Food probably does sound awful to him ... being that sick and in that much pain, food is just a pain in the neck. Literally, in this case. But it needs to be dealt with. This is where the tube can be handy, annoying as it may be for him to use (and frustrating, if he hates feeling reliant on anything). I would never have kept up any calorie count without my feeding tube, and I never did reach the goals Christine suggests, though she's absolutely right that they're essential. And mood is affected by poor nutrition, which just compounds the problem. (Ask my husband, poor guy.)

Sounds like you're as on top of things as you can be, and he's lucky to have you as a caregiver. ((hugs))