Abstract
Although I along with most other people naturally want to eat delicious food and also be healthy, deciding what to buy when shopping in a supermarket or a market is not always clear. This is especially problematic with senior citizens for whom it is said that single-person households will increase in the future in Japan with its super aging society. It is hoped that the elderly can look forward to a healthy long life supported by society and themselves and thus nutritional education for the senior citizen is an important subject. I have focused on the theme “food color, good taste, and health” as worthy of particular attention. There are “three nots for eating” for the senior citizen: “cannot eat”;“do not want to eat”; and “cannot finish a full portion.” The first priority is thus that the food is delicious, to alleviate these problems. Also ingredients in a meal should contribute to improving health. “Color” is important for both aspects. For better understanding of its contributions I here describe the reasons why plants have color, and the implications for human use. We need to emphasize “Color” components in stimulating appetite in the senior citizens and maintaining their health.
