I used to be a great cook: raised four kids, had parties and family get-togethers all the time. Now I live alone with no family really nearby and find myself snacking on chips and doing way too much “fast food.” Do you have some motivational suggestions?

You are not alone — and it’s not just lonely, it can be outright dangerous. Often faced with the prospect of cooking only for one, the person is tempted to do a minimum amount of preparation. The result can be malnutrition and boring meals.

In fact, a survey found one-fourth of the nation’s seniors are malnourished. Dr. Barbara Posner, assistant director of research at Boston University, explains, “Many older people living alone have declining motor skills, making it difficult to shop for or cook food.”

In addition, digestion changes because the stomach produces less of the chemicals that break down foods. For example, dairy products are difficult to digest, so older people often avoid them. Conversely, too much protein and phosphorus can drain calcium from the body.

Also keep in mind that several mini-meals may digest more easily than three larger ones. Even if you don’t feel hungry when it is time to eat, set an alarm clock or kitchen timer to remind yourself it is time. Regular eating patterns are necessary to maintain good health.

Some ideas to obtain or create nutritious meals include:

• Whenever possible, make mealtimes a social occasion by eating with others. Attend a meal site for seniors or have meals on wheels deliver meals.
• Supermarket salad bars allow you to buy small quantities of items that do not keep well.
• Take a creative approach to meal planning by experimenting with one new food or flavor a week.
• Prepare meals that appeal to the senses.
• Since the senses of taste and smell decline with age, add spices to foods to improve the taste.
• If your sodium intake has to be low, experiment with salt-free seasoning blends. Use more spices, herbs, and flavor-enhancers in cooking. For example, basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning add exotic flavor to foods. Carrots, winter squash and creamed spinach taste better with a bit of nutmeg. Dill weed or dill seed are a good choice for potato soup, cooked cabbage, or Cole slaw. Or simmer a bay leaf in soups and stews. Sage is a great accent for roasted poultry, poultry stews, and stuffings. Add a little thyme to peas, lima beans, and other legumes.
• Take a few minutes at the beginning of each week to write down what you’d like to eat. Decide on a few entrees that sound good and build from there. If you prepare one or two main-course recipes that create leftovers you can incorporate them into other meals. This helps avoid the boredom of eating the same flavors every night.
• Save scraps and freeze them to recycle later in soups and casseroles.
• Make-aheads (to be frozen in small batches and reheated as a later date) save time and bring variety to your meals. Some possibilities include chili, lasagna, soups, casseroles, cookies and muffins.

While implementing some of these ideas may seem tedious, try an idea or two a week and you may find you look forward to preparing and eating the delicious food you have prepared.

Bon appetit!