Good Nutrition is Important for Healthy Aging

Guest Blog post by our 3SquaresVT Advocate, Faye Conte

Did you know that nearly 50% of all health conditions that elderly Americans face are directly due to poor nutrition? This alarming statistic has motivated our work at Hunger Free Vermont to help low-income seniors enroll in 3SquaresVT. By giving participants money every month to spend on food, the program helps these seniors access nutritious food on a daily basis. While more Vermonters than ever are enrolling, senior participation remains low. There are many seniors in Vermont, about 24,000, who could be participating but aren’t! To encourage more eligible seniors to apply, we’ve launched a program in Chittenden County called “Eat Well, Age Well”. This program trains volunteers, who are seniors themselves, to talk with their peers about the importance of good nutrition for healthy aging, and then help them apply for 3SquaresVT. With the help of our volunteers, we are connecting more low-income seniors with the assistance they deserve.

This post is part of our month-long blog series in celebration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' "National Nutrition Month." This year's theme is, "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day," so each of us here at Hunger Free Vermont will take a turn to share a personal goal, story or fact regarding nutrition through daily blog posts throughout the month.