Dietary Changes
Hello!
I have found this site very helpful thus far, and am hopeful for any advice regarding meals. My DH is late Stage 5 and moving into Stage 6 (DBAT). Before AD, he had a vast palate and would eat anything I cooked. From simple to complex flavors, textures, tastes, etc….and I have always enjoyed experimenting with recipes. I understand the "why" behind the changes, so I am asking what foods have you found your LO to enjoy?
For instance, for breakfast he will only eat pancakes, waffles or French toast, and I understand the cravings for the sweets. He refuses any type of egg dish. No cereal or oatmeal. Any ideas of what to do once he tires of pancakes/waffles/French toast?
Dinner has come down to simple hard shell tacos, Caesar salads, burgers/fries, steak and baked potato. That is about it! Absolutely no chicken, pasta and rarely fish. Sometimes all he wants for dinner is a baked potato and ice cream!
I am of the firm belief and understanding that my husband is suffering from a terminal disease, and as our neurologist shared, our job is to give my DH the best life for the days he has left on this earth. I will give him what sounds good to him….but, my problem is fewer and fewer things sound good, and I am finding that after repeating an item too long he tires of it and then I lost that option.
What have your LOs enjoyed as their AD progressed?
Thank you and God bless you all as caregivers!!
PS I know a lot of advice is given to the caregiver about making sure to eat healthy even when your LO is not. I am doing that as I know I have to do everything I can to remain well in order to take care of my DH.
Answers
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My DW is in the middle of stage 6 now. Back in stage 5 she started to refuse food that she loved like bacon and eggs, BBQ chicken and others. She just likes anything sweet. She will eat cereal and oatmeal as long as it is loaded with sugar. For lunch or dinner just a PB+J sandwich or any kind of pasta. When she tires of the food I just circle back to something she hasn’t had in a while. Seems like all she wants these days is sweets. I am now cooking for two different palates. All we can do is keep them happy as the disease progresses.
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My DW is similar. She only wants to eat cinnamon French toast sticks for breakfast and a side of bacon. I'm going to try switching her to oatmeal. It's much better for her digestive system. She ate some bananas this morning. Yogurt is supposed to be a good choice. Bananas are great if your DH will eat them. For dinner, will he accept white rice and a pork chops or mashed potatoes? We have to constantly adjust. There is no right answer. I hope you find something that works.
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Thank you very much for sharing! It helps to know what others do and that we are all in the same boat. Blessings on your journey with your DW!
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Yes, My DH used to love sausage but now has switched to bacon. I assume the saltiness is tasty. I tried oatmeal loaded with cinnamon and brown sugar but all I received is "this is s#*t." lol! I forgot to mention he does like fruit-filled greek yogurt and I am grateful for that. And yes, bananas are added to the daily pancakes/waffles/French toast so that makes me feel better. He will eat apples too. I am going to try apples and peanut butter…just thought of that. Thanks for responding and your ideas! Blessings to you as we journey this challenging road!
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We have gone to casserole type dishes for supper. That way I can get the protein, veggies, and carbs all in one dish. Pretty easy to make out of whatever you have laying around. It also makes it easier to eat out of a bowl with a spoon. DW cannot manage a fork and plate to well or cut things up on a plate. Breakfast is always PBJ toast.
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It doesn’t sound like you have too terrible of a problem on your hands. If he’s still eating, not losing weight and can actually feed himself you’re ahead of the game. It might be more that you’re getting tired of it than him. We’ve probably all experienced something like this. Try mixing fruit in the waffles like blueberries or bananas. Maybe try a hamburger with mushroom gravy instead of on a bun. But honestly, I wouldn’t worry about it. If this is actually his desire then that’s one less agitation factor.
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My DH is right there too. All he wants is sweets. He will eat maybe half of a small portion of something. Doesn't eat veg. Doesn't like pasta . Will eat eggs.
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How about zucchini and/or carrot bread or muffins etc. just to get a bit of veggies in. These can also go into pancakes, adding cinnamon and nutmeg. Fruit smoothies with yogurt, bananas and berries (sneak some spinach in).
I agree with one-pot dishes that include (brown) rice, noodles or potatoes with veggies. Also macaroni and cheese with pureed butternut squash, sweet potato or cauliflower stirred in. There is a yummy butternut squash soup out there that could be used in the mac and cheese.
If you search the Internet, look for recipes for picky kids.
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Think about where and when he grew up, and try to make things he would have eaten from ages 4-6. For my dad, small-town Oklahoma in the 30s and 40s, that's chicken, root vegetables, no seasoning. For my spouse it was Spaghettios, Jell-O, anything with cream of mushroom soup.
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DW, stage 5, is getting pickier also. She still eats most things but not as much and not all the time. Definitely likes the sweeter stuff, ice cream is a daily staple. Since her doctors are concerned about her weight I don’t care if she eats it every day. She still will eat yogurt but sometimes complains about the texture (?) and taste. Cereal and PB & J are always a good fallbacks as well. Recently tried to get her to eat some higher calorie protein bars during the day. Mixed results so far on that but she will eat them if I leave it out near her chair.
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My DH ate scrambled eggs all his life. One morning I fixed eggs, sausage, grits and toast and he looked at it and stated "I don't like eggs" I was so shocked that I answered him "since when?" and then I felt so bad. I knew since when. Since dementia. He would eat waffles & sausage. He would eat Raisin Bran cereal with half a banana that he sliced himself for awhile. He would eat the Healthy Choice bowls for dinner. He would eat spaghetti & meatballs, beef stew, chicken & yellow rice, pizza & hot dogs and mostly anything in a bowl he could eat with a spoon. Try pudding with fruit for breakfast. I could also get him to drink Splenda chocolate protein shakes and I would sometimes add ice cream to make a milkshake.
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Keeping up with the frequent changes in my husband’s food preferences can be challenging. He used to love sushi, baby back ribs, pizza, and pastas. Then he went through the everything sweets phase along with taquitos and spring rolls. Oh, and Bush’s canned baked beans were often his “meal”. Now it’s BLT sandwiches and hot dogs, just the dog, no bun. Luckily he’ll still eat fruit, Greek yogurt, and loves Premier protein drinks and MOSH bars.
Early on in the disease I tried to steer him toward healthier options, now (stage 5) he gets what he wants.2 -
Great idea to try casseroles so everything is combined and included! Thanks!
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You are right! Thanks for the honesty and encouragement! One day at a day, right?!
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Great ideas….thank you!
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Thanks for your response! You gave me some ideas, for sure!
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I could not agree more….I feed my DH what he will eat and when I can "sneak" some healthy food in a disguise, I will….and when I cannot, at least his belly is full and he is getting some calories. There is just so much we can do to get them to eat, more less healthy at this stage.
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Great idea! I never thought about that!
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Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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