Getting someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s to eat a nutritious meal can be challenging for a caregiver. The person may have a poor appetite or little interest in food, may forget to eat, or may even forget that he or she has already eaten. Various Alzheimer’s organizations have provided tips to help make mealtime easier.

• Limit distractions. Serve meals in a quiet place so that the person can focus on eating. Turn off the television, radio, and telephone ringer.
• Keep the table setting simple. Remove flowers, centerpieces, and condiments. Use only the utensils needed for the meal.
• Avoid patterned dishes, tablecloths, and place mats that might confuse the person. Changes in visual and spatial abilities may make it tough for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s to distinguish the food from the plate.
• Check the food temperature. The elderly person might not be able to tell if a food or beverage is too hot to eat or drink.
• Serve only one or two foods at a time.
• Be flexible about food. The person may suddenly develop new food preferences or reject foods that he or she may have liked in the past.
• Give your loved one plenty of time to eat. Remind him to chew and swallow carefully.
• Eat together. Make meals an enjoyable social event so that he or she looks forward to the experience. Set up a regular mealtime.
• Encourage independence. Allow the person to eat from a bowl instead of a plate, with a spoon instead of a fork, even with his or her hands if it’s easier.
• Don’t worry about neatness. Let the person feed himself as much as possible. Consider getting plates with suction cups and no-spill glasses.

Finger foods

One way to encourage independence is by serving finger foods, which are ideal for people who have difficulty using cutlery. This way of eating can provide a boost to self-esteem and confidence at mealtimes, and may help to revive a flagging interest in food or a poor appetite. They can also be served in between meals. If finger foods are rejected to start with, try offering them again at other mealtimes over several days. The Alzheimer’s Association warns to avoid nuts, popcorn, and raw carrots, as these foods can cause choking; caregivers should learn how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, just in case.

Here are some categories of finger foods:

Breads and cereals

Try a variety of breads, and keep sandwiches small (you can cut them into quarters or “fingers”).

• Toast, bread rolls, biscuits, scones, or muffins, with butter
• Crackers with soft cheese or pâté
• Pancakes or waffles
• Soft cereal bars
• Sandwiches with soft fillings such as egg, tuna, cheese, ham, or peanut butter; grilled cheese
• Bread roll-ups: Take slices of medium-thick fresh bread, cut off the crusts, and spread with butter. Spread thinly with a soft, sticky filling, such as soft cheese or pâté. Take one end of the bread and roll it up and—voila!—you have a bread roll-up!

Meat, fish, and alternatives

Meat that is dry may be difficult to eat, so try to keep it moist.

• Red meat or chicken breast, cut into pieces; chicken fingers
• Hamburgers, meatballs, sausages, hot dogs, or slices of meat loaf
• Fish fillet, fish fingers, small fishcakes
• Vegetable burgers or vegetarian sausages
• Quiche or pizza
• Hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• Cheese cubes
• Kebabs

Fruit

Fruit can be peeled; the peel may make it difficult for the person to grip the pieces—particularly fruits such as peaches and nectarines. The fruit can also be served with a yogurt dip. You can add fruit to pies for dessert—make (or buy) individual-size pies.

• Slices of apple or pear
• Melon wedges
• Pineapple chunks or rings
• Orange segments
• Slices of kiwi fruit
• Strawberries or raspberries
• Apricots, cut into halves
• Nectarines or peaches, cut into slices or chunks
• Seedless grapes
• Bananas, whole or sliced
• Dried fruit: ready-to-eat apricots, pears, apple rings, or prunes

Vegetables

Vegetables can be steamed, boiled, or served raw (with a dip, if desired), depending on what the person can manage.

• Broccoli florets
• Cauliflower florets
• Carrots (not raw), cut up
• Brussels sprouts
• Green beans
• Cucumber slices or sticks
• Celery sticks or pieces
• Cherry tomatoes or salad tomatoes, sliced or cut into wedges
• Sliced bell peppers
• Mushrooms

Potatoes

• Potato wedges, oven baked or fried (you can also use sweet potatoes)
• Small, roasted potatoes
• Boiled potatoes, whole or halved, with or without skin
• Plantain slices or cubes, fried

And remember to offer drinks regularly throughout the day.