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I have noticed lately that I cook meat, or something else, and he says it doesn't taste right. I don't know what that means, but I am enjoying the same thing and it tastes delicious. It isn't involving very much of his food right now, but I just want to know what to watch out for. He still has a healthy appetite. He likes milk and cornbread, and the usual cereal in the morning. He is doing fine right now, just I am concerned about his eating.

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Has his sense of smell diminished? My mom's sense of taste has changed since she can't smell anything anymore. She still has a good appetite and likes most everything, especially sweets (she's 82). Our sense of smell contributes greatly with how we taste food. If this is the case, check with his doctor for there are ways to awaken the sense of smell again. I know when I have a cold or worse and can't breath through my nose, everything seems to taste funny.
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My 95 year old mother has gradually been eliminating food from her diet. She is not dementia. I struggled, and still do, trying to find things she would enjoy. She said they don't taste good anymore. So, we're down to thin sliced ham on a bun, summer sausage on a bun or crackers, applesauce, a cookie now & then, some bacon, peanut butter & jelly on toast. I've become so tired of hearing "I don't like that", I no longer try anything new. She also drinks Very Vanilla SlimFast but doesn't like Ensure, Boost, or any of the others. She drinks a very sweet fruit drink in the morning to bring up her blood sugar before she gets dressed. Otherwise, she passes out. Also, she eats 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream before bed to stabilize her blood sugar. When she turns down one of the few items she does still eat, I ask her if she is ready to quit eating. Then she has to decide about that or make a suggestion of what I should buy for her. It's unending. It doesn't get easier.
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His mouth may be dryer. My mom has no problems with that yet although she claims now that she does not like we'll the things she did before but when I serve them and says she likes them. However, I have Sjogrens syndrome and my salivary glands don't work right. Because of this, if food is dry, I cannot taste it unless I drink water and chew a lot. If he likes the BBQ sauce, try other saused or marinades. It may help.
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My Father's sense of taste seems to have changed. We did check with the doctor who tested him for zinc. I've added a simple zinc supplement. It's difficult to tell if it's made a difference, but it won't hurt him.
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I think when I reach - I don't know - 80? - I am going to quit taking any meds that are going to make me live forever and only the ones that will prevent me from being uncomfortable. Then I am going to eat whatever I want! Also will always want a moderate amount of exercise, particularly doing a little gardening, not because I have to but because I like to. If I want a big red steak, some Lemonheads followed by ice cream and then who knows what I can't see what the big deal is. I am only being semi flippant here. Sometimes I think we forget none of us are getting out of here alive and our elderly parents become projects. It's well intentioned but what is the end goal?
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His taste perception has changed. It happens. Try to find foods that still taste good for him and be generous with them.

:)
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MY mother does the same thing as long as he is eating that good. Let him eat what ever he want and if he not getting the right source of nutrition give him ensure or boost and he will be fine. Unless he losing a lot of weight tell the doctor. Mostly they going to put him on what I told you. If he misses a meal give one in replacement of meal
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Same with my Mom, who is 96 years old, all the sweets she puts down on her shopping list for me to purchase... makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it :0
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Why not just ask him what he likes? Taste buds change as well as all of the above as we get older. My MIL who passed away at 93 last year really loved her sweets. There was a lot of resistance in the family to 'letting her have dessert before dinner'. She used to say she couldn't 'really taste anything' but she loved sweet stuff. When you are 93 why not?
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My Mom's taste buds changed too. I reverted back to her old favorites pb&j and chocolate ice cream. As she faded into dementia, things from her youth seemed more satisfying.
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The area of the brain that deals with the sense of smell is one of the first parts of the brain to be affected by Alzheimer's. The tongue for the most part only senses sweet, salt, sour and bitter. If you can't smell, then nothing is going to taste right. (Like when you have a head cold).
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My 97 year-old Dad's tastes have changed, but not for the sweet. Taste buds dull with age, as I've been told.

He is very open to critiquing different foods, too - too much rice or salt - or not enough, etc. When he doesn't eat as much as he used to consume, it helps his appetite to provide a variety of foods he can enjoy. Sometimes, I just get takeout food from a Chinese buffet for those few baby clams, baked fish, Buffalo wings, lo mein, veggie mixes, etc. He likes some foods I don't care to eat, and he doesn't like the Mexican or Mideastern foods I enjoy sometimes. It's like trying to cook for one twice for each meal.

The clear Ensures are good for those who aren't big on sweet items, too. The creamy ones are probably so sweet for the majority who prefer that.

I do quick things for myself, too, but different ones.
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my understanding is that the older we get our taste buds do change and things we used to like now taste different. I think also some older people like more sweet things than normal. unfortunately my mother had to cook all meat to death before my father could chew it, only partial on bottom and 1 tooth on top, but he sure likes sweets (91 yr old).
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Is he on amiodarone (also known as cordarone) by any chance? My mom is on that for her heart and someone on here mentioned it affects taste buds. In looking online, it says it can cause "taste disturbances" or a bitter taste. If he's not on that, some other med might be causing his taste to change. I'd check with a pharmacist.

How does he describe the bad taste? Metallic? Bitter? What? Is he able to say how it tastes? If you have a description, I'll do a google search for it.
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No, he's using regular toothpaste. I have tried BBQ sauce and he likes it. I am making changes, and I had thought that his taste buds might be changing. Thanks for the advice.
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Fancicoffee7, is your husband using any toothpaste/mouth wash that says "whitening" or any tooth whitening strips.... as I found for myself it made my sense of taste for certain items to disappear.... after a couple weeks of stop using such whitening items, my sense of taste came back.
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His taste buds have changed. Before my father had a stroke, he loved sauerkraut, tomato catsup, and pickled food. After his stroke, he didn't care anymore for sour food, sweet food, salty food. Just go with the flow. You may have to go through several food before he finds the 'right' one.

Try spicing up his food. Add more lemon, barbcue sauce, etc.. Memorize the ones that didn't work. Well.. as I'm typing this, the page is blurring. Time to hit the sack.
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