Eating a healthy diet is beneficial throughout our lifetime, but the nutrients we need most can change as we grow older.
Here’s a guide to the best food to eat from your 20s to your 40s:
In your 20s
We stop building bone mass in our 30s, so this decade is an essential time to gain bone strength. Eating around 225g of plain low-fat yoghurt provides approximately 42 per cent of our recommended calcium intake, while tofu, salmon and leafy greens are a good non-dairy option.
Foods that are a rich source of vitamin D such as eggs and canned tuna also help your gut to absorb calcium.
In your 30s
You may not be thinking about arthritis just yet, but the joint damage that can lead to it starts now. Eat foods packed with omega-3 like chia seeds, nuts and anchovies, as they can minimise the damage by lubricating your joints.
If you’re thinking about having kids, add folate to your diet through dark, leafy green veges, avocados and beans. Or stock up on asparagus – just four boiled spears provide 22 per cent of your daily folate intake.
In your 40s
Your risk of diabetes starts climbing now, so start watching your sugar intake. Lean protein, like grilled chicken breast or Greek yoghurt, can help limit fluctuations in the insulin your body produces after blood sugar spikes. It can also help balance the changes in body composition leading up to menopause.
Studies have shown women aged between 40 and 59 had the highest rates of depression, so add walnuts and spinach to your diet. With links found between depression and inflammation, these omega-3-rich foods have anti-inflammatory properties which can help your mind, and your joints.
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