Food for thought: Finger food ideas

Finger foods are prepared in a way that makes them easy to pick up and eat with the hands. They are ideal for people with dementia who have difficulties using cutlery.

Eating with dignity! 

Finger foods enable people to feed themselves, which helps to maintain their independence at mealtimes and allows them to choose the food they want to eat. This way of eating can provide a welcome boost to self-esteem and confidence at mealtimes, and may help to revive a flagging interest in food or a poor appetite. Finger foods are also ideal for people who like to leave the table and walk about at mealtimes, as they can be eaten while on the move.

Starting out - some tips

• Give the person time to look at the food on the plate and to eat at their own pace.
• If finger foods are rejected to start with, offer them again at other mealtimes over several days.
• Ensure you take into account a person's likes and dislikes and ability to manage different types of food.
• Provide finger food snacks in between meals to help boost food intake for people who have small appetites or are very active (see snack ideas).
• Serve finger foods at room temperature, so that you can prepare food in advance and do not need to rush meals.

Breads and cereals

Try a variety of breads for interest, including wholemeal and white. Keep sandwiches small to make them easier to manage.

• Buttered toast or bread fingers
• Small bread rolls with butter
• Sandwiches
• Buttered crumpets or muffins
• Crackers with butter or soft cheese
• Biscuits
• Scones, malt loaf, fruit loaf, teacakes or hot cross buns
• Slices of fruit cake or ginger bread
• Waffles
• Soft cereal bars
• Chapatis or small pitta breads

Meat, fish and alternatives

Meat that is dry may be difficult to eat, so try to keep it moist.

• Meat, sliced and cut into pieces
• Chicken breast (moist), cut into pieces
• Hamburgers, meatballs, sausages, chipolatas, hotdogs or slices of meatloaf
• Pieces of fish fillet (boned), fish fingers, small fishcakes or crabsticks
• Slices of pork pie
• Vegetable burgers or vegetarian sausages
• Slices of quiche or pizza
• Hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• Cheese cubes
• Slices of cheese on toast
• Kebabs

Fruit

Fruit can be peeled if preferred. However, the peel may make it easier for the person to grip the pieces, particularly if it is a 'slippery' fruit, such as peach or nectarine.

• Slices of apple or pear
• Melon wedges
• Pineapple chunks or rings
• Orange segments
• Slices of kiwi fruit
• Strawberries or raspberries
• Apricots (stone removed), cut into halves
• Nectarines or peaches (stone removed), cut into slices or chunks
• Seedless grapes
• Bananas, whole or sliced
• Dried fruit - Ready-to-eat apricots, pears, apple rings or stoned prunes

Vegetables

Vegetables can be steamed, boiled or served raw, depending on what the person prefers and can manage.

• Broccoli florets
• Cauliflower florets
• Carrot, swede or parsnip, cut into sticks or cubes
• Brussels sprouts
• Green beans or mange tout
• Cucumber slices or sticks
• Celery sticks or pieces
• Cherry tomatoes or salad tomatoes, sliced or cut into wedges
• Courgette slices or sticks
• Sliced peppers
• Mushrooms

Potatoes

• Potato wedges or chunky chips, oven baked or fried (you can also use sweet potatoes)
• Small roast potatoes
• Boiled potatoes, whole or halved, with or without skin
• Plantain slices or cubes, fried

Putting it all together!

Some suggestions for mealtimes are shown below. Remember to offer drinks regularly throughout the day as well - a healthy guide is about eight cups a day.

Breakfast

Include either fresh fruit, such as sliced kiwis or orange segments, or orange juice with breakfast.

• Buttered toast fingers (jam or marmalade optional)
• Buttered muffins
• Buttered toast or bread fingers and a boiled egg, cut into quarters

Lunch

• Sandwiches served with cherry tomatoes and cucumber sticks (see tasty sandwich fillings)
• Grilled cheese on toast, cut into 'fingers', or small toasties
• Soup, served in a mug with pieces of bread or small bread rolls to dip in it
• Buffet style! Provide a selection from the following: Buttered, soft bread rolls or bread fingers, cheese cubes, hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters, cooked meat, cut into pieces, small pickled onions, small Scotch eggs, slices of quiche
• Salad selection. Provide a selection from the following: Cut the food into slices, sticks or wedges. Cherry tomatoes or salad tomatoes, cucumber, peppers (yellow, orange or red are sweeter), carrot, celery, apple (makes a sweeter salad)

Main meal

• Pieces of roast chicken breast. Small roast potatoes. Broccoli and carrots
• Fish fingers, fishcakes or pieces of boned fish fillets. Potato wedges or chunky chips. Tomato wedges
• Sliced quiche. Small boiled potatoes. Green beans and carrots or a side salad (see salad selection)

What's for pudding?

• Fresh fruit, such as strawberries or banana, served individually or as a chunky fruit salad.
• Try serving fruit with yogurt to dip it in for a tasty alternative!
• Sliced fruit cake or gingerbread
• Individual fruit pies

Tasty sandwich fillings

• Pale-coloured fillings, such as soft cheese or egg mayonnaise, look more appealing in wholemeal bread. Salad items can be served on the side (see salad selection).
• Egg or tuna mayonnaise
• Soft or sliced cheese
• Sliced ham or other meat
• Pâté
• Meat or fish paste
• Peanut butter

Bread roll-ups

These make an interesting change to sandwiches! Take slices of medium thick fresh bread, wholemeal or white, cut off the crusts and spread with butter. Spread thinly with a soft, sticky filling, such as soft cheese or pâté. Take one end of the bread and roll it up (as though making a Swiss roll) to form a bread roll-up!

Snack ideas

• Buttered crackers with soft cheese
• Buttered savoury or sweet scones
• Buttered muffins or crumpets
• Sliced maltloaf
• Hot cross buns or tea cakes
• Toast or bread fingers with marmite or peanut butter
• Dried fruit
• Fresh fruit
• Soft cereal bars
• Slices of fruit cake or gingerbread

How to find out more 

If you would like more information on Food for Thought publications and events, please contact:

Food for Thought Project
Alzheimer's Society
Ground Floor Suite
Holgate Villa
22 Holgate Road
York YO24 4AB

Telephone: 019 0463 3640
Fax: 019 0465 9561
Email: foodft@alzheimers.org.uk

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