2<\/p>\n It’s not fully understood why dementia can change people’s food preferences and habitsCredit: Getty<\/p>\n “A person\u2019s eating or drinking habits may change when they have dementia<\/a>,” Angelo Makri, senior knowledge officer for wellbeing at Alzheimer’s<\/a> Society, tells Sun Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n “They could experience changes in how much food they eat and when and what food they prefer.”<\/p>\n Your loved one might reach for foods you remember them disliking, or put together some unusual flavour combinations. <\/p>\n “It is not fully understood why people with\u00a0dementia\u00a0will change food preferences,” Angelo says.<\/p>\n “We know that\u00a0dementia\u00a0affects the ability to smell<\/a>, which in turn will affect the ability to taste, and this appears to be caused by damage to smell receptors.<\/p>\n Changes in behaviour <\/p>\n “The person may then want to eat foods with stronger flavours<\/a> as they are more able to taste them than milder, more subtly flavoured foods.”<\/p>\n Common symptoms of dementia<\/a> – such as memory loss and difficulties with thinking and problem solving – can also change people’s behaviour at the dinner table.<\/p>\n Some may lose interest in meals and want to eat less, while others may veer in the other direction – overeating<\/a> because they’ve forgotten they’ve already eaten or because they seem concerned about when the next meal is coming.<\/p>\n These changes to food habits and preference can affect people at different stages of their diagnosis. <\/p>\n “In terms of when this might happen, it is very difficult to say as the symptoms of\u00a0dementia\u00a0can vary considerably from one person to another,” Angelo explains. <\/p>\n The 14 science-backed ways to prevent dementia<\/p>\n “Some people will only start to experience these changes as their\u00a0dementia\u00a0progresses whereas others may experience changes in taste and smell months or years before they are diagnosed or before they notice any other symptoms.”<\/p>\n But Angelo notes: “Changes in behaviour aren\u2019t always cause for concern, even though it can be upsetting to see your relative do things that are out of character.\u202f”<\/p>\n Here, we go through six signs of dementia you may notice in a loved one at dinnertime. <\/p>\n 1. Sweet cravings<\/p>\n As dementia <\/a>progresses, it can change people’s tastes and food preferences, according to Angelo.<\/p>\n “They may start to enjoy flavours they never liked before, or dislike foods they always liked,” he says. <\/p>\n “It\u2019s not unusual for the person to begin to want sweet foods more than they used to.” <\/p>\n 2. Forgetting vegetarianism<\/p>\n “Sometimes people with\u00a0dementia\u00a0make food choices that don\u2019t match their usual beliefs or preferences,” Angelo goes on.<\/p>\n “For example, a person who has been a lifelong vegetarian<\/a> may want to eat meat.”<\/p>\n This can happen because:<\/p>\n Their preference has changed\u00a0They remember eating meat before becoming vegetarian They’ve forgotten they don\u2019t eat meat\u00a0They see you or someone else eating meat and want the same, without knowing what it is.\u00a0<\/p>\n This can also happen to people who’ve abstained from specific foods due to religion<\/a>. <\/p>\n “For example, a person who doesn’t eat pork, or only eats fish on certain days for religious reasons,” Angelo says. <\/p>\n 3. Mistaking objects for food<\/p>\n “As\u00a0dementia\u00a0progresses, a person may put things that aren\u2019t food into their mouth, such as napkins or soap,” according to Angelo.<\/p>\n “There could be several reasons for this.<\/p>\n “For example, the person may no longer recognise the item, or they may be hungry and mistake the item for food.”\u00a0<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n A person with dementia may crave foods they’ve never liked before or go for sweeter and saltier treatsCredit: Getty4. Eating more than usual<\/p>\n Notice your loved one snacking lots more than they used to?<\/p>\n “A person\u2019s\u00a0dementia\u00a0mean that they forget they\u2019ve already eaten,” Angelo says. <\/p>\n \u202f”Sometimes we eat when we\u2019re bored or we need comfort,” he points out. <\/p>\n “Was there a time in their earlier life when they worried about where their next meal was coming from?<\/p>\n “If so, this might make them feel they need to eat as much as possible while they can.” <\/p>\n 5. Mealtime confusion<\/p>\n You might notice your loved one gets confused about when mealtimes are.<\/p>\n This can happen if they’ve had recent changes to their routine or moved home. <\/p>\n “This might cause them to overeat, not eat enough as they are not hungry yet, or seek food more often than usual,” Angelo says. <\/p>\n 6. Struggling to eat <\/p>\n As dementia begins to erode at someone’s memory and problem solving, the physical act of eating and drinking can become harder – meaning they mat eat less than they used to.<\/p>\n “A person with\u00a0dementia\u00a0may struggle to recognise the food and drink<\/a> in front of them,” Angelo explains. <\/p>\n “Or they may be unsure how to begin eating or using cutlery.