Does anyone have meal or snack ideas that I can give my dad?

Focus on protein and good fats. As we age we need more of both for staying healthy.

I recommend adding a daily probiotic and magnesium for everyone. Up to 80% of Americans are magnesium deficient and our guts are shot from eating meat treated with antibiotics, not to mention the ones we ingest for illness.

High fiber foods can bulk up BMs but, you have to be careful when doing that to make sure that he is hydrating enough or it could result in a nasty impaction.

My dad enjoys chocolate almond milk with no added sugar, that is a great way for him to stay hydrated and get extra calories. If your dad likes milkshakes it is a great replacement for ice cream, just freeze in ice cube trays, throw some nuts, and fruit in a blender with some of the frozen almond milk and you have a tasty, nutritious snack.

I would encourage you to ask his doctor for a referral to a dietitian. I was not expecting the amount of help I received in feeding a diabetic with heart and kidney disease. So many restrictions and yet she made it so simple to feed him.

My dad said that he has a hard time chewing, he too has lost lots of weight and his teeth no longer fit properly, wouldn't want to burden a dentist, grrrrr! Anyway, fixing foods that don't require chewing seems to be very popular with all the older people that I interact with, so I recommend that you have a Ninja or Vitamix and you can easily make a porridge out of most anything you cook. I find that using bone broth and cream as my liquid really amps up the flavors and adds loads of nutrition and calories. They make great nut butters for spreading on lightly toasted bread and using monk fruit to sweeten won't raise his blood sugar.

Feeding our seniors healthy fats also helps them stay warmer.

I hope you find items that your dad will eat.

Hi Caregiver510. My Mom is not eating as much as she used to. She has dementia and is also diabetic. Even when she says she’s not hungry, she’ll eat when given a small plate of food. Sometimes teeth create issues for the elderly and what they can comfortably eat. We just had shredded chicken (boiled boneless chicken thighs), Velveeta mac and cheese, and peas. She ate well. She also likes Boston Market chicken pot pie, mashed potatoes, sliced deli turkey, stuffing, hard boiled eggs, Tuna fish in pita pockets as easier to hold than a sandwich, soft fruit cups ( pears, peaches, mandarin oranges). Prune juice or Raisin Bran each day, banana milk shake (just a banana and milk in blender). As far as a BM each day, don’t stress over / or count on that. If after two days with no action, I double up on Raisin Bran and prune juice and will see results next morning. Lack of activity, hydration, and just slower system all contribute to activity. I’m always pushing the fluids. Also I give a stool softener (not stimulant) in AM and PM for years. Usually action every other day, sometimes two days in a row. You get used to their cycles and what makes them regular. I hope something I’ve mentioned helps. Good luck. Oh, be careful if adding fiber to his diet. I did so too quickly and Mom had terrible gas pains. Introduce higher fiber foods slowly.

My mom will nibble on those prepackaged cheese/nut snacks in the dairy case, and I have been known to eat them at work if we are too busy to grab a meal ( those 12 hour shifts are long and we are not always able to grab a "meal" )

Hi! there should be lots of information that could help on the site. Click on Care Topics on the top right of the screen, then on D for Diet, C for Constipation, and anything else that might help. Good luck!

Dear "Caregiver510,"

My mom basically stopped eating when she was released from the hospital and the rehab facility after having COVID. She is only pre-diabetic but, I would bring her "Kozy Shack's Simply Well" Tapioca and Rice Pudding Cups - there are 5 grams of sugar in them as opposed to 19 grams and 15 grams respectively. I had been giving her the "Atkins Protein Shakes" until hospice entered the picture and they wanted her to be on Ensure because it provided more calories.

Metamucil puts out flavored Fiber Wafer Thins that contain 6 grams of sugar and come in Apple Crisp, Chocolate and Cinnamon Spice flavors. I would ask his doctor if those would be ok first as they can be a little pricey.

Good luck!

Egg Bites! I make the fixings for a frittata and I pour into a regular or mini cupcake pan, fill 3/4, bake 10-15 min @350. They are easy to make, store and re-heat.

The sweets from Atkins and other low carb food companies have sugar alcohols that make a lot of people go (sometimes too much, especially with maltitol!) Also one tablet daily of NOW magnesium citrate does the trick for a lot of people. The bottle says to take 2 a day, but that's probably too much daily magnesium. The downside of this pill is that it's rather large, so if he has trouble swallowing, that wouldn't work.

People on the keto diet make what they call "fat bombs". They are low carb but rich in fat. Google recipes for fat bombs, and you'll come up with a lot of options.

I would start by looking for one dish meals. Things like shepherds pie. Many others are out there. I used them for my lunch box. Make good snacks.
Eating by the clock works if you have appointments, otherwise eat according to your stomach and eat as much or as little as you like.
I left small bowls of fruit and flavored water out for Luz. She never went hungry or thirsty. She still lost weight but was otherwise healthy.
Cornbread mini muffins are good to have around. Munch all day on them or hoe cakes, eat them like cookies.
A tray or bowl of fruits or veggies set out worked as well.

As to everyday, forget that. As we age everything slows down. Let nature take her course. Trying to force a bm at 3:00 pm. everyday can lead to hemrhoids and that can be dangerous.
If no action for three days talk to your doctor. These are my experiences with me and my wife.

Five small meals might fill the nutritious needs.

Good luck to you

Think of it this way, what goes in comes out. If he is not eating he isn't going to go #2 everyday. They used to do start pumping my Mom with laxatives when she was in the hospital because...she didn't go everyday. She never had a BM every day.

First Dad is 87. The elderly don't eat a lot then u add Dementia to that. People suffering from Dementia think they have already eaten so won't eat again. Some forget they ate. So you have two things going on here. As we age, we also lose muscle mass and will lose weight because of it.

I agree, I would talk to a nutritionist. He may not need as much food as you think he does. Just needs to watch his sugar levels.

Focus on upping the calories of what he does eat - full fat dairy, cream and cheese, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, oils like butter or margarine, salad dressings and proteins like meat, eggs (custards), beans/legumes (although chewing and swallowing meat can be problematic for many older people so concentrate on moist, tender options)

As to the regular bowel movements - normal isn't necessarily every day, as long as he isn't constipated (ie struggling to pass hard stools) don't get too obsessed about that. Make sure he is getting a balanced diet and enough fluids.

Because he is diabetic I would consult with a nutritionist. In the meantime, there is a product from Nestle called Benecalorie, and in each 1 and 1/2 ounce container it has 330 calories, 7 grams of protein and it doesn't appear to have sugar in it. You shake it up and add it to food for a boost.

I've been adding heavy cream to everything, 1 TB is 45 or 50 calories so it's very easy to get an extra 200 calories into mashed potatoes, or even soup.

When my mother in law was losing weight during chemo her oncologist said to give her ensure with ice cream added.