You're not alone if your aging loved ones struggle to work up an appetite before mealtime. Below, we explore some tips on how to cope when seniors just aren't hungry.
Caregivers Struggle to Nourish Seniors With No Appetite
Getting seniors who have no appetite to eat can be a challenge.
There are many reasons why some older adults lose their appetite or refuse to eat.
But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re worried about them and are doing your best to give them the nutrition they need.
Sometimes, simple changes can make a big difference. We share six suggestions for encouraging seniors who have lost their appetite to eat.
When trying these ideas, be patient, be creative, keep experimenting, and do your best not to get discouraged.
First, rule out serious health problems
The first and most important thing to do is rule out severe health conditions, medication side effects, or dental problems as the cause of their loss of appetite.
If these issues aren’t causing the loss of appetite, your best bet is to experiment with different ways to get your older adult to eat.
6 Ways To Get Seniors With No Appetite To Eat
1. Have a regular meal and snack schedule
Having a regular daily routine and serving food at roughly the same times every day helps their body be ready to eat at those times.
Please don’t rely on an older adult’s ability to feel their hunger (it declines with age) before giving them food.
2. Serve smaller portions of high-nutrient foods
Some people may feel overwhelmed if they see too much food before them. Instead of a big plate, serve smaller portions.
Or, you could try switching to a daily routine where your older adult eats five small meals instead of 3 larger ones.
Boost the healthy calories in those smaller servings by adding:
- Avocado
- Finely chopped meat, cheese, egg
- Olive oil
- Peanut or other nut butters
- Soft cheeses like ricotta or mascarpone
To save time, you can still cook food in larger batches. Store it in smaller containers so it’s easy to heat and serve.
3. Reduce the need for utensils
The frustration of being unable to use a spoon, fork, or knife could make some older adults not want to eat.
To help them eat more efficiently, try serving foods that can be eaten without utensils or trying adaptive utensils.
Some suggestions:
- Chicken strips or nuggets
- Fish sticks
- Steamed or raw veggies like carrots, broccoli, bell pepper strips, or cucumber pieces
- Meatballs
4. Have plenty of easy-to-eat snacks on hand
Some people prefer to graze throughout the day rather than eat full meals. That’s ok, too.
Keep plenty of healthy, delicious, and easy-to-eat snacks available so they’re choosing from nutritious options.
Some suggestions:
- Cheese sticks or string cheese
- Full-fat yogurt
- Diced fruit, fresh or packaged
- Peanut butter and crackers
- Cheese and crackers
- Full-fat cottage cheese
- Whole milk or chocolate milk
5. Make milkshakes or smoothies
If chewing is difficult or tiring, consider serving softer or more liquidy foods even with small pieces of food.
Some suggestions:
- Nutritious soups – enhanced with cream, olive oil, or pureed meats and veggies
- Healthy smoothies – add bananas, fruit, full-fat yogurt, or veggies like carrots and spinach
- Hot cocoa
- Full-fat milk
- Milkshakes – good quality ice cream is better than eating nothing!
Important: This is not a safe solution for those with dysphagia (swallowing problems).
6. Keep track of what works
Take notes so you can keep track of the foods your family member enjoys, things they don’t like, and things that might be difficult to eat or digest.
You can also track what times of day they’re more willing to eat or when they have a better appetite.
Keeping track lets you experiment more with things that are working and avoid those that aren’t.
Next Step Get 9 more ideas for encouraging seniors with no appetite to eat
Recommended for you:
- Why Do Seniors Lose Their Appetites? 10 Possible Reasons
- 9 More Ways to Get Seniors with No Appetite to Eat
- 6 Ideas to Get Seniors to Drink More Water
About the Author
Connie Chow
Connie was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also knows how important support is — especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.
I make my mom a fruit shake made with strawberry Haggen Das ice cream, half and half, 1/2 “Very Vanilla” Boost, and strawberries, banana, blueberries or peaches. I make extra so I can save the rest for another time. Also, root beer floats. It’s really difficult to get her to eat !
That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I don’t know what you think of this but my mum who is 96 enjoys a glass of red wine. In France we say that wine opens your appetite!
Thanks for sharing! Yes, a small serving of alcohol can work well as an appetite stimulant as long as they enjoy it and it’s safe for their health conditions and medications (check with their doctor first).
