07/23/2026
Food is life: nutrition and healthy aging
Growing up, my parents valued fresh, whole foods as part of a long and healthy life. My grandfather lived past 100, supported in part by a balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, fresh meats and even a glass of red wine with dinner. The connection between nutrition and longevity stayed with me throughout my life.
Recently, I attended the inaugural Food is Life, Food is Health Summit hosted by Stanford Medicine and the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. One message surfaced repeatedly: healthy aging is shaped long before someone enters a hospital or doctor’s office. Nutrition, environment, daily habits, social connection, caregiving support and access to healthy food all influence long-term well-being.
This deeply connects to my Aging by Design work. We often think about longevity through medical advances and new treatments, but healthy aging is also built through everyday systems:
• What food people can access
• Whether meals are nutritious and enjoyable
• How physically active people remain
• Whether social connection exists before isolation sets in
• Whether families have support and structure as needs change
The summit focused heavily on practical, sustainable nutrition habits that can support health as we age. Discussions ranged from plant-forward diets and regenerative farming to “blue foods” such as seafood, seaweed, shellfish and aquatic plants that provide important nutrients with lower environmental impact.
What I appreciated most was how practical many of the recommendations were:
• Eating more lentils, beans and plant-rich meals
• Batch cooking healthy recipes ahead of time
• Choosing smaller fish and shellfish lower on the food chain
• Incorporating nutrient-rich foods such as seaweed and fermented foods
• Focusing on realistic meal habits families can sustain over time
For older adults, nutrition does not need to become complicated or trendy to be effective. Small adjustments often matter more than dramatic diets that are difficult to maintain. Simple habits such as eating more vegetables, increasing protein intake, staying hydrated, reducing heavily processed foods and maintaining regular mealtimes can support strength, balance, cognition and energy as the body ages.
One particularly important point discussed at the summit was that healthy eating must still bring pleasure and comfort. Dr. Christopher Gardner of Stanford emphasized that people connect deeply to familiar foods, shared meals and cultural traditions. Healthy eating does not need to feel restrictive or disconnected from joy. In fact, meals often become even more meaningful as people age because food is closely tied to memory, family, celebration and identity.
For many older adults, nutrition is also closely tied to independence. Changes in eating habits can sometimes signal larger concerns – difficulty shopping, cooking, remembering meals, managing medications or maintaining social connections. Adult children may notice a parent losing weight, skipping meals, relying heavily on packaged foods or no longer enjoying cooking the way they once did. These changes are sometimes early signs that additional support has become necessary.
In home care, we often learn a great deal about someone’s overall well-being simply by discussing food routines. Is fresh food available in the home? Is someone eating alone every day? Are medications affecting appetite? Can they safely prepare meals?
Nutrition conversations frequently open the door to broader discussions about safety, cognition, mobility and quality of life.
Another idea that stayed with me is that food can act as daily protection for the body. In a world where we are exposed to stress, pollution and processed ingredients, nutritious foods help support resilience and reduce inflammation over time. Healthy aging is rarely about one dramatic change. More often, it is built gradually – one meal, one habit, one decision at a time.
The future of healthy aging may depend not only on medicine, but also on how thoughtfully we support the everyday routines that sustain people physically, emotionally and socially, including the food we eat every day.