<\/p>\n Early signs of dementia <\/p>\n It’s not unusual for your memory to lapse a bit as you get older. <\/p>\n But dementia is different from ‘just getting old’ as it will cause noticeable – rather than gradual – changes to mental abilities and make managing everyday tasks and activities increasingly difficult. <\/p>\n The symptoms of dementia may be small to start with, but get worse over time.<\/p>\n Below are some examples of possible signs. <\/p>\n Memory loss<\/p>\n Memory loss is a key sign of dementia. This can include: <\/p>\n Forgetting something you were only recently told. You may ask for the same information repeatedly \u2013 for example, ‘Are the doors locked?’Putting objects in unusual places \u2013 for example, putting your house keys in the refrigerator.Being unable to learn new tasks, like how to use a new washing machine.<\/p>\n Planning and decision making issues<\/p>\n People with dementia can have difficulty with planning and decision making. This can include: <\/p>\n Getting very confused when planning or thinking things through.Struggling to stay focused on a single task.Not making informed, careful decisions when dealing with money or looking at risks.Finding it hard to manage regular payments, budgets or monthly bills.<\/p>\n Problems with language and understanding <\/p>\n In people with dementia, this can manifest as:<\/p>\n Having frequent problems finding the right word or regularly referring to objects as ‘that thing’.Finding it hard to take part in conversations.Regularly being unable to follow what someone is saying even without distractions.<\/p>\n Losing sense of time and place <\/p>\n Dementia can cause problems with orientation, including: <\/p>\n Losing track of the date, season or the passage of time.Getting lost in a place that is familiar or that should be easy to find your way around \u2013 for example, a supermarket.Regularly being unable to follow what someone is saying even without distractions.<\/p>\n Problems with vision and perception <\/p>\n This can mean having problems making sense of what you see.<\/p>\n For example, having difficulty judging distances on stairs, or mistaking reflections or patterns for other objects.<\/p>\n Mood and behavioural changes <\/p>\n Finally, dementia can also make people act differently or shift their mood. This can mean:<\/p>\n Becoming withdrawn and losing interest in work, friends or hobbies.Feeling unusually sad, anxious, frightened or low in confidence.Getting easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places that usually feel comfortable or familiar.<\/p>\n Source: Alzheimer’s Society<\/a> <\/p>\n “Unfamiliar food or food that looks different to how it normally does can cause difficulties.<\/p>\n “Dementia\u00a0can also cause problems with co-ordination. People with\u00a0dementia\u00a0may struggle to pick up or grip items, such as cutlery or a glass.<\/p>\n “They may also have trouble putting food into their mouth or they may not open their mouth to take in food and may need reminding to do so.”<\/p>\n DINNER TWEAKS FOR DEMENTIA PATIENTS<\/p>\n If you notice your loved one is overeating as a side-effect of their dementia, it could be a good idea to switch out high calorie foods for lower calorie versions<\/a>.<\/p>\n If the person is not eating enough, consider giving them some higher calorie foods<\/a> – but check in with their GP<\/a> first to make sure this won’t negatively affect their health, Angelo notes. <\/p>\n “Speak to the GP before making any major changes to diet \u2013 there could be physical or medical reasons causing the changes,” he explains. <\/p>\n “The GP can also check whether their health is being affected by changes in their eating habits.<\/p>\n “For example, whether they\u2019re putting on weight or their blood pressure<\/a> or cholesterol<\/a> is at an unhealthy level.\u202f<\/p>\n “It\u2019s important to look at whether your relative is drinking enough, as thirst can be mistaken for hunger.<\/p>\n “Not having enough water can also lead to headaches, increased confusion,\u202furinary tract infections\u202fand constipation.”<\/p>\n Other ways you could help include:\u00a0<\/p>\n Using herbs and spices, sauces and chutneys to enhance the flavours\u00a0of a meal. Adding small amounts of syrup, jam or honey to puddings to increase sweetness.\u00a0Following along with what your loved one wants to eat, even if the food combinations seem unusual.\u00a0Substituting big meals for more frequent, smaller meals and healthy snacks throughout the day. Switching to finger foods if the person is having trouble using cutlery. Making sure everyone involved in the person\u2019s care is aware of their food preferences\u00a0\u00a0Putting away non-food items which could be mistaken for food, and locking away any harmful substances like cleaning products. Trying to minimise clutter on the\u00a0table, for example, by seasoning meals in the\u00a0kitchen, so that the salt and pepper shakers and spice containers are not on the table. Using meal delivery services to make food preparation easier and make sure meals are nutritious.<\/p>\n![\"Senior](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/senior-man-enjoying-local-thai-1010654509.jpg\")
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