by Chelsea Couch, HHS Texercise Coordinator
Two national observances in September, Healthy Aging Month and Fruits and Veggies - More Matters Month, make it the perfect time to learn about healthy eating for healthy aging.
According to the United Health Foundation America’s Health Rankings 2022 Senior Report, about 8% of Texans age 65 and older reported consuming two or more fruits and three or more vegetables each day.
The Texas Health and Human Services Texercise initiative has a variety of free resources that engage older Texans in healthy lifestyle behaviors, including physical activity and eating habits. Texercise nutrition resources include:
Texercise Nourish, a free 12-week nutrition education program, brings groups of adults age 45 and older together to learn about and engage in healthy eating. This recorded webinar provides an overview of the Nourish program and eight steps for successful implementation.
Texercise Prevents: Malnutrition in Older Texans is an awareness campaign targeting professionals and providers serving older Texans. According to Defeat Malnutrition Today, one in two older adults is at risk of or already malnourished. The campaign educates on the prevalence of the issue, signs and symptoms in older adults, and connects to community-based resources to help combat it.
To learn more about Texercise Nourish, Texercise Prevents and other Texercise resources (fact sheets, daily food log, etc.), visit the Texercise webpage.
Other Texas HHS nutrition services and resources include:
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assists people, including older adults, with buying the food they need for good health. To learn more about SNAP, how to apply and how to purchase food online, visit the Your Texas Benefits webpage.
Area Agencies on Aging provide older adults, their families and caregivers with nutrition services, like home and congregate meals. To connect with the nearest AAA and learn about available nutrition services, call Texas HHS at 800-252-9240.
Aging and Disability Resource Centers are part of the No Wrong Door System and help streamline access to long-term services and support for the whole family. To learn more about the full range of available long-term supports, call Texas HHS at 855-937-2372.
To learn more about Texercise and other Texas HHS nutrition services, email Texercise (Texercise@hhs.texas.gov).