Dining with Dignity: The Finger Food Diet
©2006 Becky Dorner & Associates, Inc.(Originally Published in Today’s Dietitian July 2006) 1
Many seasoned practitioners can easily
picture this scenario:
On your daily meal rounds, a visit to the
dining room reveals Mrs. Darby sitting at
a table in the back corner. She has
managed to eat everything but her
mashed potatoes which she is trying to
eat with her fingers. She’s doing a fairly
good job of it too--other than the portion
around her mouth and down the front of
her dress.
The staff informs you that Mrs. Darby
prefers to eat with her fingers and will
not accept assistance, nor will she use
her utensils. Of course, Mrs. Darby’s
daughter is very upset with this whole
scenario and has complained that her
mother is unable to dine with any
dignity.
The solution? For some individuals the
Finger Food Diet allows independence
with eating despite functional declines in
cognition and/or muscle coordination.
Individual needs determine the
appropriate use of the finger food diet.
Adjustments to the diet can be made to
promote the individual’s highest
practical functioning.
When Should a Finger Food Diet be
Used?
When typical interventions such as
assistive feeding devices and dining
rehabilitation have been tried, and the
individual is still not able or refuses to
eat with utensils, it may be time to
consider the finger food diet.
The finger food diet may be requested
by the dietitian, dietetic technician,
dietary manager or occupational
therapist as part of the rehabilitation
process.
Prior to placing a person on finger
foods, caregivers should assure family
members that other interventions have
been tried and that the individual can
dine with dignity using appropriate foods
on a finger food diet. Caregivers should
also continue to try to encourage eating
utensils at each meal, if there is a
possibility that this skill can be
advanced. Appropriate clothing
protectors should be provided if needed,
and hands and face should be promptly
cleaned after the meal.
A finger food diet can meet the
nutritional needs of individuals on
regular or mechanical soft
consistencies.
It is more difficult to meet the needs of
the individual on a pureed consistency
diet. However, there are some food
thickeners and shapers are available
from a number of manufacturers on the
market today that may assist with
creating recipes for pureed foods that
may be eaten with the fingers.
Dining with Dignity: The Finger Food Diet
©2006 Becky Dorner & Associates, Inc.(Originally Published in Today’s Dietitian July 2006) 2
Foods Allowed/Foods to Avoid
All foods offered on this diet must be given in a form that can be easily handled and
eaten using the fingers, without risk of spilling much of the food. Finger foods must be
individualized and adjusted to meet the needs and preferences of each person. The
following guidelines can assist with meal planning for the Finger Food Diet.
Plan the following types of foods on
the Finger Food menu:
• Any foods that are easy to pick up and
eat using fingers:
o Dry cereals such as Cheerios™
o Fruits in bite size pieces
o Vegetables in bite size pieces, etc.
• Bite size pieces, or foods that are
easily bitten and chewed such as:
o Sandwiches (quartered)
o Chicken nuggets
o French fries, etc.
• Foods that can be placed in a mug
(with a handle or handles) drink such
as:
o Hot cereal
o Pureed soup or chili
o Pudding in an ice cream cone
o Meat in a pita or tortilla wrap.
• Cut sandwiches into quarters
• Cut pie wedges in half length wise
• Serve all gravies and sauces in a side
dish for dipping.
Avoid these types of foods:
• Any small foods that may be hard to
pick up due to dexterity problems:
o Corn niblets, peas
o Popcorn
o Rice
o Small pieces of cold cereal, etc.
• Any slippery foods that may be difficult
to pick up due to dexterity problems:
o Noodles in sauce
o Fruits canned in heavy syrup
o Macaroni noodles in cheese sauce,
etc.
• Foods that may lodge in the throat if
chewing and swallowing is a problem.
Be sure to cut foods into small enough
pieces to avoid choking.
• Any food that requires a utensil to be
eaten, unless it can be placed in a
mug or glass to drink.
• Miscellaneous:
o Applesauce
o Cottage cheese, yogurt
o Pureed foods
o Casseroles
o Mashed potatoes, scalloped
potatoes
o Stuffing
o Salads (vegetable or pasta with
dressing or sauce).