It’s #8 in our companion article 9 More Ways to Get Seniors with No Appetite to Eat https://dailycaring.com/9-more-ways-to-get-seniors-with-no-appetite-to-eat/
Hi; Taking care of my 92 yr old father-in-law, he had shingles, heart-attack and now ernia, he has pain, appetite loss, sleeps a lot and is starting to have memory loss, since about last august. He lives next to us. If nobody would be there at mealtime he would not eat, he says he doesn’t smell or have any taste for food. He’s lost about 10 to 15 pounds since then. We try motivating him anyway we can but now at our wits end, help Lynn
Since your father-in-law is living with several serious health conditions, it may be helpful to see the doctor for a full review of all his current medications. It’s possible that some medication may be affecting his appetite or changing his ability to taste or smell.
Another thing to discuss with the doctor is pain management. When someone is in a lot of pain, that can cause them to lose their appetite as well.
This article may also give some additional ideas of things that may be affecting his appetite – 10 Reasons Why Seniors Lose Their Appetite https://dailycaring.com/why-do-seniors-lose-their-appetites/
My uncle has loose dentures. He uses a denture fixative, but it only works up to a point. To make eating more pleasant, I follow many of the recommendations above. I love to maintain a (flexible) routine. Cutting food up very small pieces helps enormously. In addition, I have some tips: 1. play classical music during mealtimes 2. use a bib to protect garments 3. use the person’s favourite plates and dishes 4. eat together 5. make conversation at mealtimes and 6. occasionally make a chocolate malted: approx. 1/2 cup chocolate ice cream, 1/2 cup milk, 3 tablespoons Briess Traditional Dark Dry Malt Extract. Blend and serve!!! (This reminds many older adults of after-school drugstore counter soda fountain Chocolate Malteds of the 1920’s – 40’s.)
It’s wonderful that you’ve found strategies that work well for your uncle. Thank you for sharing these great tips and the delicious recipe!
I make a smoothie for myself I’m 85 , and for people who like fruit:
Juice of 1 orange
Half a banana
Good tablespoon of berries ( frozen are good )
Blend together and drink .
That sounds delicious and nutritious! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I love everything i had .l also need help with mother that she have a loss of appetite ever since she fall on the bed and crack the groin bone .My mother is 86years.
We’re so sorry to hear about your mother’s fall. Hopefully the suggestions in this article will be helpful. We’ve also got more suggestions here – 9 More Ways to Get Seniors with No Appetite to Eat https://dailycaring.com/9-more-ways-to-get-seniors-with-no-appetite-to-eat/
Hi, thts all great ideas; but my dad is 82 and can’t have alot of those foods. He’s a diabetic w kidney issues as well as other things.
So wht do I do?
Since your dad has specific dietary restrictions, it would be best to ask his doctor or nutritionist for advice. They can make recommendations that are safe and healthy for him.
This doesnt help if the senior has been picky about food since they were three, theyre taste buds are gone because they are so old and all they can taste are foods high in sugar and salt, and they have high blood pressure and diabetes so those foods are not allowed. I take care of a 92 year old that eats the same breakfast everyday, 2 different lunches, and two different dinners, as over an 8 year period of time, they have stopped liking almost everything. Soon, she will probably have to be fed intraveiniously or tubes into her stomach directly, as well as water/fluid intake, as she refuses to drink liquids as well.
That’s definitely a challenging situation. In cases like these where someone has strong preferences and serious health conditions, it may be best to work with a doctor and nutritionist to find foods that will work for the person’s specific needs.
In case it’s helpful, we’ve got some suggestions on how to encourage someone to take in more fluids – 6 Ideas to Get Seniors to Drink More Water https://dailycaring.com/6-ideas-to-get-seniors-to-drink-more-water/
My mom is 98 and her appetite is not as good as before. She has coffee with almond milk with crackers in the morning. After that she don’t want to eat. She likes vanilla wafers cookies and sips on water during the day. Dinner time she don’t want to eat like before I would have to spoon feed her and beg her to take some bites what can I do to get her appetite back
Hopefully some of the above suggestions will be helpful in encouraging your mom to eat. You may also want to investigate to see if you can find the cause for her loss of appetite. This article might be helpful — Why Do Seniors Lose Their Appetites? 10 Possible Reasons https://dailycaring.com/why-do-seniors-lose-their-appetites/
Coffee is a natural appetite suppresant. i would oust the coffee.
Everyone’s body responds differently to different foods and drinks. Some may find coffee to reduce their appetite and others might not be affected. The only way to know what works for someone’s specific tastes and body is to test it out.