by National Institute on Aging (NIA)

•  Eat many different colors and types of vegetables and fruits.
•  Make sure at least half of your grains are whole grains.
•  Eat only small amounts of solid fats and foods with added sugars. Limit saturated fat (found mostly in foods that come from animals) and trans fats (found in foods like store-bought baked goods and some margarines).
•  Eat seafood twice a week.

Based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services have devised two diet plans for people aged 50 and above and here are what the plans recommend for the older adults. From the recommended foods people can choose or make their own list for the day.

It is advisable for a person to eat one and a half to two and a half cups of cut fruits every day. Half cup of cut fruits is as same as a two-inch peach or a quarter cup of dried fruits since both provides same nutritional value. One should have two to three and a half cups of cut vegetables a day and a cup of cut vegetables is equal to two cups of uncooked green leafy vegetable.

A person needs one to five ounces of protein a day which could be attained from poultry, meat or fish. One ounce of fish or meat is as same as quarter cup of cooked beans or tofu, one tablespoon of peanut butter, half ounce of nuts or seeds or an egg.

When it comes to grains an older adult should consume five to 10 ounces a day. An ounce of nutrients achieved from grains can be got from a cup of flaked, ready-to-eat cereal, a small muffin, a half cup of cooked rice or pasta or a slice of bread.

Three cups of fat free or low fat dairy is recommended for over 50s and a cup of which is equal to one and a half to two ounces of cheese or one cup of yogurt. One can consume five to eight teaspoons of oil a day and should reduce the intake of solid fats and added sugars as much as possible.