Hi. I’m sorry to hear about your eating problems. I hadn’t heard about this before although it sounds as if it is quite common. My husband has Alzheimer’s and his eating habits have definitely changed though I hadn’t appreciated that this is a common issue. He is eating smaller dinners and prefers very simple dishes. Egg and chips is his favourite meal and always goes down well. He’ll also eat fish and chips or something like a cheese salad but will only eat a small portion of a meaty dish. Although he is perfectly capable of cutting up his own food, he likes vegetables like broccoli served already cut into small pieces. I suspect some of this goes back to how his mother served his food. He also now grazes between meals much more than he used to, eating chocolate biscuits, crisps, chocolate Brazils and fruit.
Like you, I have a slow cooker - pushed to the back of a cupboard, half forgotten. I’m not sure why either. I guess in your position I’d dig it out and give it another go, freezing leftover portions to reheat in the microwave when needed. I’d also probably consider more in the way of salads - but perhaps you’re not keen on cold food. I appreciate you may not be keen on learning to use a new piece of kitchen equipment but a simple steamer might be worth trying.
I wish you luck with your eating and thanks for raising this issue. It’s given me a better understanding of my husband’s eating quirks.