January 6, 2006

Seniors get a helping hand with healthy eating

Making healthy eating choices is a challenging task for many people, and a group of seniors recently received some expert guidance on how to make the right choices. On Dec. 15, staff at the Whole Foods Market — a supermarket specializing in natural and organic foods — in Charles River Plaza hosted a guided tour of the store for participants in the MGH EatWISE, Eat Smart program. The workshop is a free, six-week nutrition and education series for seniors age 60 years and older. Tour members learned how to buy and prepare nutritious meals while on a budget and also were introduced to a variety of new and exotic foods. At the end of the visit, the group enjoyed a healthy, complimentary lunch prepared by the Whole Foods staff.

The EatWISE, Eat Smart program is a collaboration between MGH Senior HealthWISE and the MGH Department of Nutrition and Food Services. Cheryl Wall, BSN, RN, of MGH Senior HealthWISE, and Dana Brennan, RD, LDN, of MGH Nutrition and Food Services, were the co-leaders of the workshop and taught participants about healthy eating habits through hands-on exercises, group
discussions and cooking demonstrations.

Above, seniors get guidance on buying healthy foods.