By: Jackie Philbin, RDN, LDN
Director of Healthcare Partnerships, Brooklyn Kitchen

When people think of food insecurity, they often picture young families or children — not their neighbor, their grandparent, or a retired schoolteacher. But in New Jersey and across the country, a growing number of older adults are facing hunger in silence. And they’re doing it under the weight of outdated assumptions: that all seniors are homeowners, that they’ve saved enough, or that they simply need to “budget better.”

It’s time to upend that narrative. Because food insecurity doesn’t just affect the young — it affects nearly 1 in 10 New Jerseyans aged 50+, totaling around 340,000 older adults. And as the population ages, this issue is only becoming more urgent. By 2030, 25% of New Jersey’s residents will be over the age of 60, up from just under 20% today. The numbers don’t lie — but the assumptions we make about seniors often do.

The Silent Struggle: Why Seniors Are Going Hungry

The truth is, many older adults in New Jersey have spent their lives working hard, raising families, and contributing to their communities. But now, they’re often living alone, managing chronic illnesses, and trying to stretch a fixed income in one of the most expensive states in the country.

• Rising rents, groceries, and medical bills force difficult choices between prescriptions and fresh produce.
• Mobility issues limit access to food pantries or grocery stores.
• And many are too proud or too embarrassed to ask for help — because hunger, in their minds, is something that “shouldn’t happen to someone like them.”

The crisis is even more pronounced for certain groups. Black and Hispanic older adults in New Jersey are more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity compared to their white counterparts, according to data from AARP. These disparities are not accidental — they are the result of systemic inequities in income, housing access, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Rural seniors, too, face heightened risks due to a lack of nearby grocery stores, limited public transit, and fewer senior centers. Addressing food insecurity among older adults means targeting these racial and geographic inequities head-on.

Congregate Meal Centers: A Solution Hiding in Plain Sight

One powerful solution already exists: congregate meal centers. These programs offer free or low-cost meals to older adults in a social setting, helping to fight not just hunger, but also loneliness — a serious health risk in itself.

And yet, many seniors don’t participate. Why? Stigma.

Some fear being judged for seeking assistance. Others assume the food won’t meet their cultural or dietary needs. And for many, walking through the doors of a senior center feels like an admission of vulnerability — even when it’s exactly the kind of support they deserve.

We can break down those barriers by:

• Framing meal centers as vibrant, welcoming community hubs, not places associated only with financial hardship.
• Partnering with trusted messengers — doctors, social workers, faith leaders — to normalize participation.
• Offering meals that reflect diverse cultures, preferences, and health needs, so seniors feel seen and respected.

Research shows that offering culturally tailored meals — from Caribbean-inspired stews to heart-healthy kosher dishes — dramatically improves both participation and nutrition outcomes. When food looks and tastes familiar, seniors are more likely to eat it, return for more, and engage socially. But that takes intentionality and input from the community, not just a one-size-fits-all approach. Respecting food traditions is not a luxury — it’s a strategy for health equity.

What Needs to Happen Next

We don’t just need better services — we need a better story. One where older adults aren’t cast as passive recipients of charity, but as resilient, valued members of our communities who, like anyone else, deserve nourishment, dignity, and choice.

That means:

🔹 Funding programs that work — like SNAP, Meals on Wheels, and senior congregate dining — and removing bureaucratic red tape that keeps seniors from enrolling.
🔹 Educating the public — not just on the statistics, but on the human stories behind them.
🔹 Advocating at the state and federal level to protect older adults from being left out of the conversation on hunger and poverty.

New Jersey has already taken steps in the right direction with the creation of the Office of the Food Security Advocate and efforts to develop a statewide anti-hunger plan. Nationally, organizations like Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America are working to secure funding, modernize nutrition programs, and ensure no senior is left behind. But none of these efforts will succeed if we continue to overlook seniors as a core part of the food insecurity conversation.

Most importantly, older adults themselves must be at the table — not just as recipients, but as decision-makers. Local planning boards, food coalitions, county agencies, and service providers should be actively listening to what seniors say they need. That means community assessments, listening sessions, multilingual outreach, and investments in transportation and accessibility. Seniors know what’s missing — we just need to ask, and act.

The Bottom Line

Food insecurity is not a character flaw. It’s not a reflection of poor planning, laziness, or weakness. It’s a reflection of systems that weren’t built to support people as they age.

So let’s retire the stereotypes. Let’s stop expecting seniors to quietly make do. Let’s feed them with respect, advocate with urgency, and speak with truth: older adults are going hungry — and we can change that.

Sources:
• AARP Foundation, Food Insecurity and Older Adults: A Growing Crisis in America (2022)
• Feeding America, The State of Senior Hunger in America in 2022 (2024)
• Meals on Wheels America, The Impact of Meals on Wheels: 2023 Fact Sheet
• New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate, New Jersey Strategic Plan to End Hunger (2023)
• U.S. Census Bureau, Older Americans Profile: 2023 (Administration for Community Living)