Summary•A programme for the assessment and nursing diagnoses of eating difficulties among stroke patients was tested. The patients' experiences regarding eating were expressed in interviews and dialogues. Eating was observed during both a test meal and regular meals.•The assessments included the prerequisites for eating as well as oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal functions.•General and specific nursing diagnoses as well as life consequences (handicap) were established, based on assessment of disabilities and impairments, and interviewing the patients and their families, respectively. The general nursing diagnoses were formulated on admission after the test meal and these were reformulated to form specific nursing diagnoses after assessments of the functions.•The programme presented proved to be useful in clinical practice. It is emphasized that many assessments must be co‐ordinated for each i