• Any other diet modification (i.e.,
consistency, therapeutic
requirements) as ordered by the
physician must be followed.
Dining with Dignity: The Finger Food Diet
©2006 Becky Dorner & Associates, Inc.(Originally Published in Today’s Dietitian July 2006) 3
Sample Daily Meal Plan for a Well Balanced Diet
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
¾ c Orange Juice
¾ c Cream of Wheat,
thinned with milk served in
mug
¼ c Scrambled Egg in a
patty shape, and 1 oz
cheese slice on top
2 Slices Whole Wheat
Toast (made into a
sandwich)
With 1 tsp Margarine (on
the bread)
1 c Milk
Sugar, Salt, Pepper
Coffee, Tea or Beverage
3 oz Roast Beef on
2 Slices Bread with 1
Tbsp. of Mayonnaise
10 Tater Tots
1 c Broccoli Stems (able
to pick up and eat with
fingers)
½ c Ice Cream in cone
1 c Milk
Sugar, Salt, Pepper
Coffee, Tea or Beverage
6 oz Cream of Tomato
Soup
in mug
3 oz Chicken Fingers
1 c French Fries
½ c Cooked Carrot Chips
1 Slice Bread
1 tsp Margarine
1 Baked Apple cut in
wedges
1 c Milk
Sugar, Salt, Pepper
Coffee, Tea or Beverage
P.M. Snack
¾ c Juice
2 Squares Graham Crackers
Bold/Italicized items indicate differences from regular menu.
Dining with Dignity: The Finger Food Diet
©2006 Becky Dorner & Associates, Inc.(Originally Published in Today’s Dietitian July 2006) 4
Meal Planning Guidelines for Finger Foods
Breakfast Notes
6 oz Fruit juice High in vitamin C
1 c Hot cream of rice or wheat
cereal
OR
Served in a cup with a handle, thinned with milk (to
drink)
1 oz Cold cereal (without milk) Large enough pieces to pick up and eat with fingers
2 Waffles, French toast, or
pancakes
Cut into thirds. Serve syrup in dipping bowl on the
side
¼ c Scrambled eggs on toast or
biscuit
Make into a sandwich and cut in half or quarters
2 Bacon slices or sausage links -
serve as is - no alteration
OR cut sausage patty in halves or fourths
OR Make a sandwich
1 (8 oz) serving milk or substitute
Coffee, tea or decaf.
Lunch and Dinner Notes
6-8 oz soup (optional) Pureed or blenderized and served in a mug
2-3 oz Meat or meat alternative
Served with out gravy/sauces on top-- All
Sauces/gravies in side dish
Cut into pieces as needed
May be sandwiched between 2 slices of bread, roll or
bun and cut into four pieces
1 Serving potato or other starch Potatoes can be baked and cut into wedges or cubes
with butter and/or sour cream or dressing to dip in.
(Alternate of French fries, tater tots, etc.)
½ to 1 c Vegetables, steamed,
drained
Bite size pieces or able to pick up with fingers and
eat. Alternate: use relish plates (steam vegetables
and refrigerate for next day service)
Some vegetables may be served in tortilla wraps or
pita bread if tolerated.
½ cup or Fruits
Drained if canned, bite size pieces, or if fresh cut into
easy to manage pieces
1 Serving dessert May serve the following items in an ice cream cone:
pudding, ice cream, sherbet, ambrosia fruit salad,
gelatin with fruit, etc.
Cut cakes into thirds and pie slices in half lengthwise.
1-2 Servings bread To make a sandwich or eat plain or with butter
1 (8 oz) serving milk or substitute
Coffee, tea or decaf.
©2006 Becky Dorner & Associates, Inc. Adapted from Diet Manual for Extended Care,
Becky Dorner & Associate, Inc. Akron, OH. 2006.
Becky Dorner, RD, LD is a speaker and author who provides education, publications, presentations,
and consulting services to enhance the quality of care for our nation’s older adults. Visit
www.BeckyDorner.com for free articles, information, publications, CEU programs and teleseminars,
and to sign up for our free monthly email magazine. 1-800-342-0285.
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