Eating well has a far stronger influence on your healthy ageing and wellbeing than you may think. When you feed your body nutritious food, you not only reduce many of the issues related to poor diet, but you also feel much healthier and happier. However, nutritious meals can be time consuming to prepare, difficult to access and expensive for some older people. On this page, you can find information about nutrition, services that deliver prepared meals, and community organisations and social groups that can support you to eat well.
People often have trouble identifying the harmful effects of poor nutrition, as they may only become apparent over a long period of time. The sooner you identify them and change your eating behaviours for the better, the easier it is to get your body in a healthier place.
The symptoms of poor nutrition may surprise you, so it can be helpful to check the list even if you think you eat well.
An article explaining how malnutrition occurs and impacts older Australians, to help you identify malnutrition.
An article outlining the impact of malnutrition in Australia and providing insight into the causes of malnutrition and how to identify the symptoms.
Looking after your nutrition can help you improve your health and feel healthier and happier. There are many resources and services to help you look after your nutrition, ranging from health professionals to recipe books specifically for the needs of older people.
Download the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating here.
A fact sheet providing information about eating well and ageing well.
An article with dietary guidelines for older people.
An article with in-depth insight and advice about the nutritional needs of people over 60.
A digital resource where you can collect your favourite online recipes together as a personalised recipe book.
A guide to help you plan and prepare healthier meals at home.
Information about how food and drink affect mental health.
Your general practitioner (GP) might advise you to see a dietitian for professional help with improving your diet and nutrition. You can start with these resources to find information about seeing a dietitian and services near you.
A webpage with information about seeing a dietitian, including costs and referral requirements.
A search tool to help you find dietitians. Type your suburb in the search box to find dietitians near you.
Eating and nutrition can be greatly impacted by social circumstances, so it’s helpful to get involved in community and social groups that combine good nutrition with social connection.
MH4L is a free initiative that is designed to help you get more active, eat better, feel less stressed, and/or lose weight to reduce your risk of developing chronic conditions. You can participate in face-to-face groups or one-to-one over the telephone. Visit website to find out more and do the free eligibility check.
There are many council programs and organisations that provide opportunities for you to eat good food with good company.
If you need help with travelling to local programs, you may be able to access free and subsidised transport services in your area. See more about transport here.
A growing network of community gardens and city farms around Australia, providing residents with places to meet and grow healthy food in their neighbourhoods.
An organisation providing meals, food hampers, toiletries and other essential support during times of hardship.
Map of Leagues clubs
Leagues clubs are great places to eat well and cost-effectively. You can make new social connections and they offer transport services, such as free courtesy buses. Contact your local club to find out more.
In some cases, access to good nutritious food can be limited by financial resources. A number of organisations provide food relief for those in difficult financial positions, because your finances shouldn’t stop you from eating well.
A map of food relief programs to help disadvantaged people find access food.
A search tool to help you find food relief services near you. The website also has search tools for various other types of charity services.
A search tool to help you find food vans and kitchens providing food relief for those in need of support.
A search tool to help you find neighbourhood and community centres, which provide friendly, localised access to individual, family and community services.
A search tool to help you find pharmacies, where you can access nutritional supplements and other medication support for your nutritional needs.
Food delivery and meal preparation services are becoming more and more common, so there’s a variety of services you can access if it’s difficult for you to travel to buy groceries or cook your own meals. These services are offered with a range of prices, so find the service that is right for you.
To find meal delivery and preparation services near you, see our map here.
A search tool to help you find your local Meals on Wheels service and sign up to receive meals. Meals on Wheels provide and deliver meals to people with a variety of support needs. The meals are sold at production cost price, ranging from $4.50–$12 depending on the service.
A subscription-based service delivering healthy, ready-made meals. Lite n’ Easy is co-funded by the government, so if you can use NDIS or home care package funding to purchase meals.
A major benefit of moving into residential aged care is that many aged care facilities provide daily nutritious meals and look after all your cooking and grocery needs, so you don’t have to think about it.
The journey into aged care can be complicated, so these resources can help you figure out what support the government will provide, what costs are involved and how to find the right aged care facility for your needs.
Find more information about aged care options here.
Nutrition
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia, their diversity, histories and knowledge and their continuing connections to land, waterways and culture. We pay our respect to all Australian Indigenous Peoples and their cultures, and to Elders of past, present and future generations.
We would like to express our gratitude to all the healthy ageing advocates, including people living with dementia, older people, families, carers and health professionals, who contributed to the development of this portal. Thank you for sharing your stories and transferring your knowledge to make this portal purposeful and meaningful to support people in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region.