Need help for unexpectedly fussy eater

@dlynng
Your husband may have swallowing issues, so the chunky granola is problematic for easy passage down the throat.
My husband has a swallowing issue known as Dysphagia, and is seen weekly by a speech and language pathologist to strengthen his swallowing muscles. He's on a modified diet with no crunchy, dry, hard or sticky substances.
Or, your husband may just be picky now!
Now you're a detective, so good luck. 🍀

Try sweetening up the food. Sweet is the last taste to diminish. Salty, sour is the first.

dlynng, From your post, it appears that your DH is still verbal, and the breakfasts you provide do not require cooking, so, why not ask him what he would like each morning, then prepare it. Or maybe, as another person has suggested, the granola may be the problem - can it be pureed, then added to the yogurt? As to the protein, please talk to his MD, or nurse for advice, maybe a protein drink might be the answer. Best of luck, hope your find a satisfactory solution in a short time.

My initial reaction when I read this, is it's a mouthfeel textural thing for him along with as @judimahoney posted, possibly a swallowing difficulty. I would try pureeing in a blender the chunks of fruit, and/or have him try softened cornflakes in milk, possibly. How about a banana with Bob's Red Mill quick cooking oats (cooked soft with milk in it to make it even finer). Even bake a sweet potato in the oven, nice, soft and sweet with a piece of breakfast small link sausage (cooked low & slow so it stays softer inside. How about a piece of "challah" French toast, where the milk and egg soak up the bread and cooked make it "dreamy soft." My husband got MCI, and now he eats things he wouldn't eat before. However, on any beef, he's picky, any "hint" of grisel or anything "textural" he spits out or cuts it up in finite pieces and sets it aside. Extremely picky now, his plate looks like a war zone but he eats. Hope this helps. PS, you can tell I'm a foodie trying things to get my husband to eat! Best, Karla

My husband tastes also have changed so very much. He used to love meat and now will hardly eat it. I leave snacks by his recliner of nuts and individual wrapped beef sticks that he will eat. I think for him it is very much the effort of chewing as he also has congestive heart failure. I just try to make sure he gets enough calories even if it is with ice cream with added whipped cream. He still likes ice cream. He still. loves fresh fruit and consumes a lot of the fruit which I cut up, peel or whatever it needs.

Everyone is so different. Making decisions can be tough, so an open ended question can be difficult. Eventually, even having 2 options can be hard to choose from. How about a non-breakfast item? Ham-n-cheese sandwich, left overs.

Sometimes, it's a lot of trial and error, and really, there's no error in this. Just keep trying and kudos to you for caring so much!

They have different protein drinks esp on amazon. My wife likes cookies and cream . I mix up her pills in them so now she takes her meds without problems. I crush them up in a coffee grinder and use a hand mixer. jWe are down to chicken and mash potatoes. She use to love vegtables fish shrimp. Not anymore.My wife is in stage 5 late probably. I don't think it makes any difference at this point.

To add to the picky eater mix: Even those flavorful prosciutto mozzarella sticks at the grocery store. They are soft, can be heated a tad to melt the cheese a bit, and are soft for those with a finicky palate. I slice a small beefsteak tomato, touch of sea salt, with them. My husband loves them. Best, Karla

Many thanks for all the suggestions on this topic! You've given me a wonderful variety of things to try. I so appreciate everyone in this support group.

@kjc48 I do those cheese sticks for my husband also. He loves them