Episode 50: Food Insecurity, Senior Nutrition, and Making Every Dollar Count

By the third week of the month, many older adults are already making impossible choices. Rent or groceries. Medication or a balanced meal. Approximately 12.6 million seniors in the United States experience food insecurity, and the cost rarely stops at hunger.

In this milestone 50th episode of ComForConnections, host Tiffany Robison welcomes back Dr. Joan Salge Blake, Clinical Professor of Nutrition at Boston University, host of the Spot On! podcast, and one of the most recognized voices in nutrition today. This return visit focuses on one of the most underreported challenges in senior care: food insecurity. Together, they dig into what food insecurity actually looks like for older adults receiving care, what it does to the body over time, and what caregivers and families can do about it right now.

Listen Now:

What you’ll learn in this episode

• Why food insecurity in older adults often goes unrecognized and unreported
• The difference between food insecurity and hunger, and why it matters in a care setting
• How inadequate nutrition compounds chronic conditions, muscle loss, and mental health
• Why professional caregivers are often better positioned than family to raise nutrition concerns
• Community programs and federal resources that can fill the gaps in a senior’s food budget
• Practical strategies for stretching the grocery dollar: canned and frozen staples, loss leaders, coupons, and batch cooking
• Affordable protein sources that support senior health on a fixed income
• The USDA’s MyPlate for Older Adults as a simple meal planning visual

Additional resources:

• Spot On! Podcast – Dr. Salge Blake’s podcast, making evidence-based nutrition accessible and actionable.
• Administration for Community Living — Nutrition and Aging Resource – Includes a 10-question nutrition screening tool caregivers can use to identify risk.
• USDA FoodKeeper App – A reference tool for food storage and safety timelines.
• The Krazy Coupon Lady – A resource Dr. Salge Blake recommends for finding grocery deals and digital coupons.

Featured Guest

Dr. Joan Salge Blake is a Clinical Professor of Nutrition at Boston University and host of the Spot On! podcast, where she makes evidence-based nutrition advice accessible to everyday audiences. A sought-after speaker, media personality, and author, Dr. Salge Blake brings more than 40 years of experience to conversations about food, health, and how people eat in the real world.

Episode Transcript 

Click here for full transcript.

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About the Host

Tiffany Robinson is a passionate advocate for caregiver education. As the host of ComForConnections, she brings warmth, insight, and a deep understanding of the caregiving experience to every episode.