Not much of appetite husband hardly eats anything.

Ensure might be a bit risky. It's all in the carb counting. Older people with diabetes generally need 45-50 g carbs per meal if they eat three meals a day. Things can go along smoothly for a while, then something throws a monkey wrench into the schedule. Not eating would definitely be a problem. There are drinks and snacks for people with diabetes, but they taste awful. They have so much artificial sweetener in them, they make me gag when I taste them. I don't blame anyone for not wanting them. The companies that make them ought to try to eat their product. Yuck!

Diabetes makes everything more complicated. I have the same worries with my mother making sure she eats right and gets the right amount of insulin. We can't just be carefree and light when it comes to food.

We know you're husband needs to eat the balanced diet. But how to encourage him to do it is the problem. My mother has gotten to the point in her life where she is shunning most vegetables. I end up cooking green beans for most dinners, since it is a vegetable she doesn't shun yet. I do the best I can, but know I can't force feed her. She takes her sugar twice a day and I either supplement her Levimir with a bit of short-acting insulin or encourage her to get a snack -- whichever is needed in the evening.

We've had a few hypoglycemic episodes here. Those are not fun. Fortunately I was able to get her back with some orange juice or Coke. I understand your concern. We can only do the best we can.

Has your doctor prescribed anything to help with mood? Such antidepressants, e.g. Remeron, can stimulate appetite. Some of the sedatives, e.g. Xanax, will do the same. It may help a lot to find something that works for your husband.

The insulin has to be adjusted to the amount he actually eats. Keep a record of what he consumes, how many ounces and when you have a log that is a week long, ask the MD what adjustments to make.

Would Ensure be an option? Never dealt with diabetics so I'm not sure if that's a good meal substitute for him in the interim.

Is he Type I or II diabetic? Does he take pills and/or Long acting insulin and fast acting?

I'd do a stick for blood sugar levels throughout the day just to see how things are going and keep a log of the readings, carbs eaten, etc. If it's really low, like below 70, I'd contact his doctor by phone immediately and ask for instructions. Keep sugar source handy. Watch if he is shaky, nervous, sweaty, hot or more confused than normal.

Also, I'd have his A1C checked to see what he's averaging. If he's lost weight or isn't eating much, his dosage may need to be changed.

I'm Type I and even when I don't eat, often my blood sugars are still really high, but if I'm taking insulin, they may plummet under the same circumstances.