Planning ahead: Protecting your food choices for the future

If you’ve been vegetarian or vegan for many years, I imagine that your diet is about far more than food. It reflects your values, your beliefs, and the way you’ve chosen to live your life.

This week, to mark Dementia Action Week, we are publishing a short series of blogs on our sister site exploring diet, identity, and care – and why food choices matter so much as we get older.

The research highlighted in those blogs shows something important: food remains closely tied to identity even as memory changes. Familiar meals, long-held habits, and deeply held beliefs can continue to shape who we are – but only if they are recognised and respected.

That’s where planning ahead becomes crucial. If you ever need support with meals in the future, clear communication of your preferences can make all the difference. Without it, there is a risk that others make assumptions – or that your choices are not fully understood.

Taking a few simple steps now can help protect what matters to you:

• Write down your dietary preferences
• Talk to family or friends about your wishes
• Make sure these are clearly recorded for future care.

VfL have developed practical tools, including a Self-Advocacy Pack, to help you do exactly this.

You can explore the full set of blogs to understand more about the research and real-life experiences that underpin the work we do – and why acting early can help ensure your choices continue to be respected.

A little preparation now can help ensure that your beliefs remain an active part of your life, whatever the future holds.