How to Help Your Elderly Loved One Eat with No Appetite

“With a good meal, we nourish our bodies. With those we love, we nourish our hearts. And when we overflow with nourishment, we can live beautiful lives.” *

Encouraging your elderly loved ones to eat even small meals when they aren’t hungry can be difficult. But you can help them get the nutrients they need by making minor adjustments! 

However, first things first, you want to ensure that the cause of their appetite loss is not something serious or a side effect of a medication they are taking. Once you have ruled out these issues, navigating your loved one’s food journey will be easier.

With continued effort, you will figure out the best means of increasing their food consumption in due time. Below are a few tips and meal ideas from the team at Home Care Associates to get you started.

Give Your Loved One Choices

As your elderly loved one ages, they naturally need a bit more assistance, making them feel like they’ve lost their independence. By simply allowing them to choose what they want to eat, you help them feel more in control of their life. This will also help you figure out what types of meals or flavors are currently their favorites to avoid a poor appetite.

Make the Flavors Stronger

Another possible issue could be that their ability to taste is fading, making foods taste a bit flavorless. Add more seasonings or more robust flavors to their meals to increase the amount of flavor they experience from their food.

Easy-to-Eat Meals

One way to increase your loved one’s caloric intake and promote a healthy weight is to find high-calorie, easy-to-eat meals they enjoy and serve them often. Adding visually appealing foods with different textures can also encourage your loved one to eat more. These may include:

  • Shepherd’s pie
  • Soup, Chowder, or Stew
  • Tuna or Chicken Salad
  • Oatmeal
  • Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
  • Chili
  • Meatloaf
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Butter Them Up with Home Care Associates

Being the person in charge of ensuring your elderly loved one is eating enough can be difficult. So, if you find yourself struggling and want help, Home Care Associates offers various in-home care services that provide families with skilled and trained professionals to assist their loved ones.

If you or someone you know is looking to hire a senior in-home caregiver around Birmingham or Mobile, Alabama, contact us at (205) 206-9594.

* Poem by Hannah LaFleur