Mom isn't eating much and I worry she isn't getting adequate nutrition. Any suggestions for simple meals I can prepare?

If she can drink liquids pure-life-energy/exsula super foods makes a full nutritional spectrum product that you mix into juice or any other drink. its called Iridesca. The stuff works wonders, is easy to take and might completely solve your problem.

Hospice told me they had several patients that lived totally on Ensure because they could not or would not eat anything else. If she'll drink that, then she'll be okay, if she'll drink it with a little bit of what she will eat, she'll be okay.

try to find out the foods she liked when she was a child. Im sure she will remember what her mom made her that she liked . This will bring her a great deal of comfort as well as nutrition.

Thanks for the suggestions. She does eat eggs and mac and cheese and loves potatoes. I do give her food she likes and sometimes make myself something different that's healthier for me. But lately she doesn't even finish what she used to like. She does drink Ensure as a supplement. She isn't too frail really, but her poor appetite saddens me. I guess it is a sign of her gradual decline.

We are vegans and can suggest many wonderful and healthy meals. My grandmother has been like your Mom and what I did for her was sit down with a pen and paper and create a list of the things she feels like eating. Then I used that to make her meals. When I did that, I found that some of the things I was offering her was stuff she just didn't care for and so wasn't eating. When I started making what she did want, she ate more. I also recommend offering frequent smaller meals instead of three big ones. My grandmother would have cravings for things like white beans with hot sauce! I always give her a multivitamin. You can get them in liquid form online.

Lots of old people like eggs, so you could make an omelet or frittata with some vegetables in it. You would need to use egg whites for your serving. Eggs are very nutritious, especially if she isn't getting enough calories. You could make her something appealing like mac and cheese, and just have a small portion yourself along with a salad or a big portion of vegetables.

Home-made chicken soup? Will she eat applesauce? or canned fruit? they would be easy to chew, and help keep her regular. There's always Ensure, if she likes that. She probably won't want to eat salads or fresh fruit because they might upset her stomach.

At 97 or 98, I would give her anything she wants. She won't live forever, and her decreasing appetite is probably part of the slowing down process. It's sad, but natural.