Staying socially connected can help maintain healthy eating with age, especially for older women

Older people who are socially isolated have poor diet quality compared to those with frequent friend contact. (Shutterstock)

Healthy eating supports healthy aging: Canada’s Food Guide recommends daily intake of fruits and vegetables as a way to help prevent multiple chronic conditions that typically affect older adults.

We know that healthy eating is strongly influenced by our social connections and different settings. But aging often brings losses to different social connections that can put healthy eating at risk.