Purpose Preventative public health policies often rely on objective criteria to identify people in vulnerable situations. Age is one of the criteria when investigating the risk of malnutrition associated with ageing. By looking at changes in the food practices of individuals as they age, this study aims to seek to contribute to more precise targeting of older adults in view of the dynamic nature of ageing. Design/methodology/approach From a theoretical perspective, this research is based on the life course paradigm. Data were collected from 42 semi-structured interviews with retirees aged 60 and over. Findings The results show that some ageing events lead to immense reconfigurations of individuals’ lives, implying changes as prior food practices are extensively replaced by new ones (“rebuilding after a tsunami”). Other more diffuse and gradual effects of ageing lead to adaptations of previous food practices and, in a more localised way, areas that can be targeted by healthy eating campaigns (“plugging the gaps”). Lastly, this study shows that a normative perspective can help endorse a new social role (“getting into character”), and that relying on their human capital (“it’s a matter of perspective”) can help people cope with new age-related mindsets. Research limitations/implications The sample did not include individuals with serious physical or mental health problems at the time of the interviews. Practical implications The study identifies social, biological and psychological events related to ageing that have an impact on food practices, as well as moments and milestones for developing public policy campaigns to promote healthy eating. Originality/value The study gives insights into the place of food in the process of coping with ageing, showing that food can be either a problem to solve or a resource to help cope with social or psychological imbalances. The holistic view adopted contributes to identifying other events that impact food practices (and consequently health) during the ageing process.