It should come as no surprise that older adults prefer chocolate pudding to vanilla. That finding would probably hold true across all generations. A new study took a deeper dive into that common dessert preference in its effort to identify “desirable, safe, and nutritious dairy-rich breakfasts and desserts for older adults.”

Nostalgic Comfort Food

The study evaluated the influence of texture, comfort, and nostalgia on seniors’ acceptance of food products. It found that older adults are more likely to enjoy food when it evokes a sense of comfort and nostalgia while presenting a variety of textures. The researchers found that adding the flavor of cheese encourages older adults to label a food product as a “comfort food,” while products that reminded study participants of food they ate in their childhood (such as “grandma’s cookies”) contributed to a sense of nostalgia.

The findings are far from earth-shattering, but they serve an important purpose. One of the researchers explained that “she’s hoping to work with prepared food manufacturers to design foods specifically for older adults who want convenient but nutritious meals that they will enjoy.” Targeting healthy food products to older adults is one way to tackle the problem of malnutrition in the senior population.

Senior Malnutrition

The term malnutrition encompasses both a failure to consume sufficient calories and the overconsumption of food that lacks nutritional value. Obese seniors may be malnourished because their diet consists of empty calories — chips, soda, and other foods and beverages with a high sugar and fat content but few of the vitamins, minerals, and fibers that keep a body healthy.

While malnutrition can affect individuals of all ages, health authorities warn that it disproportionately affects older adults. While 16% of older adults who live independently are at high risk of malnutrition, 60% of older adults who are dependent on others for their care may be malnourished.

Several factors explain the prevalence of malnutrition in older adults. About nine million older adults can’t afford to purchase nutritious food — a problem that will be exacerbated if Congress follows through on its threat to slash the budget for the SNAP program.

Disease can contribute to malnutrition. Since older Americans have a higher risk of developing chronic health disorders, they have a correspondingly higher risk of being malnourished. Disease-related problems with chewing and swallowing, for example, are linked to malnutrition.

There is also evidence that the process of aging inhibits the absorption and distribution of nutrients in the body’s digestive system. Inflammation, which is common in older adults, may deplete the body’s supplies of micronutrients, harming the body’s immune system and leading to depressive disorders.

Work to Be Done

Unfortunately, biological changes associated with aging that may lead to malnutrition are not well understood. Significant research concerning malnutrition in older adults is funded by the National Institutes of Health. That critical work may be sidelined as a consequence of plans to slash $9 billion in the NIH’s budget for biomedical research. America’s proposed withdrawal from the World Health Organization will also undermine research into the nutritional needs of seniors.

Even without advances in nutritional research that targets older adults, strategies are available to address nutritional deficiencies. Health experts recommend routine screening of seniors for malnutrition, combined with a nutritional assessment and counseling for those may need nutritional supplements or a better diet. Nutritional care should be a part of the health care that every senior needs to maximize a healthy and productive lifestyle.