Nutrition and Dementia – How Can I Help Optimise My Nutrition?

For individuals living with dementia, even simple daily activities like eating can become challenging due to physical, emotional, and cognitive changes. Nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining strength, mood, and overall quality of life — for both the person with dementia and their caregivers.

Below are practical, evidence-informed tips to help support healthy eating, maintain weight, and make mealtimes more enjoyable.

Memory-Related Challenges: Forgetting to Eat and Drink

One of the most common difficulties faced by people with dementia is forgetting to eat or drink. This can lead to weight loss, fatigue, or dehydration.

Strategies to Help Remember:

• Set Reminders: Use alarms, phone calls, or daily check-ins from friends, family, or carers. Sticky notes in visible spots can also serve as gentle cues.

• Organise in Advance: Plan a week of meals or snacks ahead, including times for eating.

• Keep Snacks Visible: Place healthy, ready-to-eat snacks (like yoghurt, muesli bars, or fruit) on the coffee table or dining bench.

• Eat Together: Sharing meals with others provides companionship and encourages regular eating.

• Pre-Packaged Meals: Home-delivered or frozen meals can reduce stress and ensure consistent nutrition.

• Offer Variety: Provide multiple small options at mealtimes (e.g., yoghurt, cereal, fruit, and juice at breakfast) to encourage eating.

Low Appetite: Encouraging Better Food Intake

Changes in taste, smell, or mood can often lead to reduced appetite. It’s important to make food enjoyable, nourishing, and easy to eat.

Tips to Boost Appetite:

• Small, Frequent Meals: Offer 5–6 smaller meals or snacks throughout the day rather than three large ones.

• Nourishing Drinks: Try full-cream milk, smoothies, or dietitian-prescribed supplements to prevent unintentional weight loss.

• Calorie-Dense Foods: Add energy-rich items like dips, cheese, crackers, avocado, baked beans, and custard.

• Prioritise Protein: Focus on the protein portion (e.g., eggs, meat, tofu, beans) to maintain muscle and strength.

Learn about Healthy Snacks on the Go: Dietitian Top Picks from Australian Supermarkets

Enhancing Mealtimes: Creating a Calm, Supportive Environment

The environment can make a significant difference in how well someone eats.

Practical Tips:

• Offer Finger Foods: For those who find cutlery challenging, finger foods like chicken nuggets, mini quiches, or vegetable sticks can make eating easier.

• Minimise Distractions: Turn off the TV and keep the dining area quiet and calm.

• Simplify Table Settings: Use plain, contrasting plates and tablecloths to help food stand out visually.

• Model Eating: Eat alongside the person to demonstrate and encourage participation.

• Familiar Foods: Stick to meals they recognise and enjoy from their past.

• Keep a Routine: Serve meals at consistent times each day to establish familiarity and comfort.

• Stay Patient: Allow plenty of time for meals, and approach each eating session with empathy and calm.

Additional Care Tips

• Hydration: Offer fluids regularly — water, smoothies, or soups. Use colourful cups or straws to make drinking easier.

• Comfortable Environment: Ensure the room is well-lit and the person is seated comfortably.

• Adaptive Utensils: Consider using utensils designed for people with reduced mobility or coordination.

• Engage the Senses: Use aromatic herbs and colourful foods to make meals more appealing.

• Encourage Gentle Activity: Short walks or light stretching can help stimulate appetite.

• Monitor Weight: Keep track of weight changes and seek professional guidance if you notice ongoing loss or gain.

Meal Plans for Brain Health

Structured meal plans can help take the stress out of daily food choices. Consider exploring our evidence-based nutrition programs designed to support brain and cognitive health:

• Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan (7 Days)

• Plant-Based Mediterranean Meal Plan (7 Days)

• Brain Support Meal Plan Program (7 Days)

Each plan has been created by our Accredited Practising Dietitians to promote energy, focus, and overall wellbeing — perfect for individuals managing cognitive decline or dementia.

Learn More

If you or a loved one is navigating dementia, our dietitians can help create a personalised nutrition plan tailored to individual needs, preferences, and challenges.

• Meet our team of dietitians

• Book an appointment online for tailored dementia nutrition support

• Or learn more about nutrition and brain health through our latest blogs and programs

If you’d like help creating a nutrition plan for yourself or a loved one living with dementia, our team of Accredited Practising Dietitians provides expert, compassionate care.

Contact Appetite for Nutrition today to arrange a consultation or explore our dementia-friendly meal plans and programs.

We offer both general nutrition consults and specialised dietitian support (Bariatrics, Women’s Health, Feeding Therapy, Eating Disorders, Gut Health, Sports Nutrition)  available online and in person across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Shepparton, Bendigo and Albury-Wodonga.

This blog was updated October 2025.