My aunt chews and spits out food but has no problem eating cookies, candy, anything sweet. It's like she can't swallow anything healthy.

People with mental challenges tend to go to the sweets. It is an immediate gratification. Its also been said we lose our ability to taste but can still taste sugar. Anything with sugar dissolves in the mouth so makes it easier to swallow.

I like the idea of giving her custards and puddings. I used to take Slimfast. I would put it in the freezer long enough to get it like a milkshake. Its pretty good. Could try it with Boost.

Make her oatmeal cookies. I have a recipe for pumpkin oatmeal cookies. Both are soft.

Sweets can be made healthier. Homemade puddings, especially custards with eggs.

Let her eat what she wants to eat. Just be happy she is eating at all. At her stage, what does it matter? People often apply nutrition goals for a healthy young adult to the elderly. They shouldn't. At that age, it's all about the calories. That is unless she is morbidly obese? Is she? Generally someone who doesn't eat is on the other end of the spectrum. Too thin.

Thanks for the info. She has dementia, not sure what stage. She was diagnosed about 5 years ago. Her memory has deteriorated, but she is fully functional in all other regards, to the point that she thinks that she is well.

I am assuming there is either Alzheimer's or dementia involved. If that is the case, the thinking process is often child-like. Please do not argue with her, it is one of the worse things to do. How would you deal with this if she were a child? I would strike a bargain. Something like, if you eat (whatever it is that is being served), you can have whatever the current desired junk food is that she wants. You may have to go so far as to bargain if she eats half, she can have the payoff.

Sweets tend to be foods with a soft texture (like cakes and ice cream) or that can dissolve in the mouth easily (like cookies and candies) may be easier to eat as well as delicious, meats and firm veggies on the other hand will never dissolve in the mouth no matter how much they are chewed so may be more difficult to swallow. If she isn't in the late stage of her dementia you might want to consider having her swallowing ability evaluated (usually this is done by a speech and language pathologist)