Healthy Eating Plans
Nutrition programs can teach participants how to create and follow healthy eating plans by sharing information and resources that address the unique dietary needs of older adults.
Food and Mood
- The Science of Cravings— Resource on understanding urges to eat (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
- Emotional Overeating Awareness— Resources on emotional overeating (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources and University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2019)
DASH – Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
- 28 Days Toward a Healthy Heart— Overview on creating a healthy routine (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2021)
- A Week with the DASH Eating Plan— Collection of DASH menus (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2019)
- DASH Diet Toolkit— Resources for three levels of familiarity with DASH (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Getting Started on DASH— Steps to following a DASH lifestyle (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- DASH Eating Plan— Recipes and more (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Tips to Keep on Track— Tips to maintain a DASH meal plan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Tips to Lowering Calories on DASH— Simple substitutions (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2020)
- Tips to Reduce Salt and Sodium— Guide (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Why the DASH Eating Plan Works— Daily nutrient levels and the science behind the DASH diet (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- How to Reduce Sodium Intake— Tips on reducing sodium intake (CDC, 2024)
- Making the Move to DASH— Tips to switching to a DASH meal plan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Overview of DASH— Benefits and weekly challenges (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources and University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2019)
Diabetes
- Food Tracking— Interactive module from the Personal Success Tool within the National Diabetes Prevention Program (CDC)
- Added Sugar BINGO— Game cards (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources)
- Being Active with Diabetes— Placemat (National Extension Dining with Diabetes Working Group)
- Easy Meals for Diabetes— Handout for participants and guidance for weekly action plans (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources and University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2019)
- Eating Healthier with Diabetes— Placemat (National Extension Dining with Diabetes Working Group)
- Preventing and Managing Diabetes— Chronic health management programming (Michigan State University Extension)
- Setting Plans into Motion— Information on living with Type 2 diabetes (American Diabetes Association)
Gluten-Sensitivity
- Considerations for Going Gluten-Free— Article on understanding the impact on health (Michigan State University Extension, 2022)
- Labeling of Food as Gluten-Free— Regulations for food labeling (FDA)
Arthritis
- Nutrition and Arthritis— Monthly dietary tracking (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources)
- Nutrition and Arthritis Bingo— Game cards (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources)
Reducing Salt
- Be Salt Smart— Information on sodium in the diet from MyPlate (USDA, 2022)
- Effects of Excess Sodium— Infographic (American Heart Association, 2022)
- Get the Scoop on Sodium and Salt— Benefits of eating less sodium (American Heart Association)
- Hold the Salt— American Heart Association infographic
- How Much Sodium Should I Eat?— Information from the American Heart Association
- Less Sodium in Foods— American Heart Association infographic on how Americans want less sodium
- Nutrient Dense, Low Sodium BINGO— BINGO cards (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources)
- Salty Myths Busted— Fact sheet about sodium (American Heart Association, 2024)
- Sea Salt vs. Table Salt— Information on the difference (American Heart Association)
- Sodium Intake and Health— Information on sodium (CDC, 2024)
- Sodium Can be Sneaky— Infographic (American Heart Association, 2022)
- Sodium in Your Diet— Information on the nutrition facts label and more (FDA)
- Sodium on the Nutrition Facts Label— Information about sodium on the nutrition facts label (FDA)
- Sodium, Potassium and Health— Information on the effects of these electrolytes (CDC, 2024)
- Sodium Tracker— Tips on tracking your sodium (American Heart Association)
- Where Does All That Sodium Come From?— American Heart Association information on sodium sources
- Tips for reducing sodium intake
- 10 Tips for Reducing Salt— Tips (National Kidney Foundation, 2019)
- Be Smart With Salt— Quick guide (Ohio Department of Aging)
- Change Your Salty Ways in 21 Days!— Infographic (American Heart Association, 2025)
- Choose Foods Low in Sodium— Foods to choose and avoid from NHLBI and the Community Health Worker Health Disparities Initiative
- Cut Back on Salt Without the Cravings— Guidance from the American Heart Association
- Cut Down on Sodium— Guide (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
- Eating Too Much Salt? Ways to Cut Back...Gradually— One-minute video and information (FDA)
- How to Reduce Sodium— CDC tips for reducing sodium
- Reducing Sodium in the Diet— Tips (American Heart Association)
- Salt Reduction— Key facts about sodium (World Health Organization, 2025)
- Tips to Eat Less Salt and Sodium— Tip sheet from NHLBI
- Spice Up Your Diet— How to use herbs and spices instead of salt for flavor (National Kidney Foundation)
Other Diets
- Anti-Inflammatory Foods— Challenges, a recipe, and more (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources and University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2019)
- Anti-Inflammatory Diet— Diet review (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
- Clean Eating— Choosing nutritious food options infographic (American Heart Association, 2025)
- Flexitarian Diet— Description of flexitarian eating pattern (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources and University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2019)
- Mediterranean Diet— Description of Mediterranean eating plan (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources and University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2019)
- MIND Diet— Information on the Mediterranean-DASH Invention for Neurodegenerative Delay (Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources and University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2019)
- Straight Talk About Soy— Brief (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
- Vegetarian, Vegan, and Meals Without Meat— Information on eating plant-based meals (American Heart Association)
- What is a Healthy Diet?— Infographic on serving sizes (American Heart Association, 2024)
Menu Plans
- 1,200 and 1,600 calorie diets from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute